It would be wise not to sleep on Frank Reich. Granted, the concerns surrounding some of his outdated tendencies deserve attention, but from a general, zoomed-out perspective, the New York Jets’ offensive coordinator sees the game in a way that fits today’s NFL.
First and foremost, head coach Aaron Glenn deserves credit for making the move.
With Greg Roman in the running for the position, a valid argument could be made that the run-heavy offensive play-caller would perfectly align with Glenn’s idea of offensive football. At the very least, Roman’s tendencies fit everything Glenn put forth in the last year as Jets’ head coach: deploying a zone-read, quarterback-rushing, rush-heavy-no-matter-what scheme.
Yet, at the end of the day, Glenn chose the man who not only calls a game through a quarterback lens but actually played the position himself.
As far as Frank Reich’s offensive architecture is concerned, the best way to describe it is: an extremely balanced offense that seeks to capitalize on defensive missteps and/or positioning. Better yet, Reich aims to create an offense that fits his personnel, and he takes a week-to-week approach.
If nothing else, that description fits the modern NFL pretty well.
Today’s example dives into Frank Reich’s first game with the Carolina Panthers. It was then-rookie Bryce Young’s first NFL start, a Week 1 matchup (2023) against the Atlanta Falcons.
The script
Carolina’s offensive strategy wasn’t really clear or concise, yet that’s not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, the better offensive architects today don’t head into Week 1 with a firm offensive identity in mind.
Instead, they build weekly-specific game plans that play to their players’ strengths, hoping that the first handful of games will give the offense a firm identity by October.
Reich utilized the pistol for his rookie quarterback in this one, early and often. He also broke out duo concepts, in which his interior offensive line pushed Atlanta’s defensive line back significantly.
Despite this nice early push, Carolina couldn’t get the running game going. The Falcons’ linebackers were on their toes and leaning forward to a rabid degree.
Worse yet, the Atlanta coaching staff was activating the second level early and often, sending clear run blitzes with a rookie quarterback on the other side.
With this early-down run-blitzing trend continuing, Reich already has it in his mind to target the linebackers in the passing game. Before he did that, however, he looked to stretch them sideline to sideline, to give them another element to consider.
Unfortunately for Carolina, the opening drive ended in disappointment. The Panthers were stuffed on both third-and-1 and fourth-and-1 at the Falcons’ 11-yard line.
The setup
At one point, on the initial drive, Reich dialed up a wide receiver screen on third-and-11 that actually popped for a first down. Atlanta showed a double-A-gap mug and brought pressure, which is precisely the wrong defense against a quick-hitting outside screen.
This aligns with the idea of expanding the second-level backers. This way, not only are they on their toes and leaning forward against the run game, but they have to be ready to move laterally off the snap.
Before the wide receiver screen that popped for a first down — while in fringe field-goal territory — Reich called a designed swing screen (one-man). Technically, this was the first play designed to get the linebackers thinking about lateral movement.
Reich also incorporated plenty of jet motion early in this game. While there’s no question that jet motion was a feature of the game script, it also fit extremely well with how to beat the Falcons’ linebackers.
The payoff
The official payoff for Reich’s offense came in the form of a four-yard passing touchdown from Bryce Young to tight end Hayden Hurst. However, as “through the air” as the touchdown feels when reading it in the box score, is as fraudulent a “passing score” as it actually is.
Young’s first-ever NFL touchdown pass came on an RPO (run-pass option). Reich once again went to the well of directly attacking the linebackers in the two-way game (rushing vs. passing assignments).
Before that, let’s recap: The team’s second drive ended quickly, thanks to Young’s first career interception (getting fooled by a two-high pre-snap look that drove into a middle closed look). The third drive was also short-lived.
The good stuff came on the fourth drive, which was an impressively sustained one while trailing 7-0 early in the second quarter. Before the touchdown, however, Reich noted more run-blitzing by the defense.
Interestingly, Carolina still picked up a 10+ yard rushing gain in the face of this heavy run blitz. Atlanta just couldn’t maintain the proper balance in the run-support game.
Next, Reich pulled the trigger on the big payoff that targeting a linebacker group that was getting way too loose in their responsibilities: a late-releasing tight end shallow cross that popped wide open, thanks in part to jet motion going the other way.
The Hurst touchdown capped off the drive two plays later. Although it was technically a read-specific RPO (where the quarterback first reads the naked EDGE), a slant-flat concept to the right side freed up Hurst’s dash to the front pylon.