Mehta: Height at WR gives Jets OC of plenty of versatility

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Updated: September 6, 2015

Bill Kostroun/AP

Eric Decker stands at 6-3.

The most intriguing element of the new-look Jets offense should stress opponents and create plenty of mismatches to free up two dangerous weapons.

Chan Gailey’s wrinkle to deploy Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker in the slot has likely gone unnoticed to most, but it’ll be critical for myriad reasons.

Although teams typically move smaller, shiftier players into the slot, Gailey’s decision to use one or two tall targets inside on any given play will keep the opposition guessing. Wide receivers and pass-catching tight ends will be interchangeable along the formation to give the scheme an unpredictable bent.

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“With the way we’re cross-training those guys, we’re probably going to be able to get mismatches where we want,” wide receivers coach Karl Dorrell said. “It’s going to cause a problem for defenses knowing that we don’t have just one particular kind of inside player.”

The 6-4 Marshall, 6-3 Decker and even 6-2 second-year man Quincy Enunwa, who has taken his fair share of slot reps this offseason, will give Ryan Fitzpatrick more visible targets amid the chaos in the middle of the field. The bigger bodies will provide a dimension that should help the veteran signal caller.

“A lot of times you’re making those second-level throws over linebackers or in between corners and safeties,” Fitzpatrick said. “So the big target helps a lot, especially against zone coverages.”

Marshall has excelled all along the formation for years. He lined up in the slot 44% of the time two years ago in Marc Trestman’s offense in Chicago, according to Pro Football Focus. Thirty-nine of his 100 catches and 44% of his 1,295 receiving yards that season came from the slot.

He lined up 49% of the time in the slot last season. Although Marshall’s size and strength have been integral to his success in the slot, he insisted that football I.Q. is the most important component to thriving inside.

“The majority of guys who have done it well have been little guys,” Marshall said. “It’s more about if the guy’s smart enough because it’s a totally different game going from outside to in. The speed of the game is different. You have to slow it down. You have to have more patience. You also have to know when to have a sense of urgency.”

Paul Sancya/AP

Jets WR Brandon Marshall.

Marshall, who started learning the nuances of slot play while with the Dolphins five years ago, has 62 receptions for 856 yards and eight touchdowns the past two seasons running routes from the slot.

He’s learned to sit in zones, go underneath or the over top of a defender and adjust his release based on what the outside receiver is doing. Sometimes winning inside means beating two or three defenders on a play.

Decker also is flexible, but he needed a refresher course after lining up outside 85% of the time in Marty Mornhinweg’s West Coast scheme last year. Only seven of his 74 receptions came from the slot, which was a drastic decline from his last season playing with Peyton Manning. Decker lined up one third of the time in the slot in his final year with the Broncos: 37% of his 87 receptions and 27% of his 1,288 yards came from the slot. He’s embraced playing more inside again in Gailey’s system.

“It’s a different feel for a receiver inside because you got more space to release and you got linebackers and safeties you can work against in zones,” Decker said. “You got to conceptually understand the whole play. I like it because if you’re versatile enough to play multiple positions, (Gailey) can game plan certain things and free you up in certain situations.”

There’s still plenty of value in utilizing the smaller Jeremy Kerley in the slot in specific situations. When he served as an assistant in Miami from 2008-11, Dorrell leaned on then-Dolphins slot receiver Davone Bess’ lateral quickness to get down the seam during those years. The cross-training techniques, however, will allow the Jets to be much more unpredictable than in past years.

Decker and Marshall’s versatility should give opposing defensive coordinator’s headaches. Gailey can line both up on the same side of the formation or place both in the slot on either side to mess with opponents’ heads.

“If there’s someone who’s trying to get Brandon or Eric out of the game by doubling him, well, we put them both on one side,” Dorrell said. “Sometimes it kind of screws up that thought process. … What if Brandon’s inside and Eric’s inside? You’re making them change coverage slots given the situation that the offense presents.”

A flexible offense is usually a winning one.

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