The Jets' new play-caller Todd Downing, who has served as the team's passing-game coordinator the last two seasons, believes the offense will play a brand of football that reflects the personality of interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich.
"I think the energy [Ulbrich] walks around this building with is infectious to those guys," Downing told reporters Friday. "I expect those guys to gravitate towards the physicality he likes out of the game of football and the opportunity to create one-on-one battles where at the end of the play, you know who got the best of who. It's going to be fun to watch that personality kind of be emulated through the locker room."
Physicality is the common denominator of Downing's appeal to Ulbrich , and vice versa. When Ulbrich, who played linebacker for 10 seasons in the NFL, informed the media that Downing would take over play-calling duties for Nathaniel Hackett, he mentioned the Titans' offense when Downing was the offensive coordinator there in 2021-22.
"For every Tennessee offense that I ever went against when Todd was the play-caller there, they were tough, they were ruthless, they finished, they ran the ball and they played on their terms," Ulbrich said. "There's definitely a style that appealed to me in that way."
Physical teams typically connote good defenses and strong rushing attacks. The Jets have the NFL's No. 2 defense, but rank No. 32 in rushing (80.4 yards per game). Under Downing, the Titans ranked No. 6 in rushing (133.4 yds/g) led by Derrick Henry. The Jets have a dynamic back in Breece Hall, who has been limited to 197 yards and 2 touchdowns through the first five games.
"First of all, this team does have a strong run game," Downing said. "We just haven't seen it come to fruition consistently enough. Secondly, I think there become times where you can find people pressing a little bit because there's an expectation for production and when it's not met, you can feel a sense of urgency. I believe our guys are ready to answer the bell and make the quarter-turn adjustments we need to make to get this thing on track."
One of the biggest changes for the offense will be Downing's voice in QB Aaron Rodgers' helmet as opposed to Hackett, whom Rodgers is close to.
"I can't express to you the respect and the reverence I have for the way Nathaniel has gone about his business from the moment the switch occurred," Downing said. "He walked into my office and told me that he wanted to support me and see me succeed in this role and that the only thing that mattered to him was this offense, putting together a good product and winning football games.
"There is going to be a process of figuring out the best way to communicate with [Rodgers] and I want to be an open book to how I can best serve him and every one of our players."
Downing is unsure if he will call plays from the sideline, which he did with the Titans, or the booth. With all the change swirling around the Jets this week, Downing's priority, even before the coaching change, was maximizing the potential on offense.
"I think everybody gets frustrated when we don't put the product out there that we expect to," he said. "Everybody in this building works extremely hard and just because the results weren't there and some changes were made doesn't change everybody's intent when they walk into this building every day.
"I would be concerned if those competitors weren't frustrated with lack of production or lack of targets or lack of whatever. I think what's happened this week has given us a chance to really try to draw closer as a family."
