Courtesy: CBS Sports
*FAN SUBMISSION by Brad Kroner of Baltimore. Follow him on Twitter @bradkroner.*
Jay Gruden, former offensive coordinator of the Cincinnati Bengals, is now the head coach of the Washington Redskins. Hue Jackson, previously the running backs coach and special assistant to head coach Marvin Lewis, will step into the offensive coordinator position. Losing Gruden could have a serious impact on Dalton.
A top ten offense in 2013, the Cincinnati Bengals scored 430 points. Averaging 368 yards a game, the Bengals were a prolific offense. The Bengals run game was putrid, typically gaining 3.5 yards a carry. The Bengals had to lean on the passing game. Leading this passing attack was Andy Dalton, who passed for over 4000 yards for the first time in his young career. Dalton carried the offense on his shoulders, but he does have flaws. He’s noted as having a weak arm. He struggles with deep passes, as he threw just 55 passes that sailed farther than 20 yards, according to ESPN. Of those 55, only 14 hit their mark. Just a quarter of these passes were completed.
Courtesy: USA Today
Fortunately for Dalton, Jay Gruden runs a west coast scheme predicated on short, timing patterns. In this system, Dalton rarely had to throw the ball deeper than 20 yards. Dalton’s strength is his accuracy, which is best utilized on short routes. Gruden’s scheme was tailored to fit Dalton perfectly. It masked his deficiencies and it accented his strengths. The quick hitting plays (and the stellar offensive line) kept the pressure off of Dalton, as he was sacked only 29 times, third fewest in the NFL.
Now, the pressure is on Hue Jackson to replicate the same success Dalton had under Gruden.
Jackson last served as offensive coordinator for the Oakland Raiders in 2010. Under his guidance, they finished 10th in total yards, 2nd in rushing yards 6th in scoring, but just 23rd in passing yards. In the 2010 season, Jason Campbell was the starting quarterback. With a much better quarterback in Dalton, Jackson should surpass those numbers.
Marvin Lewis has stated that Jackson will retain Gruden’s playbook, but he will be allowed to make tweaks to the play calling. Jackson emphasizes a physical, run first attack that differs greatly from the 2013 Bengals offense. Play calling can make all the difference in an offense, and Jackson’s approach may not be good for Dalton.
As an offensive coordinator in the NFL, Jackson has yet to coach a top ten passing offense. His stints with the Washington Redskins in 2003 and the Atlanta Falcons in 2007 were marked by mediocrity on offense. He may have been limited by his personnel on both teams. His personnel would be much better in Cincinnati.
Dalton excelled under Jay Gruden, but many would say he over-achieved. Dalton played in a great system with great weapons. He is extremely limited, but Gruden was able to get the best out of him. Jackson has not coordinated a good passing game, but that may be due to lacking quality players. Jackson has been inconsistent as an offensive coordinator, but he pushes to get the most out of his players. Only time will tell if he gets as much out of Dalton as Gruden did.
