Jets, Bears share inglorious passing game history that shows few signs of changing soon

Joe Namath was connected occurrence that day, conscionable similar helium was for the full 1967 season. The New York Jets fable passed for 343 yards and 4 touchdowns to bushed the San Diego Chargers successful the last game, 42-31 -- and helium didn't propulsion a azygous walk successful the 4th quarter. After his 4th touchdown toss, Namath's counterpart efficaciously surrendered.

"We're connected the sideline and I look crossed the tract and John Hadl was implicit determination waving a achromatic towel," Namath recalled for ESPN, laughing astatine the memory.

Namath finished the play with 4,007 passing yards -- a grounds for the AFL and NFL, though helium didn't larn of the milestone until helium was informed good aft the crippled by the nationalist relations staff. Nowadays, it would've been announced during the game, and helium would've seen the alert connected his telephone upon returning to the locker room.

Known for his speedy merchandise and heavy balls, Namath was liable for the lone 4,000-yard play successful the epoch of the 14-game schedule. The grounds lasted until 1979, erstwhile the Chargers' Dan Fouts threw for 4,082 yards successful 16 games.

What was erstwhile a uncommon gem is present reasonably mean successful the NFL's wide-open passing era. The 4,000-yard people has been reached 208 times, with each but 2 teams having produced astatine slightest 1 specified passer since Namath's 4,007.

The Jets and the Chicago Bears.

They look each different Sunday astatine MetLife Stadium (1 p.m. ET, Fox) and, fittingly, backmost upheaval is the apical storyline. It was expected to beryllium Zach Wilson against Justin Fields -- a brace of 2021 first-round picks -- but Wilson was benched Wednesday successful favour of Mike White. The struggling Wilson needed a "reset," according to manager Robert Saleh, who said helium intends to play him again this play and insisted he's inactive their future. Round and circular they go, 2 franchises attempting to reverse decades of backmost futility.

"I've talked astir the Bears franchise arsenic a spot wherever quarterbacks spell to die," said erstwhile Jets quarterback-turned-CBS expert Boomer Esiason, who threw a career-high 3,959 yards arsenic a subordinate of the Cincinnati Bengals successful 1986. "I conjecture you could astir apt accidental the aforesaid happening astir the Jets successful immoderate respects."

What's down these 2 franchises' historical ineffectiveness successful the passing crippled -- peculiarly successful the modern epoch with rules favoring wide-open passing attacks -- and what mightiness the aboriginal hold?

Why their passing games haven't breached retired

It's been 27 years since Erik Kramer acceptable the Bears' single-season grounds for passing yards (3,838) and touchdowns (29) successful 1995. No 1 is much amazed than Kramer, a erstwhile undrafted escaped agent, that the franchise tied for the oldest successful NFL past has ne'er had a 4,000-yard passer.

"You deliberation astir each the first-round draught prime quarterbacks they've had since then," said Kramer, who spent 5 seasons (1994-98) with Chicago. "It's not specified a lofty people that it shouldn't person been breached many, galore times, particularly with the passing crippled contiguous and the mode they've legislated defence retired of the game. It truly doesn't marque consciousness to me."

The backmost presumption has been a revolving doorway successful Chicago since the Bears traded Jim McMahon, the lone QB to triumph a Super Bowl successful franchise history, successful 1989 aft years of injuries. Since then, the Bears person utilized 36 antithetic starting quarterbacks, which is the third-most successful the NFL successful that span. Ahead of the 2022 season, Chicago went 12 consecutive seasons without the aforesaid starting backmost each game, the league's longest progressive streak, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.

For overmuch of its history, Chicago's individuality has been synonymous with the "black-and-blue division" moniker earned by the NFC North (formerly the NFC's Central division) for its carnal benignant of play. Since the AFL-NFL merger successful 1970, the Bears person finished top-10 successful scoring defence 23 times.

"That's what it was known for -- running, playing pugnacious defence -- and present with the proliferation of these RPO offenses, that individuality is benignant of getting taken away," ex-Bears backmost Jim Miller said.

Miller, who helped pb the Bears to a 13-3 grounds successful 2001, ranks 23rd connected the franchise's single-season passing database (2,299). A enarthrosis wounded that required six surgeries aft the Bears believed Miller was their semipermanent answer, derailed his vocation and spun the revolving doorway that has not slowed down.

"They had settled connected maine arsenic the backmost and I conscionable couldn't enactment steadfast for them," Miller said. "Then the tally of quarterbacks started coming. One feline aft the different from Kordell [Stewart] to [Craig] Krenzel - you sanction it - was done that building. They tried similar hellhole to draught guys similar Rex Grossman and Cade McNown. There's conscionable a slew of guys that went done determination and they ne'er seemed to enactment it together, but ever tried to trust connected their defence and moving the football.

"It's hard to find a franchise quarterback, and the Bears person been searching for a agelong time. But erstwhile you person coaching hires successful and retired and you're changing offenses, it's conscionable not a look for success."

The Bears person invested a full of 10 first-round picks successful quarterbacks since the commencement of the Common Draft Era successful 1967, the astir by immoderate franchise successful that time. In summation to drafting six QBs successful the archetypal circular -- astir precocious Fields (2021) and Mitchell Trubisky (2017) -- the Bears traded 4 first-round picks to onshore seasoned quarterbacks Mike Phipps (1978), Rick Mirer (1997) and Jay Cutler (2010).

Cutler's Bears vocation (2009-16) featured 5 passing performances that fertile successful the top-11, including the 2nd done 5th largest single-season outputs. Cutler had six antithetic violative coordinators during that time.

In 8 seasons with the Bears, Cutler topped retired astatine 3,812 passing yards (2014). His tendency to beryllium portion of a high-octane offense, similar the 1 helium came from successful Denver aft throwing for 4,526 yards successful 2008, didn't vanish erstwhile helium came to Chicago. In fact, implicit 13% of his walk attempts were thrown 20 oregon much yards downfield, the fourth-highest complaint by immoderate NFL QB with astatine slightest 1,000 passes from 2009-16.

Receivers play a captious relation for each backmost who reaches the 4,000-yard passing mark. Former Bears wideout Muhsin Muhammad's assertion that Chicago is wherever "receivers spell to die" resonates with those who played here.

"Over the years, successful summation to not having large quarterbacks, the Bears person lacked talent," Kramer said. "Our wide endowment level, accomplishment position-wise, was somewhat limited."

The Jets person employed 21 full-time starting quarterbacks since the Namath epoch ended successful 1976. Three eclipsed 3,500 yards -- Ryan Fitzpatrick (3,905), Ken O'Brien (3,888) and Vinny Testaverde (3,732) -- but nary 1 made first-team All-Pro, and nary 1 led his squad to a Super Bowl, arsenic Namath did successful 1968.

"Testaverde, Boomer Esiason, they've had immoderate bully quarterbacks," erstwhile Jets manager Rex Ryan said. "You would think, God, that 1 of those guys would've thrown for 4,000 yards."

After all, everyone is doing it -- a full of 76 idiosyncratic 4,000-yard seasons since 2015. A fig of factors person contributed to the Jets' 55-year drought.

For one, they've fielded lone 5 top-10 offenses since Namath, based connected yards per game. That breaks down to astir erstwhile per decade. They went done a agelong of 22 consecutive seasons of defensive-minded caput coaches, from Bill Parcells (1997) to Todd Bowles (2018) -- which, for the astir part, made for run-oriented attacks.

They've besides suffered from a deficiency of violative stableness -- i.e. a merry-go-round of violative coordinators. The existent one, Mike LaFleur, is the eighth antithetic coordinator successful the past 12 years. The changeless turnover means caller systems and caller playbooks to learn, which makes it hard to make players, particularly quarterbacks.

Mostly, though, it's astir talent. The Jets haven't had "That Guy" adjacent though they person invested heavy astatine the presumption done the draught -- 10 first- and second-round picks since Namath.

Mark Sanchez, Chad Pennington and O'Brien each had aggregate playoff seasons, but nary of them were capable to prolong occurrence owed to assorted factors. Sam Darnold fizzled. Geno Smith besides fizzled -- and present he's enjoying caller beingness with the Seattle Seahawks aft bouncing astir the league. Second-rounder Christian Hackenberg, incredibly, ne'er played a down.

The Jets tried the free-agent route, spending large connected Neil O'Donnell successful 1996 -- which proved disastrous. They tried the splashy-trade route, dealing for Brett Favre -- an epic neglect aft a tantalizingly bully start.

"Football is simply a squad game. Who's picking the players?" asked Namath, trying to explicate the slump since helium was quarterback. "It's a squad crippled and you person to person the close players astir the backmost and the close coaching."

Every large backmost needs a large receiver, and the Jets haven't had 1 successful a agelong time. They've had 1 Pro Bowl wide receiver successful the past 22 years -- Brandon Marshall successful 2015.

O'Brien believes immoderate of it has to bash with the property of the coaches implicit the years, and however they've tried to support equilibrium connected offense. He besides noted the acquisition level of the quarterbacks -- oregon deficiency thereof.

"When you person younger guys," O'Brien said, "you effort to support them until they get going."

The Jets person tried that approach, astir precocious with Wilson, Darnold, Smith and Sanchez -- with minimal results. Sanchez made the playoffs successful his archetypal 2 seasons, 2009 and 2010, and they haven't been backmost since. In betwixt first-rounds picks, they hired "bridge" quarterbacks, astir notably Fitzpatrick, who enjoyed a vocation twelvemonth (3,905 passing yards) and took the Jets to the brink of the playoffs successful 2015. As usual, they came up short.

When it comes to the Jets and their backmost history, it starts and ends with Namath. His 4,007-yard season, projected implicit 17 games, would beryllium 4,866 yards. Not lone did helium person less games, but helium said helium ne'er took a azygous drawback retired of shotgun. Asked however he'd execute today, with liberalized rules to assistance passing attacks, Namath said half-jokingly that helium wouldn't person been allowed connected the tract due to the fact that of his famously ravaged knees.

"I look astatine what benignant of things they bash with the ball, the mode they get it out, the benignant of worldly they propulsion ... I would've loved to person played the mode the guys play today, sure," helium said. "The crippled has changed drastically and I deliberation for the better."

The adjacent season, aft a brace of five-interception games, Namath -- called retired by the coaches -- dialed backmost the passing and leaned connected his moving crippled and defense. Remember, the quarterbacks called their ain plays successful those days. The effect was a Super Bowl championship.

What's next?

There's tangible excitement centered astir Fields, who ranks 4th successful Total QBR (73.6) since Week 7. Though helium appears to beryllium the backmost the Bears tin orchestrate their rebuild around, it's unrealistic to deliberation Fields volition beryllium adjacent to a 4,000-yard passing play immoderate clip soon.

Through 11 weeks, Fields is averaging 149.3 passing yards per game, which ranks 35th retired of 36 qualified quarterbacks. His highest passing output this play was 208 yards successful a nonaccomplishment to Minnesota, which is the lone clip he's topped 200 yards passing successful a crippled successful 2022.

The Bears' individuality arsenic the league's astir ascendant rushing squad (197.9 yards per game) has carried this offense. While it's not sustainable that Fields tin tally the shot arsenic overmuch arsenic helium has (a league-most 122 attempts) arsenic evidenced by the enarthrosis wounded helium sustained successful Atlanta, seeking equilibrium is cardinal for Chicago successful processing an attack offensively that tin amended diagnostic Fields' accomplishment acceptable arsenic a passer.

"The astir important happening is (offensive coordinator Luke) Getsy is staying successful their lane offensively," Miller said. "They cognize who they are. They've got an identity. We tally the shot well, present let's physique this play-action package, and astatine immoderate point, they'll beryllium capable to physique a three-wide dropback bundle for Justin. In my mind, he's susceptible of doing it all. He's got a bully arm."

Upgrading Chicago's harvest of receivers volition beryllium a focal constituent of the offseason. No subordinate has much than wide retired Darnell Mooney's 493 receiving yards and choky extremity Cole Kmet's 5 touchdowns. For a backmost to scope 4,000 yards, helium needs teammates who tin drawback the ball. Limitations with their unit plays a relation successful what's preventing this passing onslaught from taking off, but expressing self-awareness astir those limitations and uncovering workarounds for the discourtesy is Getsy's precedence for the remainder of the season.

"We tally the stone and we bash a bully occupation with the play-pass crippled and truthful it's not similar we're conscionable spreading 'em out," Getsy said. "We're not the Cincinnati Bengals conscionable spreading retired 2 by 2 and spitting it out, one-on-one routes. That's not been who we are."

Wilson won't scope 4,000 yards this season. Heck, helium mightiness not marque it to 2,000 the mode things are going. His struggles successful 2 of the past 3 games, coupled with questions astir his leadership, person enactment him successful the crosshairs. He plays for a defensive-minded manager successful Saleh who likes to diagnostic the moving game, truthful it's imaginable helium mightiness not person the accidental to enactment up prolific passing numbers for arsenic agelong arsenic they're together.

The endowment is there, according to Ryan and Esiason, who said Wilson has "a small Fran Tarkenton and a small Brett Favre successful him. He's got a small spot of some those guys successful him, and he's got to refine that." Namath said Wilson "moves astir beautifully." He expressed immoderate interest astir his accuracy and deficiency of size (6-foot-2), but expressed optimism that helium volition amended with experience.

The large issue, 1 that has travel to the forefront successful caller days, is however Wilson handles scrutiny. He appeared thin-skinned past week ("Nobody extracurricular of this gathering knows what they're talking about") and showed nary accountability aft past week's 10-3 nonaccomplishment to the New England Patriots, dismissing a question astir whether helium fto down the defence with a 77-yard passing performance.

"He was drafted 2nd wide based connected his accomplishment -- the feline is truthful freaking talented -- but it's the different happening that concerns me," said Ryan, an ESPN analyst. "Part of playing this presumption is being a damn alpha antheral and beryllium a feline who tin basal successful beforehand of his teammates and lead. He's got nary thought what a damn person is oregon what it's similar to play backmost successful New York."

Esiason echoed that sentiment, saying, "There's a level of immaturity determination that you person to interruption through. They person 7 games to determine what they deliberation they person there."

Wilson grew up successful Utah and played assemblage shot astatine BYU, a agelong mode from Gotham. The large metropolis isn't for everyone. This is the archetypal clip successful his beingness that he's dealing with adversity of this magnitude. O'Brien tin relate. He played astatine UC Davis earlier being drafted by the Jets successful the celebrated backmost people of '83. He believes squad occurrence volition beryllium important for Wilson's development.

"You surely turn a batch faster erstwhile you're winning, there's nary doubt," O'Brien said. "It's a antithetic burden. When you're losing, there's a funk that happens that hangs on. You person to interruption retired of it, and the lone mode to interruption retired of it is by winning." Wilson has chopped down connected his interceptions from past season, but his completion percent is the aforesaid arsenic his rookie fig -- an alarmingly debased 55.6. The Jets are averaging 1.68 points per thrust with Wilson astatine quarterback, which ranks 24th. They person a playoff-caliber defense, but helium could beryllium holding them back.

"I spot a kid who tin truly throw, I spot a kid who's an athlete, but I spot a kid who looks truly tense to me," Esiason said. "It was atrocious (Sunday), connected and disconnected the field, but I inactive deliberation there's thing there. I'm not acceptable to propulsion successful the towel close now."

Another white-towel reference. From '67 to '22, Namath to Wilson.