How to explain Jets’ surge on offense? QB change among top factors – New York Jets Blog

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — The quarterback went out, the playcaller went up and the offense went off.

The New York Jets, three-and-out kings over their first six games, produced 64 points and 997 total yards in Weeks 8 and 9, fueling debate on why they have morphed into, you know, a functional NFL offense.

Are they better without rookie quarterback Zach Wilson, who missed the past two games with a knee injury? Is offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, now working from the coaches’ booth, smarter at a higher elevation?

Football rarely is a “one-answer-fits-all” sport. It’s too complex to be that convenient, and this is a case where there’s more than one reason for the mini-turnaround.

Yes, LaFleur has made subtle changes in his playcalling. Yes, his replacement quarterbacks, Mike White and Josh Johnson, have executed the offense more efficiently than Wilson. While some might argue the offense fattened its statistics in garbage time last week in the blowout loss to the Indianapolis Colts, it should be noted that Wilson & Co. had ample opportunities in the first six games to do the same.

“We’ve improved in a number of areas, for sure,” said LaFleur, who faced heavy scrutiny after a historically bad start.

LaFleur, with help from offensive line coach John Benton, has simplified the offense, which faces the NFL’s top-ranked defense Sunday (1 p.m. ET, CBS) with the Buffalo Bills coming to town. Like his unit, which includes four rookies, LaFleur is learning on the fly.

“He is a first-year coordinator working with a first-year team, so everyone is trying to figure each other out,” said Robert Saleh, a first-time head coach. “All of that takes time. I think they’re doing a fantastic job on offense.”

Let’s examine the recent surge:

• Location, location, location: LaFleur always wanted to call plays from…