What Do NFL Analysts Think of Jets’ New OC Nathaniel Hackett?

Rapoport separates the success of calling plays and being a head coach.

“The one thing, to me, that people don’t understand and may never understand because I seem to go through it all the time is that being a head coach and offensive coordinator are different jobs,” he said. “He has been in his career a very good coordinator There’s a reason he was in that position [to be hired as a head coach]. … The Jets got a really experienced good one in Hackett. I know everyone talks about Aaron Rodgers and whatever, but that’s not why they hired him. They hired him because he’s very good and I think that’ll be big.”

Simms believes in Hackett’s system, which has withstood the test of time. Hackett’s father, Paul, who was the Jets’ OC from 2001-4, coached in the NFL from 1981-2010 minus a three-year stint at USC from 1998-2000 . In 14 years in the NFL, Nathaniel Hackett has coordinated the NFL leader in rushing yards (2017) and points per game (2020), a top-10 passing offense (2020, 2021) and the second-best red zone touchdown rate (2017). As a coordinator for the Bills, Jaguars and Packers, those teams went 69-44.

“One, the one thing he is great at is the system is tried and true,” Simms said. “Two, incredible detail within the system. Everyone is going to be on the same page, that’s the one thing I know about the Hackett family. If you run a slant route, you’re going to run it the exact perfect way against that coverage every time so the quarterback knows exactly what to expect because that’s how the Joe Montana, Bill Walsh where Paul Hackett was at one point makes it work.

“He’s going to really refine things and then he has a magical way of making the quarterback feel like he’s part of this with him. When you throw an interception, I throw an interception. That’s where I think he’s going to be great not only for whoever the starter is, but he’s going to be great for Zach Wilson.”