Usually I agree with your posts, but this one is way off and you're using only the negative aspects of Schottenheimer's past. He was so "rigid" about running the ball because that was his best chances at winning, and that's what Rex asked him to do.
Rex Ryan's favorite saying was "Ground and Pound! Ground and Pound!" He and Brian set up the game plan against Detroit because Ryan prefers to play a strong defense, run the ball, and throw as little as possible. Why? Because his QB had a 53.8% completion rating.
At one time in New York, they had the #9 ranked offense. People keep trashing him over his time with the Jets and the Rams! That is completely idiotic! You can't blame him for Rex Ryan and Jeff Fisher! Jeebus!
I've gone back and looked at his offensive successes and failures, and they all have one thing that mirrors the results, the QB he had, and the completion percentage.
When he had a healthy Chad Pennington or a healthy Brett Favre, Schottenheimer had very good offenses.
But when he had Mark Sanchez or Austin Davis, he had to rely on the running game. It was all he had. Yet people choose to ignore the facts, and blame the failures of Jeff Fisher and Austin Davis on Brian. Rex Ryan and Mark Sanchez are his fault too, as was the ButtFumble.
The only things he had going for him were Zac Stacy (who kicked our ass), Leon Washington and Thomas Jones.
Brian Schottenheimer's philosophy is the same one that got us to our first SuperB Owl win. Run the ball and use play action passes to control time of possession, thereby keeping your defense fresh and fired up to go!
It's a successful model that helped us have the number one defense 4 years in a row. Our offense wasn't ranked up there all the time, but that didn't matter. All that matterEd was T.O.P and wearing down the opposing defense.
People need to stop pigeon holing Schottenheimer based on rigged and incomplete statistics!