Sunday’s New York Jets game was an absolute disaster. Duly noted, head coach Adam Gase should be at fault. But most would know, he doesn’t take accountability.
To summarize Gase’s tenure as Jets head coach, or coach in general, it’s been marred with controversy and lack of accountability on his part. He blames everybody else but himself in his press conference. The controversy surrounding him or his teams have seen star players walk out the door. Some names that come up are Ndamukong Suh, Jarvis Landry, and Jamal Adams. That’s a brief summary.
When Will New York Jets Head Coach Adam Gase Be Fired?
Now, let’s focus on his tenure as New York Jets head coach as a whole. Let’s go through the hiring process and evaluate his seasons as Jets coach so far.
2019 In Review
After a horrible 4-12 season, the New York Jets fired head coach Todd Bowles after four seasons with the team. The team believed they needed an offensive-minded head coach to help Sam Darnold grow. Offensive coaches on the market included Mike McCarthy, Matt Rhule, Kliff Kingsbury, Lincoln Riley, among others.
After a disappointing 7-9 finish to the season for the Miami Dolphins, the team parted with head coach Adam Gase after three seasons. Gase led the team to a 10-6 finish in 2016, leading them to the playoffs for the first time since 2008. Late in his time with Miami, there seemed to be a disconnect between star players and him. Ndamukong Suh and Jarvis Landry are names that come up.
The major turning point in the Jets coaching search was a phone call from legendary quarterback Peyton Manning. Manning made a phone call to Jets CEO Christopher Johnson endorsing Adam Gase to become the franchise’s next head coach. Gase was Manning’s offensive coordinator in Denver with the Broncos from 2013-2014. In 2013, the high-powered Denver Broncos‘ offense led the team to the super bowl. This would result in a 40-8 blowout loss to the Seattle Seahawks. The offense ranked first in total offense that season. Don’t be fooled, this shouldn’t be credited to Adam Gase. The credit should be given to a reemergence of Peyton Manning.
Outside of Denver, Adam Gase’s offenses have never really maintained a top-tier status. With the Chicago Bears, Gase’s offense ranked 21st in total offense. Gase’s offenses in Miami ranked 24th, 25th, and 31st. Quite below average. You could maybe say a lack of talent to work with. But, it’s believable Gase had a good offensive talent group to work with in Miami.
Anyways, Christopher Johnson was heavily convinced and Gase was hired.
Controversy Stirs Up
The free agency period looked promising for the New York Jets. The team had a lot of cap space and the team had needs to fill with star players on the market. The Jets struck gold with players like Jamison Crowder, Le’Veon Bell, and C.J. Mosley.
Eventually, the draft came and went. Shortly after, controversy found its way to One Jets Drive. New York Daily News reporter Manish Mehta began to report about a disconnect between the front office and head coach Adam Gase. Gase did not want star running back Le’Veon Bell, citing Bell wasn’t a fit in his offense. Gase’s outside zone scheme was not fit for Le’Veon Bell’s patient running style. The offense needed a quick-burst back.
Eventually, general manager Mike Maccagnan was fired on May 15. The timing was quite odd for the firing. Most analysts and fans believe Maccagnan should have been let go with former coach Todd Bowles. A month later, the New York Jets hired Eagles Vice President of Player Personnel Joe Douglas to succeed Maccagnan. Rumor has it that head coach Adam Gase had a role in the hiring.
2019 Training Camp/Regular Season:
Things were looking good in training camp for the Jets. Reporters were writing that quarterback Sam Darnold had been progressing well and the offense looked great with an up-tempo feel. The team ran two running back sets often in camp because of the talent levels of Ty Montgomery and Le’Veon Bell. Tight ends were heavily targeted. Things were looking up.
The Jets opened the season with a 17-16 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Notably, the Jets blew a 16-point lead. There were numerous reasons for the loss. Kicker Kaare Vedvik‘s miserable performance was one. Another reason was Adam Gase’s suspect play calling. Some notable play calls included 2nd and 10 runs for Le’Veon Bell. Not only that, but Bell would also be run into loaded boxes. Also, short receiver screens became a staple.
Bad news surfaced after the game as quarterback Sam Darnold was diagnosed with mononucleosis. Trevor Siemian started for the Jets in week two’s Monday Night contest against the Cleveland Browns. Ultimately, Siemian was knocked out by an aggressive hit made by Browns’ defensive lineman Myles Garrett. Luke Falk relieved Siemian. The Jets would lose that game 23-3.
Falk would be the Jets starting quarterback for the next two weeks. They’d face tough opponents in the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles, respectively. Falk was terrible in his tenure with the New York Jets. In three games, he threw for 416 yards, zero touchdowns, and three interceptions. His passer rating was measured at 62.4., which is quite below average.
What should be emphasized is that the Jets didn’t sign another veteran quarterback to get the offense to compete. You could make the case that the team mailed in games.
Anyways, Sam Darnold returned week six against the Dallas Cowboys. Ultimately, he lit up the Cowboys’ defense. The Jets won their first game by a score of 24-22. A lot of hype surrounded the Jets’ week seven home matchup against the New England Patriots. Some thought the Jets would pull off the upset. Unfortunately, that never happened. The Jets were blown out by a score of 33-0. Sam Darnold wasn’t put in a position to succeed as the playcalling was bad and the offensive line got blown up. The team wasn’t prepared whatsoever.
Over the next two weeks, the team would fall to 1-7. Most notably in that stretch, the Jets lost to the winless Miami Dolphins, who some considered trying to lose. Fans were outraged and Adam Gase melted in the ensuing press conference. Gase never really showed any emotion. The case could be made that the team quit on him.
Well, when the Jets season seemed to be in free fall, the ship turned around. The team went on a three-game winning streak with stout offensive performances in each of them. Most notably, Sam Darnold showed many flashes of brilliance. The team scored 34 points in those three consecutive weeks. The offensive brilliance followed with ineptitude. The Jets fell to the winless Cincinnati Bengals in week 12.
The Jets’ next matchup was the Miami Dolphins at home. Le’Veon Bell was ruled out with an illness. In week 13, veteran Bilal Powell got most of the backfield reps. Powell carried that the ball 19 times; quite more than Bell ever got in a game to that point. Some cited Gase had favoritism to running backs of Powell’s style. That really showed.
Ultimately, the Jets finished the season 7-9, riding a 6-2 finish over the final eight games. Arguably, the defense carried the team in the final weeks. Badly enough, the team offense ranked worst in the league in total offense. They also ranked 31st in rushing and 29th in passing. Le’Veon Bell had his worst season due to a bad offensive line and suspect playcalling. Bell wasn’t really put in a position to succeed. He rarely was lined up in the slot and kept being ran into loaded boxes.
2020
The Jets decided to keep Adam Gase for the 2020 season, riding the 6-2 finish. The team was eager for a better 2020. The offensive line received a boost in free agency and in the draft. The defense had hope after ranking seventh the previous season. Everything was looking up. Not for long though.
Controversy Strikes Again
Again, controversy found its way to One Jets Drive. After the draft, star safety Jamal Adams became frustrated that there was no momentum in his contract extension talks. Adams is arguably the best safety in the NFL. The Jets did have leverage. Adams’ contract didn’t expire for another 2-3 years. Even then, the Jets could franchise tag him once when he hits free agency. Plus, uncertainty amounted around the NFL cap situation. Would the NFL salary cap decrease because of the ongoing pandemic? Jamal Adams wanted his money and wanted it now.
Then, Adam Gase found himself in controversy once again. Jamal Adams ripped the entire Jets organization to New York Daily News reporter Manish Mehta. Owner Woody Johnson was recently cited for making racist and sexist comments. Adam Gase was called out for not being a proper leader. Adams claimed Gase failed to address the team at halftime whenever the team was down and had other coaches do it. Ultimately, the Jets traded Jamal Adams to the Seattle Seahawks on July 25th for safety Bradley McDougald, two first-round picks, and a third-round pick.
Start of Training Camp/Regular Season
Again, hype surrounded the Jets in training camp. Head coach Adam Gase was saying the right things. Gase promised to utilize Le’Veon Bell in better ways. Tight end Chris Herndon was lighting up training camp. Things, once again, looked on the up and up.
Getting ready for week one of the NFL season was a tough task for all NFL teams, especially with no preseason.
The Jets opened in Buffalo against the Bills. What could’ve been projected as a close matchup turned into a blowout. The defense was shredded by Josh Allen and the Bills’ offense. The offense was inept. Gase’s playcalling remained suspect with second and long runs and short wide receiver screens. You could really tell that this game was a continuation of last season. Gang Green was down 21-3 at halftime. The Jets lost 27-17. The score might fool a lot of people, trying to convince fans the game was close. This game was completely one-sided.
What drew more ire from fans and media alike was Adam Gase’s postgame press conference. First, he said that he wouldn’t have changed any play call he made during the game. Usually, when a team loses a game, a coach might regret an action or move that might’ve been a losing factor. Adam Gase didn’t do that. He simply said the offense didn’t execute the gameplan. Next, Gase threw quarterback Sam Darnold right under the bus for his terrible play. Not to say that Darnold played well, but it’s quite hypocritical what Gase did. He’s been known for blaming everyone else but himself and having an ego.
Week two’s contest was the Jets’ home opener against the defending NFC Champion San Francisco 49ers. Shortly before, Le’Veon Bell was placed on injured reserve with a bad hamstring injury. The 49ers came into the game very injury-riddled. Notable inactive players included Dee Ford, Richard Sherman, George Kittle, and Jason Verrett. Obviously, the 49ers have a better roster but the Jets should be able to compete, right? Nope. Not one bit of week two’s contest was competitive. The defense was torched for the second consecutive week. The pass rush lacked outside of Quinnen Williams. Noone could tackle or stop the run. Most notably, the defense allowed the 49ers to convert on a 3rd-and-31 on a run play.
The offense was inept, again. Most likely due to the lack of healthy wide receivers and suspect playcalling. This week, the Jets started the ageless wonder, Frank Gore, at running back. Gore has ties to Adam Gase from his days with the Dolphins. Of course, Gore was the heavy favorite in the backfield as he carried the ball 21 times for 63 yards, averaging three yards per carry. Le’Veon Bell as a Jet has never got that many carries in a game. Favoritism could’ve played a role. Let’s also mention Gore is a fit in Gase’s offense.
There were some notable bad play calls from the game. In the first quarter on 3rd-and-3 near midfield, Gase called for Gore to run a halfback draw up the middle into a stacked box. There was no gain on the play. The Jets punted.
The next Jets drive saw them move the ball really well into field goal territory. On 3rd-and-18, Adam Gase ultimately gave up instead of trying to get more yardage for his kicker or take a shot to the end zone. Gase called for a run play and there was no gain on the play. The Jets kicked a field goal to make it 7-3.
The Jets gave up a touchdown on the next drive, making it a 14-3 game. On the ensuing drive, Gang Green marched down the field. On 4th-and-1 at the 49ers’ 20-yard line, Gase called for a Josh Adams run up the middle. The result was no gain and a turnover on downs. You could argue right guard Greg Van Roten missed a key block on linebacker Fred Warner. Josh Adams didn’t even play any snaps in the game, prior to the play. You could’ve asked Darnold to sneak it up the middle or roll out for a play-action pass. None of that occurred.
Ultimately, the Jets lost 31-13. They did not compete. The playcalling remained dubious. The defense got torched in defending the run and pass. Even 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was out of the game by halftime. Again, a lousy effort by the Jets.
Gase blamed the team rather than his questionable playcalling for the loss. The playcalling stripped the offense of many possible scoring drives. Gase deserves blame but not all of it. The defense looked out of shape for the second week in a row. That falls on the defensive coaching staff and defensive coordinator Gregg Williams for questionable playcalling.
Final Analysis
It’s quite fitting that the Jets quit on their coach right after Jets CEO Christopher Johnson praises head coach Adam Gase as a “brilliant offensive mind”. The hire was questionable from the start. Let’s be honest. No one could possibly see what Johnson sees in Gase. Offensive ineptitude has been the only type of continuity of Adam Gase. Also, include a lack of accountability. Sam Darnold has regressed under Adam Gase, and it’s quite alarming. Some have given up on Darnold but it isn’t his fault. He doesn’t have weapons to throw to nor is the play calling fitting his style. Darnold is stuck throwing wide receiver screens on long second and third downs. In real-time, Sam Darnold didn’t get to air the ball out. He also hasn’t been able to roll out, a true strength of his.
The questions are:
What will get Adam Gase fired?
When will Adam Gase be fired?
How much organizational control does Adam Gase have?
Todd Bowles’ fate was sealed after a blowout loss to Buffalo in November 2018. When will Gase’s fate be sealed? Gase’s play-calling lacks any creativity and makes the Jets offense look lethargic. The team doesn’t have enough talented personnel to help Darnold, but Adam Gase is doing no favors. The longer you keep Gase around, the more Sam Darnold regresses.
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
