Having seen their team shockingly blow up their season-long tank for Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence by beating Los Angeles last week, Jets fans cannot get too upset with a second consecutive victory, a 23-16 nailbiter over Cleveland in Sunday’s home finale.
Jacksonville was never winning again anyway, so the race for the No.1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft was effectively settled and the Jets were already guaranteed no worse than the second slot. Ergo, no damage was done to the future when Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield fumbled away a fourth-and-one sneak in Jets territory with 1:18 remaining in the game.
If there is any angst among Jets fans, it’s only from those who believe certain media speculations that these meaningless results, and a potential third straight triumph in New England next week, should make Gang Green consider running it back with the same Adam Gase/Sam Darnold coach/quarterback combo next season.
My retort: Not even the Jets could be that stupid.
Gase must go on Black Monday, and general manager Joe Douglas, who seems to be keenly aware of proper team-building concepts, cannot conceivably pass on the opportunity to reset the rookie QB contract by replacing Darnold next season with a top pick.
The Johnson Brothers are surely a wild card in this, with older brother Woody set to retake control of the franchise from Christopher when he returns from his duties as Ambassador to the United Kingdom next month. Still, Jason La Canfora of CBS tweeted that the Jets were prepared to make a coaching change had they lost on Sunday, which, even if you don’t believe in its accuracy 100 percent, suggests that Gase’s termination is just a matter of timing.
Whenever Gase is mercifully axed, he will have left behind even more carnage than predecessor Todd Bowles’ dismissal after the 2018 season did. While it’s nice to say that the Jets are “playing hard until the end,” the bitter truth is that they have lost eight times this season where the fourth quarter was a formality. The last two weeks notwithstanding, this team has typically played not to lose and with a give-up mindset, as evidenced by safe play calls on third downs and a thorough a lack of urgency when playing from behind.
Of course, Gase inflicted maximum damage to the franchise by outcoaching Rams counterpart Sean McVay to earn a 23-20 victory last week, handing the Jaguars the keys to the 2021 Draft.
It is no wonder why Jacksonville has all of a sudden became an attractive destination for available head coaches this offseason, while the Jets will likely be picking from among the crumbs. I can assure you it isn’t because the Jaguars’ owner is a skinflint whose refusal to pay his best players has left many of them begging to be dealt out of town – for every Jamal Adams situation in New York, there seems to be four Jalen Ramsey situations in Jacksonville.
However, having Lawrence in the fold changes everything for Jacksonville. Even if the Jets end up choosing the next best QB, be it BYU’s Zach Wilson or Ohio State’s Justin Fields, they’ll still be regarded as a more dysfunctional organization despite their slightly superior product on the field this season.
For that, blame Johnson; he’s the one who fell for the hype that Gase was some kind of offensive guru. Instead, Gase took the Jets’ shiny new toy, Darnold, and effectively broke him so bad that Douglas has no choice but to find a new toy.
Even in these two victories, Darnold has been no better than pedestrian, averaging 191 yards passing and just over six yards per attempt. While the turnover-free performances were commendable, those averages would still place Darnold among the league’s worst three starting QBs over the course of a full season.
Remember when Darnold’s desultory outings earlier in the season were excused by all the injuries to the Jets’ top receivers? Well, Breshad Perriman, Denzel Mims, and Jamison Crowder have been relatively healthy of late, and Darnold still can’t push the ball downfield. The Jets’ longest pass play in the last two weeks was their opening score Sunday, a 43-yard touchdown pass…off a wide receiver option from Crowder to Braxton Berrios. Meanwhile, Darnold’s 30-yard touchdown to a wide-open Crowder on a busted Cleveland coverage in the third quarter was his first completion that travelled over 20 air yards since November 29.
So tell me: has anything really changed, other than the Jets have won? Managing a couple of games isn’t enough to warrant a fourth season behind center when you have the opportunity to upgrade the game’s most important position.
Not stinking is hardly a distinction on which the Jets should bank going forward. Darnold, who has a $9.8 million salary cap number next season, certainly shouldn’t be rewarded with the exercising of his fifth-year option. How can you justify a 2022 option that will cost in the neighborhood of $25 million after a season where he eclipsed 200 yards passing just three times in 11 games, with a high of 230 yards so far?
And if you do give him one more chance, what happens if he still hasn’t progressed? Ask any expert – this isn’t all Gase’s fault. Imagine having to go through another season in hell, where we root for losses so the Jets can draft a new QB.
At the tail end of the 2013 season, the Jets won three of their last four meaningless games to finish 8-8. Woody Johnson gleefully announced that Rex Ryan would return as head coach, with Geno Smith calling signals for his sophomore season. You can remember how well that went.
The Johnsons have come across as fools so many times over their ownership reign that they’re beyond shameful. When it comes to Gase/Darnold, though, these last two wins can’t possibly blind them to what the rest of the pro football universe is seeing.
For a FAN’s perspective of the Nets, Devils and Jets, follow Steve Lichtenstein on Twitter: @SteveLichtenst1
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