Jets coach Adam Gase has never been shy about holding his players accountable. Too much so, at times, which is partly why he was dismissed from Miami after three somewhat tumultuous seasons.
In New York, Gase has been more ambiguous when assigning blame for his club's 0-3 start, but those who follow this team haven't found it difficult to decipher the particular culprits.
With the Jets on their bye week — and boy, never has a team needed a bye as early as Week 4 as much as this one — this would be an appropriate time for Gase to instead look in the mirror.
Never mind the injuries and suspensions nor the illness to starting quarterback Sam Darnold that have dampened fans' expectations out of the gate. What the Jets have put out on the field in their first three games has been unacceptable.
This is Gase's (expletive) show. If his team is continually unable to execute the game plans, then it's time to change the plans. And maybe make changes to those who teach the plans. He can start with offensive line coach Frank Pollack. Because whatever he's telling his guys, it's not getting through.
After Sunday's 30-14 drubbing in New England, the Jets now have been outscored 70-17 since blowing a 16-0 second-half lead to the Bills in the season opener. Worse, neither touchdown was produced by the offense, with Arthur Maulet's third-quarter recovery of a Patriots muffed punt in the end zone and safety Jamal Adams' interception return off backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham's errant pass midway through the garbage-time fourth quarter accounting for all of Gang Green's points. (Side note: Bill Belichick will never call off the dogs again.)
Hyped by many all winter as an offensive genius after his hiring in January, Gase has overseen a unit that is responsible for a grand total of 11 points in three games. The underlying stats from Sunday were disgraceful — 105 yards of total offense, six first downs (two via New England penalties) and 0-for-12 on third downs. The Jets' average third-down distance was 11.3 yards to go — they netted exactly zero yards, plus an interception thrown, on those dozen plays.
Again, no one is claiming that there wasn't going to be a dropoff with third-stringer Luke Falk, a practice squad player, under center in the last game-plus. However, does anyone really think that Darnold's return from mononucleosis — whenever that will be, considering a doctor calling in to WFAN's Mike Francesa show Friday claimed that Darnold's spleen might not be ready to absorb hits from "290-pound guys" so quickly — will be a cure-all to the Jets' woes?
No, all three quarterbacks who have taken snaps for the Jets this season have spent a large portion of their time on the field running for their lives. For all his gifts, Darnold would have to be a Houdini-esque escape artist to succeed behind an offensive line that can't get out of its own way.
I've seen countless screenshots of plays from this season in which opposing defenders have a group meeting at the Jets' quarterback (or surrounding running back Le'Veon Bell) while multiple offensive linemen are just standing around wondering why they have no one to block. And it doesn't matter if the opponents send a blitz or just three or four guys — it's free runs into the backfield when you play the Jets!
How ironic that the offensive line is the rare position group on this team that hasn't been hit hard by absences, though they were never whole for a single preseason snap. Guard Kelechi Osemele missed some practice time late last week with a sore knee, but I never saw him come off the field Sunday. It's not even a young unit, with tackle Brandon Shell, 27, and guard Brian Winters, 28, the only starters under 30.
Meanwhile, the Patriots were missing their starting left tackle and center. Their line kept quarterback Tom Brady clean on all but three of his 42 dropbacks.
New England's offensive line coach for all but two seasons of the Brady/Belichick era is the relatively unheralded Dante Scarnecchia. Somehow, he manages to plug guys in all the time without missing a beat.
The Jets? In that same period, they have had nine different offensive line coaches. The recent ones weren't qualified enough to overcome the dimwitted drafts of prior general managers Mike Maccagnan and John Idzik. The Jets haven't selected an offensive lineman in the first two rounds since picking Vladimir Ducasse 61st overall in 2010.
Pollack was hired for his experience, having served as offensive line coach for Cincinnati, Dallas and Oakland following a five-year apprenticeship as an assistant in Houston. His teams were generally well-regarded for their run-blocking prowess, but often had issues with pass protection.
This season, the Jets' line has been a mess no matter the play call. Going into Sunday, 117 of Bell's 128 rushing yards were accumulated after contact, per ProFootballFocus.com. He broke 20 tackles in 54 touches, the most in the league. On Sunday, the Patriots didn't miss many, which is how they limited Bell to 35 yards rushing on 18 carries and 28 yards on four receptions.
The Patriots were also credited with five sacks and 14 pressures on Falk's 27 dropbacks. That Falk managed to avoid replicating Trevor Siemian's calamity from last Monday night's loss to Cleveland and escaped the scene uninjured was a minor miracle.
Gase told the gathered press in his postgame conference that he would use the bye week to break down all the breakdowns of the season's first three games. Everything is on the table, he said.
That, though, was in response to a question about changes to personnel on the offensive line. It should also include making a brutal assessment of Pollack's coaching job as to why this team has been so appallingly unprepared to handle opposing defenses.
If Gase determines that Pollack's not the problem, then, I repeat, the fault lies with the man in the mirror.
For a FAN's perspective of the Nets, Devils and Jets, follow Steve on Twitter @SteveLichtenst1.
