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Adam Gase’s seat should be flaming. That should not be disputed.
Even after Sunday’s uplifting 34-27 victory over the Giants, the Jets coach has lost seven of his first nine games. Sunday was the first time Gang Green had even been competitive since beating Dallas on October 13.
According to Jets owner Christopher Johnson, who spoke on the record with reporters at Jets practice on Wednesday for the first time this season, Gase’s chair is at a comfy room temperature. Johnson insisted that Gase will not only continue to coach his team for the remainder of this season, but in 2020 as well.
What’s the adage about those who stay silent and are thought to be a fool versus those that speak and remove all doubt?
Exhibit A: Christopher Johnson
Boy, does he have his pulse on the fan base…the Patriots’ fan base.
I get the argument that it would be pointless to fire Gase during the season, barring an unusual event. But what if the Jets finish 2-14? And don’t think it’s not possible. Jets’ history is rife with examples of following up emotional wins by laying eggs. This team is quite capable of falling at 1-8 Washington on Sunday, in addition to the other tankers on their remaining schedule like Cincinnati and Miami.
Brad Penner/ USA Today Sports I was in the corner of those who believed that Gase should never have been hired in January to replace Todd Bowles in the first place, given Gase’s tumultuous exit from Miami after last season and the reported availability of other qualified candidates at the time. Johnson fell for Gase’s sales pitch, possibly with a nudge from legendary QB Peyton Manning.
Gase has not given anyone an indication that he’s “coaching to where football is going,” as Johnson pledged he would back in January. The facts always got in the way of the Jets’ PR narrative. He’s no quarterback guru. Gase’s most successful coaching campaigns occurred while he was blessed with veteran QBs like Manning or Jay Cutler. His resume did not include the development of a signal caller as young as Jets sophomore Sam Darnold, who has had two decent-to-good games and four bad-to-godawful ones in this season of illness (three games missed due to mononucleosis) and regression (seven touchdowns, nine interceptions).
Is Johnson really willing to continue this charade of not acknowledging his obvious mistake? It can’t be just the money that’s keeping Gase employed, that Johnson doesn’t want to have to pay Bowles, Gase and the new coach in 2020. I’ve heard several other arguments, all of which I debunk below:
1) It’s not all Gase’s fault—he inherited an inferior roster
Former general manager Mike Maccagnan was clueless when it came to roster construction, including the one skill he was presumed to have—drafting. Gase is an awful coach. Both can be true. Johnson allowed Maccagnan to hang around too long, blowing over $100 million in salary cap space and another draft (with the third overall pick) before the baton was passed to Joe Douglas in June. How about not repeating the same type of mistake with the coach?
Let’s not forget that the Jets didn’t look this bad with far less talent under Bowles last season. The offensive upgrades—running back Le’Veon Bell over Isaiah Crowell, slot receiver Jamison Crowder over Jermaine Kearse, and center Ryan Kalil over Spencer Long—have not had the desired effect. The offensive line was a mess even before injuries reared their ugly head—with the same or better personnel than in 2018. Which brings us to…
2) It’s not all Gase’s fault—the team has been decimated by injuries
This is admittedly more difficult to reconcile—until you consider two things: A) This is football. Yes, injuries are a constant risk, but “Next Man Up” isn’t just a catchphrase. How many Jets can you name who have stepped up to perform at least capably when it was his turn? It may just be guard Alex Lewis and linebacker Blake Cashman (before he too was sent to season-ending IR). And B) Gase is either cursed or is contributing to the problem. I’m not at practice, so I can’t presume the latter, with the exception of the Avery Williamson injury when Gase played his starting linebacker well beyond the norm for a first preseason game. If this (and all of Gase’s three injury-riddled campaigns in Miami) is simply bad luck, move to a different blackjack table, so to speak.
3) But what about Sam?
Bringing in a third head coach in three years would not be “ideal” for Darnold, to use a favorite Gase term. However, allowing your franchise quarterback to entrench bad habits would be far worse. When I chronicled Darnold’s 15 interceptions as a rookie for a July post, I found only three instances where he just threw the ball up for grabs to avoid pressure. He’s had six such turnovers already this season, per ProFootballFocus.com.
There are still seven games left for Darnold to correct the fundamental issues that are hindering his accuracy, such as setting his feet when he’s not rushed. He took a step forward against the Giants when he threw some balls away as the last option instead of forcing it into coverage. However, we’ll have to see if that was the beginning of a positive trend or just a one-off against a very bad team.
4) Firing Gase after one season would make the organization appear dysfunctional
Sure, it’s a horrible look for a franchise to turn over their coach, their GM, and their next coach in a 12-month span. It would show that they lack commitment to a plan. Worse, in Johnson’s eyes, it would make him look incompetent.
But if Gase is not the guy, cut the cord before it strangles the team. This is a coach who plays not to lose, believes second-and-long is a running down, and outsources coach’s challenges to his offensive coordinator. No adjustments have been made in games to account for an inept offensive line that looks unprepared to play every week.
If Gase somehow turns this thing around by the end of the season—don’t bet on it, by the way—then he deserves another season. If this team instead plays like they’re done for the year because they beat the hated Giants and stumbles to the finish line, then Gase is no different from any of the players. He should be sent packing.