Should Jets’ Adam Gase have taken a step back like Todd Bowles instead accepting head coaching job after getting fired?

The curious case of Adam Gase revolves around whether time truly is an elixir.

History warned us 21 months ago when the Jets hired the failed head coach from their division rival. There were too many examples of failed coaches that failed by jumping into their next gig.

Prescient voices cautioned that Gase, fresh off his second consecutive losing season with the Dolphins, would have been better served taking a step back to take inventory of what went wrong in Miami.

Why did he flop with the Dolphins? What could he have done differently? Did he regret clashing with the owner? How could he foster better relationships with players and co-workers?

Some warned that introspection was required. Gase needed to be humbled. It was the only path to possible redemption.

But Gase dove back in. The man he replaced went back to the drawing board as a defensive coordinator.

Now, Gase, whose 0-6 team hosts the Bills on Sunday, is a laughingstock, while Todd Bowles is becoming a coveted candidate for a second chance.

The Jets ignored history.

Eric Mangini spent three seasons working for Woody Johnson before flaming out with back-to-back 5-11 campaigns in Cleveland. Chip Kelly was in Philly for nearly three seasons before joining the 49ers for one fateful 2-14 nightmare that led to his ouster.

Rex Ryan couldn’t resist the temptation of jumping to another AFC East team after six years with the Jets, either.

Although it’s hard to blame Gase for taking the next head coaching job available to him, the long play would have been smarter for his career.

But money and power beckoned.

Gase literally — and now figuratively — is a four-letter word to Jets diehards. His second act will live in infamy. He’ll forever be in a dead heat with Rich Kotite.

Gase looks more and more like a Peyton Manning creation by the week. The Jets offense is on the verge of making the wrong kind of history at a time when there’s an offensive explosion in the sport. More points and touchdowns have been scored through the first six weeks than any other season. Meanwhile, Gase’s offense has managed a league-low 69 points and six touchdowns. The Ravens scored more on offense in the first two games than the Jets have all season.

Gase’s unit is dead last in scoring, yards per play, first downs, passing yards, third-down efficiency, red zone efficiency, punts, rushing touchdowns, first downs per play, yards per point margin and points per play margin. The Jets are 30th in total yards, passing touchdowns and time of possession.

Gase has been an abject disaster in his 22 games with the Jets.

He has as many losses by at least 20 points (7) as total wins. He has more defeats by at least two touchdowns (11) than victories. His 7-15 record as the HC of the NYJ includes a 2-6 division record. Gase is 2-9 on the road. His average margin of defeat: 16.7 points.

Those are the kind of results that would warrant re-location to the basement with your stapler.

The Jets, frankly, have only themselves to blame.

Gase was emboldened when CEO Christopher Johnson hired him 10 days after getting fired by Miami.

How could he have been the problem when another AFC East team believed in him so quickly? Surely, everyone else was to blame.

So, his blueprint never changed. He never changed.

Now, Gase is a laughingstock and the face of arguably the worst team in the 61-year history of the Jets.

Meanwhile, his predecessor’s stock is soaring.

Life is good right now for one of the most respected coaches in the NFL.

Bowles has re-established himself as one of the sport’s best defensive minds. He has been re-born as the Buccaneers defensive coordinator.

More than anything, Bowles has used the past year and a half to reflect and improve. He knows exactly what type of environment will work and won’t work for him if/when he has another chance to become a head coach.

He knows the right opportunity matters more than the next one. He was hardly perfect during his four-year tenure with the Jets, but the experience was invaluable. It will serve him well when his time comes again.

In the meantime, he’s galvanizing his players and flummoxing opponents.

Bowles is the architect of a defense that leads the NFL in total yards, yards per play, and rushing. The Bucs are sixth against the pass and eighth in scoring.

“I don’t know how he does it,” Tampa Bay safety Mike Edwards said recently. “He’s just a mastermind.”

“I love playing for Todd Bowles,” Bucs cornerback Carlton Davis added. “He allows us to showcase our different abilities, and that’s something that you won’t see in every coordinator’s scheme. It’s like a birthday gift. You never know what’s coming.”

The first-place Bucs are thriving, in part, due to Bowles' brilliant defensive mind. Time has been an ally.

Would Gase have benefitted by stepping away like Bowles? If he looked in the mirror, what would he have seen?

Would it have made a difference?

Time could have been Gase’s best friend. Now, it’s just running out.

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