It’s never good when the owner has to give a vote of confidence one week into the season
It might not seem like it after getting some public support from his boss, but Adam Gase is in trouble.
The Jets looked awful in their season-opening loss to the Bills. Their offense was putrid and their defense stumbled, missing easy open-field tackles and allowing Josh Allen to look like an All-Pro quarterback. Gase made head-scratching decision after head-scratching decision and did absolutely nothing to put New York in a position to win — something that has become commonplace since his arrival in the Big Apple.
Despite the Jets looking as bad as they did in Week 1, CEO and chairman Christopher Johnson met with the media earlier this week and voiced his support for Gase. In fact, he went as far as referring to New York’s second-year head coach as a “brilliant” offensive mind, reaffirming his confidence that Gase can be the coach who leads the Jets back to the postseason.
“I have full confidence in Adam,” Johnson said, per the New York Post. “I’ve seen him interact with this team. I’ve seen him lead this team. Look back to last year, he took a team that did so poorly in the first half of the season and held them together. They finished well. I think that he has a lot more in him as a head coach than some of our fans are giving him credit for. I understand. They want to see success. I think that they will.”
Johnson’s kind words might make it seem like Gase is safe from the hot seat after only 17 games as Jets head coach, but that could not be further from the truth. In reality, the fact that the coach required a public vote of confidence just one game into the new season reinforces the idea that Gase is skating on extremely thin ice.
That Johnson had to make those comments says it all. If Gase was actually doing a good job, Johnson would not have needed to regurgitate the same baseless claims he has been saying about Gase since he hired him. He would not have had to say anything at all.
The truth is that Gase’s offenses — outside of the ones featuring Peyton Manning — have never demonstrated any sort of brilliance. Supposed offensive geniuses are supposed to have their quarterbacks thriving and their offenses moving the ball at will. Instead, Darnold looked like a lost puppy under center last week and Le’Veon Bell has looked more like a career backup than a former All-Pro. The sad truth is, New York’s offense has regressed to the point where anything more than a three-and-out on any given series is cause for celebration.
Under Gase’s watch last year, the Jets ranked 31st in points per game (17.3) and third-down percentage (30.7% conversion rate), as well as dead last in total yards per game (273) and yards per play (4.6). Those numbers do not do much to paint him as an offensive mastermind.
They paint him as a coach who has no business running a team.
The Jets are not a good football team right now. They haven’t been since Gase took over and they don’t figure to be one as long as he is on the sideline. You can say what you want about the gaping holes at numerous positions on New York’s roster, but the fact remains that Gase formulates gameplans that simply do not work. His team often looks unprepared and uncompetitive. That falls on him.
Week 1 was the beginning of what could be another ugly season at One Jets Drive. If the Jets continue to rack up losses, Gase is going to be out the door. That’s the bottom line, sweet talk or not.
Don’t put stock into any praise Johnson has heaped on Gase. If anything, Johnson feeling the urge to speak out so early in the season is indicative of how bad of a job his head coach is doing.
