Adam Gase wants to keep his focus on Jets, not his job security
Head coach Adam Gase of the Jets looks on during a game against the Miami Dolphins at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, Nov. 29, 2020. Credit: Jim McIsaac
The Lions on Saturday fired coach Matt Patricia, who this season had won only four games in 11 tries, which is four more than Jets coach Adam Gase has won in the same number of games.
Last month, the Texans fired Bill O’Brien, who had five winning records in his previous six full seasons there.
So stuff happens in the NFL, where most coach firings occur after the season but some do not wait that long.
That is why many Jets fans have called for the head of their head coach, who has both failed to win games and failed to develop young quarterback Sam Darnold during their two years together.
So far management has opted not to pull that trigger, even with an experienced – if mercurial – interim option available in defensive coordinator Gregg Williams.
Gase was asked about his job security after Sunday’s 20-3 loss to the Dolphins at MetLife Stadium, not for the first time, and said this:
"I’m not going to be concerned about anything with that. I can control one thing, and that’s making sure I come to work every day and try to do the best I can with our guys and put them in the right position and try and help them get better."
Gase’s role in the team’s playcalling procedure along with coordinator Dowell Loggains gets more confusing by the week. It was unclear exactly how it worked on Sunday.
But in any case, Gase did himself no favors in the court of public opinion with some of his decisions.
He passed up a couple of fourth-down opportunities, and when he did give one a try in the fourth quarter he sent veteran back Frank Gore up the middle on a fourth-and-1 at the Miami 17 – one of many such plays called for Gore.
The Dolphins’ Elandon Roberts stoned Gore for a 1-yard loss.
Darnold did not want to get into the muddle that is the Jets’ playcalling process, leaving that to Gase. But he did express support for the coach, as he has many times before.
"Yeah, I’m super-confident in Adam and the way he coaches," Darnold said. "Us players have got to be better and me, personally, I’ve got to play better."
Darnold appears increasingly likely not to have a future with the Jets beyond this season, but he at least will be around until Week 17.
Gase? TBD.
Neil Best first worked at Newsday in 1982, returned in 1985 after a detour to Alaska and has been here since, specializing in high schools, college basketball, the NFL and most recently sports media and business.
