Jets' loss to Raiders still stings Adam Gase

Adam Gase threw the 24-hour rule out the window this week and still was steamed over the Jets’ heartbreaking loss three days after the fact.

Coaches generally tell players they have 24 hours to get over defeats. But the way the Jets lost to the Raiders on a mind-blowing defensive play call in the closing seconds on Sunday still stung Gase on Wednesday as he compared it with a playoff defeat.

"I think the only time I’ve ever been involved in a loss like this was to end a playoff game," Gase said during a Zoom call Wednesday. "So I could be [ticked] as long as I wanted to and nobody would care. It’s tough. It’s tough."

The Jets were this-close to finally winning a game. But it was taken from them when since-fired defensive coordinator Gregg Williams called on all-out blitz and rushed eight players instead of playing prevent and making sure the Raiders couldn’t get in the end zone.

Raiders receiver Henry Ruggs sped past Jets rookie Lamar Jackson, and Derek Carr hit him with the 46-yard game-winning touchdown with five seconds left.

Gase fired Williams on Monday for that play call and said he was still "in a funk" the last couple of days.

"Yeah, I was [ticked)," Gase said. "I felt like our guys played well enough to win."

The embattled coach of the 0-12 Jets was so upset that he didn’t have any meetings with his players on Monday and Tuesday. He spoke to several of them individually after making the move to relieve Williams of his duties. But Wednesday was the first time he saw most of them in person. This is the new norm because of COVID-19 protocols.

Gase said it might have been easier to let the defeat go if he could spend more time together with the players. But Gase knew he had to bounce back on Wednesday and make sure everyone is in the right mind space to try to avoid falling to 0-13 when they play in Seattle on Sunday.

"I think our players will do a good job and they’ll respond the right way," Gase said. "They have through this whole thing. As coaches we have to do the same thing.

"Doing the virtual meetings that’s probably the one part that is really annoying because our guys help the coaches pull you out of the funk. These guys come in here with the energy they need to come in here with and they’re ready to go. That helps more than anything."

It turned out the players who were made available to the media had moved on much better than Gase and some of his coaches. They were able to turn the page and prepare their work on Seattle on Wednesday.

"It was definitely tougher Sunday night, maybe a little bit tougher on Monday," center Connor McGovern said. "We’re programmed that once you watch it you move on. After that when I come in on Wednesday morning the record is no thought in my mind.

"We had a fantastic practice today. Everyone’s flying around. The energy is really high. That’s how it’s been every Wednesday. The way we practice definitely doesn’t reflect our record by any means. I’ve been on teams with better records that don’t practice as hard or with this much enthusiasm and energy."

One of the players Gase planned to speak to on Wednesday was Jackson. The undrafted rookie showed impressive maturity by answering reporters’ questions. He said he would be better because of it. Gase doesn’t doubt it.

"I’m confident Lamar will bounce back," Gase said. "He’s a strong kid. That’s all he’s done all year. He’s a fighter. He didn’t get to this place and end up starting on this team because he wasn’t mentally tough."