Despite injuries, Adam Gase believes Jets will be ready for opener

Training camp flew by, and now the days until the Jets take the field for Week 1 are dwindling. Time is running out for this injury-riddled team to get ready for Sept. 13 in Buffalo.

It was going to be a rush job regardless with virtual meetings, limited practices and no preseason games because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Even though the Jets are running uphill because of all the injuries they’ve had, they are putting a positive spin on most things. They said they felt good about themselves and the strides they’ve made after Sunday’s practice/scrimmage at MetLife Stadium. Adam Gase believes that all the studying and “mental reps” from walk-throughs will help them when they’re live and it counts.

“I do feel like we are setting ourselves up the right way to be ready to go in that first week,” Gase said. “It will be interesting to see kind of really that first month of the season, ‘Hey is it sloppy? Will there be penalties?’ I feel like we are trimming all of those things down that we can control.”

The injuries are another story.

When Gase opens each post-practice news conference with his injury report, it’s usually a lengthy list. The Jets had another walk-through on Monday, giving their guys a day to rest and heal before they return to practice Tuesday.

The Jets’ offense was missing two starting receivers and one lineman during Sunday’s practice. The defense was without two starters in the secondary and one linebacker. They also lost Marcus Maye to calf tightness .

“Hopefully we’ll start getting these guys back in bunches,” Gase said. “I think we’re close on a lot of these guys and we can finish the week the right way.”

The Jets also lost No. 3 running back La’Mical Perine to an ankle injury on Sunday.

Perine was carted off, and was set to have an MRI. The results have not been revealed, but it’s clear the Jets will be looking for running back depth. Le’Veon Bell and Frank Gore are the only healthy backs. Gore had to take some reps with the second and third-team offense Sunday.

Wide receiver Breshad Perriman is close to returning with a knee injury that has kept him out more than a week. Slot corner Brian Poole also is making progress in his way back from being dehydrated after the first practice on Aug. 13.

Poole had that issue previously, and Gase said there was also some pre-existing condition that has led to the Jets being cautious with him. But Poole has been ramping up his activities.

Gase said the Jets were just making sure Maye didn’t make his calf worse so they pulled him out of the scrimmage. Right guard Greg Van Roten has been limited by an oblique injury. Gase said the Rockville Centre product was pushing to play Sunday. But they held him out as well.  

The offensive line was overhauled. This is the first time the group has played together, so every rep counts for them to build chemistry and work off one another.

It’s unclear when rookie receiver Denzel Mims will return from a hamstring injury. He’s been jogging on the side, but he hasn’t taken part in practice or individual drills. The Jets also lost receivers Vyncint Smith, Jeff Smith and impressive rookie Lawrence Cager to injury. They signed Donte Moncrief Monday and claimed DJ Montgomery off of waivers.

The Jets’ starting receivers Sunday were Jamison Crowder, Chris Hogan and Josh Malone, which was certainly not what anyone expected when camp started. Sam Darnold is working with this evolving and ever-changing receiver group, trying to get comfortable with each of them. He believes they’re close as an offense to clicking.

“We just need to clean up details,” Darnold said. “Figure out some things route wise and for me where my eyes need to be and figure out some footwork stuff. Other than that, I feel like we’re ready to go. Some quick fixes, but we just have to be better with the details.”