Gase focused on season finale, not speculation about his coaching future

NEW YORK — Adam Gase came to the New York Jets nearly two years ago on a clear mission.

He was here to win, oversee a consistently productive offense and develop Sam Darnold into a franchise quarterback.

Gase failed on all three counts. And that has the coach likely in his last days on the job.

To his credit, he has maintained the same approach as he has every day since taking over the Jets. He’s focused on the task at hand and not the rumors swirling about his future — and the frequent questions about all the buzz.

“I mean, that’s what it is,” Gase said Wednesday. “I’ve been here two years. I think that started about Week 6 last year.”

He was only half-joking. Gase wasn’t a popular pick among many long-suffering Jets fans who were turned off by the coach’s struggles in three seasons with AFC Eastrival Miami. His somewhat awkward introductory news conference only fueled the naysayers.

Atough start capped by a strong finish and 7-9 record didn’t instill much confidence. Then came this season’s franchise-worst 0-13 start, Darnold’s regression and the offense’s continued woes. A two-game winning streak won’t help, and WFAN reported Tuesday that Gase has already been told he will be out after the season finale at New England.

“That was news to me,” Gase said. “No one has said that to me.”

But he’s well aware of all the chatter. Again, though, he is trying to keep that stuff out of the building — and his mind.

“You’re going to hate this answer, but it’s the best one I can give you: I learned probably when I was 22 years old, Nick Saban told me you do your job until somebody tells you different,” Gase said. “So that’s what I’m going to be focused on, and my job is to get us ready to go for this Sunday and go try to win a game.”

The problem has been that those victories have been too few and far between. Gase is 9-22 with the Jets, and a lot of that is on his offense.

Injuries have played a role, for sure. And so did the lack of a real offseason and preseason games. But that was what every other team dealt with, too. Gase has lamented the fact he didn’t do a good enough job with Darnold, unable to get the 23-year-old quarterback to take a drastic positive step in his development.

Several players have recently praised Gase, saying they enjoy playing for him despite the results in the games.

Even Patriots coach Bill Belichick was extremely complimentary of Gase this week, saying he has a lot of respect for him, that he’s a “tough, tough coach to coach against” and has done a good job in a difficult situation this season.

“Any time the guy I’m pretty sure the majority of (the media) have said is, if not the best head coach ever, one of the best head coaches ever,” Gase said, “for him to say anything positive, at l””east there’s something to that of it puts things in perspective sometimes.”