GASE DISMISSED!
AX FALLS HOURS AFTERER FINAL BEATDOWN
As the final seconds ticked off of the Gillette Stadium scoreboard on Sunday, it was not just counting down the end of a 28-14 Jets loss to the Patriots. It was also counting down the final seconds of Adam Gase’s time with the team and to the beginning of an offseason that could feature massive change for the organization.
The Jets fired Gase on Sunday night, just hours after the loss to the Patriots dropped the Jets to 2-14 this season, the worst record for the team since 1996. In Gase’s two years, the Jets went 9-23, featured the worst offense in football and looked uncompetitive for long stretches.
“While my sincere intentions are to have stability in our organization — especially in our leadership positions — it is clear the best decision for the Jets is to move in a different direction,” team CEO and chairman Christopher Johnson said in a statement. “We knew there was a lot of work that needed to be done when Adam joined us in 2019. Our strong finish last year was encouraging, but unfortunately, we did not sustain that positive momentum or see the progress we all expected this season.
“To our fans, it is obvious we have not been good enough. We are committed to building a strong organization, on and off the field, and will continue to provide the necessary resources to field a team that you can be proud of.”
The Jets will now begin a wide-ranging search for Gase’s replacement. General manager Joe Douglas will lead the search, but he will be joined by Johnson and team president Hymie Elhai. The plan is to cast a wide net and not pigeonhole themselves into hiring a coach from a specific side of the ball or ruling out college coaches. The Jets want to be methodical and not rush into a decision.
The initial round of interviews will be conducted virtually with a smaller group then asked to sit for in-person interviews. The Jets’ coaching wish list is unknown right now, but candidates including Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, Ravens defensive coordinator Don Martindale, Iowa State coach Matt Campbell and Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll are expected to get a look.
The Jets looked like they had a chance at ending Gase’s time with the team with a three-game winning streak, clinging to a 14-7 lead over the Patriots in the third quarter, but two Sam Darnold interceptions paved the way to a second-half surge from Cam Newton and Bill Belichick and the Jets were handed their 14th loss of the season.
“It just wasn’t good enough, obviously,” Gase said of the season.
Not even close.
The Jets had high hopes when they hired Gase two years ago to replace Todd Bowles. They believed he would be the offensive mind that would bring out Darnold’s potential and make the Jets contenders again. Instead, Darnold regressed this season and there are questions about whether the Jets should draft his replacement with the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL draft.
The Jets now own the longest active playoff drought in the NFL. It has been 10 years since they played in the postseason. The Browns ended a 17-year drought Sunday by qualifying for the playoffs.
The writing has been on the wall for weeks for Gase.
After going 7-9 in his first year, the Jets opened this season with 13 straight losses, the longest losing streak in franchise history. It was a tailspin that Gase could not recover from. Gase gave up most of the play-calling, but nothing helped. The Jets ended up winning two games in December to save some face and cost themselves the No. 1 draft pick, infuriating their fan base. The defense allowed a franchise-record 457 points. Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams was fired last month after a last-second loss to the Raiders.
Along the way, Gase and running back Le’Veon Bell could not get on the same page and Bell was released in October. Before the season started, safety Jamal Adams ripped Gase and the team traded Adams to the Seahawks.
The most damning development for Gase was Darnold’s play. The third-year quarterback played terribly for most of the year. Darnold ended the season with nine touchdowns and 11 interceptions and a dismal quarterback rating of 72.7.
The 23-year-old Darnold was asked about Gase’s future after the loss Sunday.
“That’s not my decision,” Darnold said. “I love Adam, love him as a coach, but it’s not my decision.”
Darnold did take blame for the way this season went.
“I definitely didn’t play well this year,” Darnold said. “I think there were really only the two games that we won. I think I can definitely play better in the future. I don’t think I played well enough this year. I wasn’t consistent enough. That’s really it.”
Gase’s .281 winning percentage is the third worst in team history. Only Lou Holtz (.231) and Rich Kotite (.125) were worse among full-time Jets coaches.