Adam Gase

New York Jets CEO Christopher Johnson supports “brilliant” Adam Gase

by

Despite the New York Jets’ opening week loss, team CEO Christopher Johnson extended a vote of confidence to his embattled head coach.

New York Jets CEO Christopher Johnson offered reassurance and regret when making a public appearance on Wednesday.

Johnson offered a vote of confidence to embattled head coach Adam Gase, whose career record now stands at 30-35 after the Jets fell by a 27-17 final to the Buffalo Bills in Sunday afternoon’s 2020 opener. The Jets (0-1) began Gase’s debut campaign with a 1-7 mark before recovering to finish 7-9.

Despite the losing mark, Johnson still believes that Gase is the man for the New York job.

“I have full confidence in Adam,” Johnson per Rich Cimini of ESPN. “I think that he has a lot more in him as a head coach than some of our fans are giving him credit for…I understand they want to see success. I think that they will.”

Cimini’s report also indicated that Johnson would not issue a playoff mandate on Gase. The Jets haven’t been to the postseason since back-to-back AFC Championship Game appearances under Rex Ryan in 2010 and 2011.

Johnson said that his belief stemmed from Gase’s prior work with quarterbacks.

“I think he can work with and develop quarterbacks,” Gase said per Cimini. “I do continue to think he’s a brilliant offensive mind especially. He has my every confidence.”

Despite Johnson’s belief in Gase, the CEO did admit that the opening loss against Buffalo was “a mess”. Yet, he cited Gase’s rapport with the team as well as their ability to recover from a slow start last season.

“He took a team that did so poorly the first half of the season and held them together,” Johnson said in a quote from Connor Hughes of The Athletic. “They finished well. I think he has a lot more in him as a head coach than some of our fans are giving him credit for.”

Johnson’s statements also featured regret, particularly in the timing of general manager Joe Douglas’ hire. New York brought Douglas in from Philadelphia’s front office during the summer of 2019 after they fired incumbent man Mike Maccagnan. The latter’s firing came four months after Gase’s hire and a month after Maccagnan’s helped with the 2019 NFL Draft process. Not counting his final class (which has already seen the departure of third-round pick Jachai Polite), only six Maccagnan picks remain on the Jets’ roster. Johnson admitted that Maccagnan’s dismissal may have been ill-timed.

“Do I wish I had made that change earlier? Absolutely,” Johnson said in Cimini’s report. “I’ve made mistakes, and that’s one of them.”

In terms of the future, Johnson maintained that he would maintain a strong front office role upon his brother Woody’s return. The Jets’ co-owner continues to serve as the United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom under President Donald Trump. Christopher also defended Woody from allegations of racist and sexist remarks.

“He’s denied it publicly. He’s denied it to me,” Christopher Johnson said, per Brian Costello of the New York Post. “I’ve known him my whole life. We’ve spent so much time together. I’ve never heard him utter a racist or sexist word or perform an action that was racist or sexist. I believe him.”

The Jets return to action on Sunday afternoon against the San Francisco 49ers for their home opener at MetLife Stadium (1 p.m. ET, Fox).

Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

New York Jets Adam Gase The Betting Favorite To Be Fired

by
New York Jets, Adam Gase

Sunday was an utter disaster for the New York Jets. The Jets were outcoached tenfold. The team looked more underprepared then a Pop Warner football team with less than a week of practice. Even a fundamental of football, tackling, was pitiful. Yes, you can blame the players to an extent, but the way the Jets played it was an example of poor coaching.

Entering the season, Adam Gase came off a 7-9 season that featured an end of season resurgence. The team lost that momentum in the performance on Sunday, and that was very evident to oddsmakers. Initially, Gase was ranked as the third likeliest coach to be fired behind Matt Patricia (Detroit Lions) and Doug Marrone (Jacksonville Jaguars). Now, after being ranked as the worst team in football by ESPN in their power rankings, Gase has been placed as the likeliest coach to be fired.

Per BetOnline.ag:

First Coach Fired during the 2020 NFL Regular Season

Adam Gase                  3/1       

Dan Quinn                    4/1       

Matt Patricia                 5/1       

Doug Marrone              7/1       

Mike Zimmer                7/1       

Anthony Lynn               9/1       

Bill O’Brien                   9/1       

Vic Fangio                   10/1     

Matt Nagy                    12/1     

Kevin Stefanski            14/1     

Frank Reich                 20/1

Adam Gase leads Falcons coach Dan Quinn, the two coaches I mentioned earlier, and Mike Zimmer as the likeliest in-season firings. The difference between the teams is that their teams were all competitive or won their games on Sunday. Gase needs to step up and get the team prepared for one of the best teams in football, the San Francisco 49ers, or else these odds could prove to be worth the bet.

In the end, it would take an utter embarrassment of a start for Chris Johnson to hand Gase his walking papers. Sunday, though showed a glimpse of what that embarrassing start could be like.

New York Jets: Adam Gase expresses regret, remorse after Week 1 disaster

by
New York Jets, Adam Gase

New York Jets head coach Adam Gase’s first postgame statements of 2020 were understandably somber after Sunday’s shellacking in Buffalo.

Sunday’s opening game was a case of deja vu for the New York Jets and head coach Adam Gase. Not only did they fall to the Buffalo Bills on opening weekend for the second straight season, but the final margin 27-17 was nowhere near indicative of how one-sided the game truly was. Parallels could perhaps be drawn to the Jets’ final ledger of 7-9 earned last season. The Jets’ best victory tally since the star-crossed 10 wins in 2015 somewhat masked a brutal opening stretch to the season, one only exacerbated by injuries.

Either way, the trend of losing continued for New York…at least by literal name…and the head coach was forced to atone for it.

“It was about as bad of a start offensively as we could have had,” Gase said in his opening statements, per transcripts provided by the Jets. “We didn’t do anything when the defense did a good job getting a turnover. Complimentary football was non-existent throughout most of the game. We just really did not play well.

“The disappointing aspect is just watching the guys work all week and the excitement level coming into this game. We have a lot to work on and a lot of things to get fixed.”

To Gase’s point, Buffalo didn’t seem pleased with what was otherwise a dominant performance. Josh Allen became the first Bills quarterback to throw for at least 300 yards since December 2016 but two lost fumbles denied Buffalo a chance to truly break the game open.

The Jets, however, failed to truly capitalize on either opportunity. Allen’s latter fumble, forced by Bless Austin, le to their first points via a Sam Ficken field goal, but a chance to pull early momentum yielded only a three-and-out. When Allen held onto the ball, the Bills built a 21-0 lead that was never truly in doubt.

“We had to get into that rhythm,” receiver Jamison Crowder said. “I feel like guys were trying to press to hard and we just couldn’t get into that rhythm. We have to change that going forward. We have to come out early and bring the energy and get some plays going, stay ahead of the sticks and get first downs.”

The lack of preseason games certainly didn’t play in the Jets’ favor. Even if each of the 32 teams were not granted the benefit of four consequence-free opportunities to develop chemistry and the rhythm that Crowder desired, the Jets may have been one of the teams most affected by the decision to outright cancel exhibitions. The starting offensive line, for example, was completely new. Every receiver from third-year quarterback Sam Darnold’s rookie season has likewise departed. A rare leftover, Chris Herndon, missed all but 18 snaps last season due to suspension and injury.

Gase wasn’t fully buying into the theory, insisting that Buffalo didn’t throw anything unexpected at them. It was the on the Jets for not performing and not taking advantage of opportunities.

“When we had opportunities to make plays, we didn’t make them,” Gase said. “I thought there were some things that, I felt like the line gave us enough time. We were not good in the passing game today, especially early.”

The task ahead for the influx of newcomers playing their first game under a new system was made all the more challenging by changes Gase has to make. Free agency arrival Pierre Desir was removed for Nate Hairston, while a hamstring injury to Le’Veon Bell forced him to press Frank Gore and Josh Adams (scorer of the Jets’ final touchdown) into further action.

Gase would express remorse keeping Bell in the game as long as he did. His status for next week’s game against San Francisco, a Sunday home opener (1 p.m. ET, Fox) is yet to be determined.

“I’m mad at myself that I let him to back in there in the second half,” he said. “I saw him grab his hamstring and he wouldn’t come out. When we came in at halftime, I let him go back in there. I was worried about it. Eventually, I was like, ‘I can’t put you in there. We can’t take a chance of getting more hurt than you already are.’”

In the midst of his somber statements, Gase did address the fledgling positives that emerged from defeat. He was inspired by Crowder’s 69-yard hookup with Darnold, one that narrowed the Jets’ deficit to 21-10 in the third quarter. The drive that led to Ficken’s field goal was also inspiring to Gase, a 10-play, 70-yard quest that took up 87 seconds of game time. Offensive line play was also to Gase’s liking. Newcomers Mekhi Becton and George Fant each managed to have a decent blocking day in their green debuts, with Darnold only getting sacked three times. Buffalo defenders got to him four times in last year’s opener.

But if the Jets are going to steal a couple of wins before this season of uncertainty lets out, Gase knows that more complete efforts are required. The drive starts upon the Jets’ return home, one whose end features a battle with the defending NFC champions.

The discussion in (the locker room) was of making every possession count. That was a different feel for me with that group. These guys have a plan themselves going out there before we even said anything. It was good to see how all of those guys were working together. There is so much for us to clean up. It was a rough game. We didn’t play well enough. We have to get a lot of things fixed in a short period of time.

Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

New York Jets Position Group Grades: Wide Receivers

by
Breshad Perrimen, New York Jets

As the season looms, I decided to take a deep dive into each New York Jets position group within the organization and grade each group. Today’s group is one I had to do before I had a meal in my stomach because of the extreme lack of depth this group has. For a team that values putting pieces behind its franchise quarterback, this group is fairly pathetic. Nonetheless, I’m going to evaluate each target and grade the group as a whole.

WR 1: Breshard Perriman

Perriman joined the team on a prove-it deal after finishing the season in Tampa on a really strong note. Perriman was a blue-chip prospect that has struggled to truly make an indent on the league. At 26, you could firmly make the case that he’s just on the cusp of his prime. After struggling in Baltimore and Cleveland, he had a really impressive end to the season in 2019 and now looks to build on that with the Jets.

Perriman put up 36 catches for 645 yards and 6 TDs but only played 56 percent of snaps. Perriman now has to adapt to a new offense on a shortened practice schedule because of COVID. To make matters worse, he’s had injury issues throughout camp, and that’s not a good sign. I truly think Perriman would be a solid second option, but his potential as a lead target is worrisome to me because he isn’t as proven as you would hope for. Then, add in the severity and longevity of his injury issues, and I don’t have the highest of hopes for Perriman.

WR 2: Chris Hogan

Hogan was a late roster addition due to the depletion of the initial receiver core. The former Super Bowl champion was a favorite option for Tom Brady in his years in New England. His crisp route running style and high football IQ made him a valuable commodity when he hit the free-agent market in 2019. After finding a home in Carolina, he was sidelined for the year with a knee injury. Now, Hogan is back and has reportedly picked up the offense quickly. The journeymen receiver may end up being the number one option until Perriman and Mims are at a hundred percent. Hogan will inherit a lot of pressure and will be forced to form an in-game connection with Sam Darnold quickly. I do think Hogan is a good player, but I’m worried about the change of scenery this offseason and the quickly acclimation and how he’ll handle that.

WR 3: Jamison Crowder

My favorite receiver on the roster and overall the most talented one, Crowder, is likely facing his biggest season yet. The vet took very little time finding a role within the Jets as the premier slot option. Now, as he enters his second year in the green and white, more teams are aware of his connection with Darnold. If teams give Crowder more attention, that could open up opportunities over the middle for guys like Herndon and even opportunities over the top for Perriman. As long as Crowder can continue to stay healthy, he is the most talented receiver on the roster and the most important to Darnold’s development.

WR 4: Denzel Mims

Mims is the highly anticipated rookie. Mims, though has missed significant time in camp. Now, in terms of true quantity, it was not that significant. In terms of lack of time to get a grasp on the playbook, it is truly impactful in a season like this. With minimal time to adapt to the roster and the lack of in-game reps, how quick Mims picks up the offense fully is something to watch. Still, Mims is a really talented receiver. Mims is a deep threat and a physical receiver. He fights for 50/50 balls and has an insane catch radius. Mims is everything Darnold needs as a long term option. It’s just a matter of how quickly Mims can get acclimated to the offense and proper usage by Sam Darnold.

The Rest

The rest of the receiver room shows a complete lack of depth. Braxton Berrios is a special teams stud and solid burner as a backup. Aside from him, there isn’t much here, though. Donte Moncrief is likely going to have to hurry to pick up the offense before getting any real reps. Vyncnt Smith will be back quicker than expected, but he is still going to miss a few games early. When he does get back to 100%, he will likely play a big factor. Jeff Smith and some of the other practice squad pieces could play a role, but the fact I’m reaching for names that deep should say something. The receiving group lacks serious depth, and with the injury history of all four lead receivers, that is not encouraging. The Jets need to watch the trade market and waiver wire actively because upgrades are needed desperately.

Grade: C-

If all of the Jets receivers stay healthy, this group could be a solid one. That also factors in proper usage by Adam Gase and consistency with Darnold. All of that feels like too much uncertainty to give this group a high grade. The potential is there, and I’m hoping for the best. I just have a lack of faith in Gase to use these guys properly and for all of them to stay healthy.

New York Jets Position Group Grades: Offensive Line

by
New York Jets, Mekhi Becton

As the season looms, I decided to take a deep dive into each position group within the organization and grade each group. This offseason, New York Jets GM Joe Douglas devoted both financial resources and draft capital towards improving one of the worst offensive lines in the league. Now, the Jets enter 2020 with a diverse group of both young talent, productive starters, and vets looking to establish themselves. With a lot of high potential guys, stable vets, and some key talent, let’s take a closer look at how this line grades out.

LT: Mekhi Becton

The mountain of a man joined the Jets as the 11th pick in this year’s draft. As part of the core group of top linemen, Becton is already considered to be a potential star. His unique combination of size and athleticism makes him a weapon in the run game. Not only that, but he’s a solid pass blocker. His lack of advancement in terms of detecting pass rush moves is worrisome, but it remains to be seen how ready he is to handle the top pass rushers in the game.

LG: Alex Lewis

Lewis was an aggressive and vocal leader in that offensive line room last year. Now he’s carved out a role on the roster and as a starter. Right now, his health for Sunday is questionable. In the short term, Lewis is classified as an average starter, but a strong season could earn him a long term role in the green and white.

C: Connor McGovern

The prized signing of the offensive line and my favorite new addition is the key man up front. McGovern is one of the most underrated centers in the game. McGovern is one of the least penalized linemen in football and one of the highest quality centers. His veteran presence and skill will add stability at the center of the line and contribute to the cohesiveness of the entire unit.

RG: Greg VanRoten

A lifelong Jet fan will be a starter from day one. VanRoten is just like Lewis. Both want to be here. Are fighting for a job next year and are quality linemen, but not superb. VanRoten is a poor pass blocker and a solid run blocker. If he can just hold his own as a pass blocker and provide stability, that will be a big asset. In the end, my hopes are mid-level for VanRoten this season.

RT: George Fant

Fant is not a crazy talented right tackle. He’s not going to be the reason this unit takes a big step up. However, Fant is built more like a tight end than a lineman. His athleticism is the best of any lineman on this team. His ability to fit into Adam Gase’s scheme and be a lead blocker is something that is a plus for the team. Still, Fant is unproven and the most worrisome of all the starting linemen, and I’m intrigued to see if he develops throughout the season or if the Jets turn elsewhere.

Bench: Josh Andrews, Cam Clark, Connor McDermott, Chuma Edoga & Leo Koloamatangi

This bench is not one that is loaded with talent. Instead, it’s loaded with guys who have the potential to come in and be an average filler if need be. They’re cheap and young linemen who provide a lot of versatility. Two guys to watch in this bunch are Clark and Edoga. Edoga was a starter in the past and could slot in for Fant if he struggles. The rookie, Clark has the potential to be a long term fixture on this line if given a shot.

Grade: B-

This line is still not proven or where it needs to be yet. The lack of in-game reps together is worrisome. Still, the talent is there and the competitive fire. This is a group that could outperform this grade. If they can be improved, they could be the reason this offense takes a massive jump. If they don’t, they could once again be the detriment of the team.

New York Jets position group evaluations: Tight Ends

by
New York Jets, Chris Herndon

As the season looms, I decided to take a deep dive into each New York Jets position group within the organization and grade each group. Today’s group is one of the most encouraging groups on the roster. That is the tight end room. From a highly anticipated bounce back tight end to a standout veteran, to a potential diamond in the rough, this group is one of the best on the roster. So let’s get into it.

TE 1: Chris Herndon

Without a doubt, the most anticipated return on this roster is Chris Herndon. Last season, Herndon entered the year with very high hopes. After a suspension and an upper buddy injury, Herndon’s sophomore season was a bust. Now, he’s back, and he’s been a star of camp. Reporters have been consistent across the board in their lauding of how he will be the critical piece to Sam Darnold’s success. With the lack of receiver depth, Herndon will be counted on to play a significant role. As I previously wrote, Herndon will either be the X-Factor of the offense and the key reason Darnold takes the next step or the reason Darnold has nobody to turn to when the play breaks down.

TE 2: Ryan Griffin

Last season, without Herndon, many analysts wondered who’d step up at tight end. Those questions were quickly dispelled with the impressive play of Griffin. With 34 catches for 320 yards and five touchdowns, Griffin proved to be a huge red zone threat. If Herndon can be the dynamic threat over the top and outside (when need be), then Griffin will be able to play a huge role in red zone success. As long as both guys can stay healthy when the Jets put out two tight end sets, they could be a force to be reckoned with. Griffin does tend to struggle with consistency, though, so as long as he doesn’t become a non-factor, he’ll be a great piece of the offense.

TE 3: Trevon Wesco

The West Virginia product was a curious selection by the former front office regime when he was picked in the fourth round of the 2019 draft. Wesco wouldn’t have been a controversial pick if he was known as a dynamic threat in the red zone or over the middle like the two other tight ends in the room, but he was traditionally known as a blocking tight end. Then, this offseason, he became a much more well-rounded athlete as Adam Gase has stated, and he’s found a real rhythm in camp reportedly. If Wesco can show in-game that he can be a weapon, that would only make the offense all the better.

Grade: A-

This group is FAR from a proven group. With that said, the way Douglas and Gase have built this group, they have potential to complement each other very nicely. Not only that but with the lack of depth at receiver, these guys will be counted on to step up. I truly believe this group has potential to shock some people this year and mask some of the Jets offensive inadequacies. 

New York Jets optimistic as training camp ends, training camp looms

by
New York Jets, Mekhi Becton

Cautious optimism emerged from the final day of New York Jets training camp, as a tense weekend of cuts awaits.

Stage one of a most unusual NFL season has come and gone. One of its most painful mainstays, however, is already underway.

The New York Jets’ training camp proceedings ended on Friday afternoon, just a little more than 24 hours before the mandated downsizing of NFL active rosters to 53 players. New York’s personal purging has already bid farewell to veterans James Burgess (who led the Jets with 80 tackles last season) and Jonotthan Harrison (19 starts over the last three seasons). The process will only continue as Saturday’s 4 p.m. ET deadline approaches, though several departees could find new opportunities with practice squads extended from 10 to 16 players.

Head coach Adam Gase anticipates Saturday’s organized chaos, especially in such a tenuous season that could require substitutions rising to the occasion on short notice.

“It’ll be interesting when we kind of get to those because I’m sure that it’s going to end up being we’ll have about five really tough decisions to make,” Gase said of the roster trim, per transcripts provided by the Jets. “Those active roster (decisions), but on the practice squad and then kind of holding your breath to see if anybody gets claimed it’ll be interesting heading towards the end of this week.”

The calm before Saturday’s storm of transactions allowed the Jets’ a brief opportunity to focus on a roller-coaster training camp session. Set in the backdrop of the ongoing health crisis, some would say it’s enough of a win that the team emerged without major catastrophe.

Still, Gase was pleased with what the team was able to accomplish in their college campus-like settings. He hopes the awareness and precautions taken during the process carries over into the regular season.

“I think the players did a great job staying focused. I know it was an unusual training camp, a lot of walkthroughs, rep wise,” he said. “No preseason games, but I thought the guys did a good job of using the time he had his effectively as possible. It was nice that, you know, we were able to kind of have the setup we had with having the hotels as close as we had them, kind of almost making that like a dormitory, buying out the whole hotel, which that was big for us, just kind of had smooth transition on all that stuff.”

“We’ll kind of see as we get into the season, where now guys can live on their own and we’ll maneuver that and now we’ll be able to just kind of start doing meetings live in person, which is that’s going to be something that we’re, we’re going to be excited about.”

Walkthroughs weren’t able to fully simulate the type of action the Jets lost through the cancellation of the annual preseason quartet. But Gase was pleased with what the effort put forth and the work accomplished.

“The walkthroughs were awesome,” the head coach remarked. “It’s like having a meeting on the field and I do think the way that our guys engaged in the virtual meetings was, I felt like we got a ton of guys asking more questions than sometimes when you’re live, where it’s easier to nod your head and say you got it and you might not have it, where on the virtual stuff, I just felt like there was a better back and forth for whatever reason.”

With training camp in the books and no exhibitions looming, the first opportunity to battle a football player clad in a color other than gree and white comes in the Week 1 opener against the Buffalo Bills (1 p.m. ET, CBS). The Jets will likely enter that game packed with youth and inexperience and without some crucial would-be contributors stepping out due to medical concerns and training camp injuries. There’s no telling just how much progress was made before the Jets battle a good number of experts have pegged to swipe New England’s AFC East throne.

But from what the players and coaching staff have gathered, they believe they’re ready to face a season laden with questions.

The spring selection of Louisville offensive lineman Mekhi Becton will loom large for both the Jets’ immediate and long-term future. If he fails to rise to expectations, it could set the Jets back years and have them wondering about the wide receiver prospects left behind. But his success could change the narrative about the Jets’ offense and perhaps become the spark the Sam Darnold/Le’Veon Bell era truly needs to ignite.

It would’ve been Becton’s showings that garnered the most observers if summer showcases were allowed to proceed. The Jets sound pleased with what they were able to get in the meantime.

“He looks comfortable to me. And he’s not making mistakes,” Gase said of Becton, per Olivia Landis of the official team site. “I’ve been extremely impressed by how he’s operating as far as his knowledge of football, how he’s retaining things, acquiring the information, recalling it, and then at the same time executing, playing fast. He’s doing a really good job.”

Becton’s first NFL training camp has certainly been one for the books. He was denied a handshake from the commissioner and hearing his name called in Las Vegas with the league opting for virtual draft settings last April. Presumably starting, he’ll be thrown into an immediate fire against Buffalo, owners of one of the NFL’s scariest pass rushes. He’s one of many Jets that could’ve used four consequence-free opportunities in August to adjust to the professional game.

But the experiences at One Jets Drive in Florham Park may have given Becton the best preseason/tune-up opponents of all: Gregg Williams’ defense.

Becton admitted that virtual meetings at the onset of camp that virtual meetings took a bit of adjusting to, but that he found his first NFL training camp to be a fulfilling experience, one that helped him learn where his true NFL strengths lie and where he might need to improve moving forward.

“I would definitely say I got better as a player, person and teammate,” Becton said in Landis’ postcamp report. “I definitely learned how to take care of my body, technique, plays, everything. I’ve gotten better over this time period.;”

“I fixed my hand placement and made sure that I keep my feet moving and don’t just stop once I make contact. Those are the things I worked on the most and needed to harp on the most. I also needed to work on my backside cutoff as well.”

Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

New York Jets Position Group Grades: Running backs

by
New York Jets, Leveon Bell

As the season looms, I decided to take a deep dive into each position group within the New York Jets‘ organization and grade each group. Today’s group is the running backs. Headlined by a thinner and motivated Le’Veon Bell, the ageless wonder that is Frank Gore, and the dynamic rookie in LaMical Perine. It’s a good group with a lot of potential, but how much can potential carry this group, let’s take a closer look.

RB 1: Le’Veon Bell

Without question, Lev Bell is the lead back for the 2020 campaign. Bell is determined to prove that last season’s poor performance was a fluke. He set a record for the lost YPC in franchise history, and I’m sure that doesn’t sit well with him. Bell is lighter than last year, has more quality linemen blocking for him and a coach taking accountability for his poor usage. Still, how much of that is fools gold. Bell is still struggling to keep frustrations quiet, and we know what happened last time a Jet did that. The offensive line could fail to gel and prove to hinder the offense early on. Most of all, Adam Gase may decide to take more of a committee approach and not give Bell the reps he truly deserves. I think Bell will be more improved this year, but I can’t say have I have the same confidence in Adam Gase to use him properly.

RB 2: Frank Gore

Fresh off another year of not looking like he’s slowing down. The 37-year-old running back is being counted on to play two roles this season. After jumping to #3 on the all-time rushing yard rankings, Frank Gore has continued to be an aggressive and productive back. He’ll be counted on to get meaningful reps early.

Gore is also being counted on as a leader and mentor to the younger backs in Perine and Bell. Gore is going to have his hands full trying to keep Bell quiet and still mentor Perine as a rusher. If anyone can do it, though, Gore can. Gore has been touted as one of the most impressive rushers in camp, and I’m genuinely excited to see his impact with the squad. I just hope Gase doesn’t overuse him in lieu of Bell.

RB 3: LaMical Perine

Perine suffered a low-grade ankle sprain that had potential to be A LOT worse. I and Jets fans everywhere feared the worse upon the report he was carted from practice. Now, Perine will hopefully be back quickly and able to contribute by Week 2 at the latest. Perine has the potential to be a change of pace back that really compliments the punch you in the mouth rushing style the other two backs have. Perine has flashed his impressive speed early and often in camp, and I’m excited to see him take the field as well. Perine needs to get some reps early to see if he is capable of being the long term back for this team. I’m weary of his durability and overall productivity, but ultimately I’m hoping for the best.

Grade: B

I really like this group. It’s one of my favorite position groups on this roster as a whole. I think the combination of potential with veteran presence is something that could really benefit the team as a whole. Plus, the value Bell brings as a pass-catcher adds another dimension to the offense. I have high hopes for this team. My biggest fear is Adam Gase is the reason I get let down. 

New York Jets: Le’Veon Bell and Adam Gase “actually like each other”

by
New York Jets, Leveon Bell

As Week 1 looms, New York Jets running back Le’Veon Bell did his part to end rumors of tension between him and his head coach.

New York Jets running back Le’Veon Bell may represent the offense, but took on the role of a shutdown corner in defusing tension between he and head coach Adam Gase.

On Thursday, the rusher spoke for the first time since an intrasquad scrimmage bore friction between the two. Gase mentioned that he had pulled Bell from the proceedings due to a tight hamstring, but Bell took to social media afterward to proclaim his clean bill of health. Speaking in person after the late week practice, Bell considered the scrimmage matter behind him and publicly called for those covering the Jets to stop pitting he and Gase against each other.

“I don’t understand why everybody is trying to put me and Gase against each other,” Bell said Thursday, per ESPN’s Rich Cimini. “We’re not against each other. I don’t understand why it’s so hard to believe, but we actually like each other.”

Bell and Gase’s relationship has been under a microscope ever since the former Pittsburgh Steeler inked a four-year, $52.5 million contract last offseason. Rumors emerged last season that Gase lobbied against then-general manager Mike Maccagnan adding Bell after he sat out the entire 2018 season due to a contract dispute. Bell’s name appeared in several trade rumors at the league-deadline last season and Gase was accused by analysts of not using Bell properly in his offense. Bell had a full-season career-low 789 yards last season.

But Bell doubled down on his peace treaty with Gase, insisting that the pair have never had problems.

“Ever since I got here and he got here, there’s kind of been this little thing of me and him butting heads all the time, which I don’t know where it comes from,” Bell said in Cimini’s report. “We had a long conversation because basically people (blew last week) out of proportion because I did make the tweet.”

Bell has returned to training camp eager to rectify and atone for the mistakes of 2019 and has been a burst of light in the Jets’ proceedings. He’s ready to take on a larger role in the New York offense when the Jets open against Buffalo on September 13 (1 p.m. ET, CBS) and it appears Gase is ready to take Bell up on that challenge.

“I feel like we can find better ways to get him the ball to help him create more explosive plays,” Gase said in Cimini’s discourse. “We can get him in space better than we did last year.”

Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

The Good and The Bad of New York Jets First Scrimmage

by
New York Jets, Nate Hairston

A number of things stood out to me from today’s first team scrimmage for the New York Jets, and for the most part they were not very good. So, let’s breakdown what went right and what went wrong for the Jets today.

The Good

Frank Gore

Gore reportedly looked “terrific” according to The Athletic’s Connor Hughes among others. Gore has been fantastic to this point according to Gase in terms of leadership impact and on the field performance. The ageless wonder continued to amaze and I’m excited to see him debut with the Green and White.

LaMical Perine

Sticking with the running backs, Perine was impressive today ripping off a 20 yard gain and then a 79-yard score. Perine was known for his breakaway speed at Florida and he flashed that today. The Jets know they have a unique blend of speed and size in that running back room and the perfect definition of that is Perine. I’m intrigued to see how he continues to grow from here as the season progress.

Mike White and James Morgan

The little known former 5th rounder was a practice squad fixture last season. Then this season, Gase said it’s been like two different quarterbacks. He’s thrown the ball very well in camp to this point and that reportedly continued today with another solid showing. Morgan also dominated the first-team defense which is impressive but also scary.

Ashtyn Davis

Davis continued his impressive camp with a pick-six today. Davis has been working side by side with the Jets defensive coaches in order to maximize his potential early on. It’s clear the organization has high hopes for him.

The Bad

Turnovers

The Jets first-team offense turned the ball over 3 times today against the second-team defense. That’s inexcusable and something that you’d expect earlier in camp, not two weeks away from the season. That’s an issue that needs to be worked on quickly.

First Team Defense Pressure

The Jets reportedly had no pressure in the backfield today. Presumably, Tarell Basham was set for the second pass rusher role, but with his injury, Jenkins will get targeted all the more. So, this makes pressure a difficult thing for the Jets to sustain right now. A move might need to be made for a pass rusher if Basham won’t be ready by week one.

Injuries

It seems like every day more injuries occur. Today, Lawerence Cager caught bad luck during his excellent camp with swelling emerging around his knee. That’s the latest receiver out and latest important piece. Then, new guard, Greg Van Roten got hurt as well. The Jets need to find ways to minimize injuries or this will be a long year.

Wide Receivers

I touched on the injury to Cager, but with Crowder and Hogan having a bad record with injuries and both fumbling during the scrimmage, it’s apparent the Jets need more insurance. Perriman and Mims will be back soon, but the Jets could use another vet to provide more insurance.

Lev Bell

Lev was pulled after just a few reps. It was reportedly to keep him loose, but he refuted those claims on Twitter immediately. He claimed that he needs reps to get going and the Jets were mismanaging him. All I can say is, welcome to Jets football.