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It is sad to watch the misery of Sam Darnold
There are no excuses for Adam Gase, and no excuses for Sam Darnold, no matter what kind of NFL season we might have. Every other head coach, be it a rookie like Joe Judge or a GOAT like Bill Belichick, and every other quarterback, be it Patrick Mahomes or Darnold, is navigating through these troubled …
There are no excuses for Adam Gase, and no excuses for Sam Darnold, no matter what kind of NFL season we might have.
Every other head coach, be it a rookie like Joe Judge or a GOAT like Bill Belichick, and every other quarterback, be it Patrick Mahomes or Darnold, is navigating through these troubled virtual waters.
Gase was hired to make Darnold a star and get the Jets back in the playoffs, and neither happened last season.
This will be Year 3 for Darnold and Year 2 with Gase and Year 10 since the Jets last reached the playoffs.
Darnold (19 TDs, 13 INTs) finished 25th in total adjusted QBR (43.6) and 26th in traditional QB rating (84.3, tied with Jameis Winston) and no one should be expecting him to miss three games with mono now.
The Jets need more from Darnold than occasional flashes. They need better decision-making from him. Darnold seeing ghosts against Bill Belichick’s defense on national television is a reflection on Gase as well. His offensive guru reputation has not translated into success as a head coach. His career record is 30-35.
Darnold has thrown 36 TDs and 28 INTs in his 26 starts. Eli Manning reached the playoffs in his second season and threw 35 TDs and 31 INTs in his first 26 starts. Manning won his first Super Bowl in Year 4.
“It’s hard for me to talk about these mythical steps that everybody’s talking about,” Gase said. “All I know is we need to find ways to win games and put ourselves in position to where we can make The Tournament.”
No excuses for Adam Gase.
No excuses for Sam Darnold.
“Sam’s trying to do the right thing as far as making sure that he knows this offense cold, and he knows all the little details that he needs to do day in and day out,” Gase said, “and he’s gotta help get all these guys that are new caught up to speed as fast as possible.”
The good news is that everyone knows Darnold is wired the right way, be it inside the Atlantic Health Training Center or isolated from his teammates and coaches in Southern California.
“I know that he kinda watches last year’s stuff, and it gets him fired up ‘cause he knows, ‘I can do this better, I know how this is supposed to look,’” Gase said. “His brain’s working so much faster when we go in Year 2 of these things ‘cause you know all the little tiny details of what the offense is about. Now it’s more about, hey, playing faster, adjusting to things that maybe you didn’t talk about, adjusting to things that you’ve never seen before and being able to do those little tiny detail things so much quicker just because of experience and studying the film and learning from your mistakes.”
Gase wished he had a collaborative general manager he could trust and when he was hired to succeed Todd Bowles.
He does now in Joe Douglas.
Gase wished he had an athletic 6-foot-7, 364-pound left tackle and experienced center to block for Darnold and Le’Veon Bell.
He does now in Mekhi Becton.
Douglas kept his promise to Darnold’s parents to protect their quarterback son by drafting Becton and overhauling the offensive line with a bounty of free agent signings.
“I think roster-wise, Joe and the personnel department’s done a great job as far as lining this thing up the right way, and finding the right type of guys and really the right fit for what we’re trying to do,” Gase said.
Darnold will have a stable of tall targets at least 6-foot-2 – – WR Breshad Perriman, second-round draft pick WR Denzel Mims and TEs Chris Herndon and Ryan Griffin – – and a second season with WR Jamison Crowder and with Bell.
And with Gase.
“I feel like we’re in a good spot, and who knows what’ll be added from here on out?” Gase said.
The burden of proof is on him to rally a lukewarm if not skeptical fan base to his side.
Gase was celebrated when he was hired for three main reasons:
He was the Jets’ first coach with an offensive background since Rich Kotite was hired by former owner Leon Hess in 1995.
Peyton Manning lobbied for him.
He was the right man to accelerate Darnold’s development.
And the Jets (273.0 yards per game) finished last in total offense.
Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams overachieved with his unit.
Let’s see Gase overachieve with his.
Even after that 1-7 start — before rock bottom arrived at Hard Rock Stadium when it looked as if the Jets were the ones Tanking For Tua against the previously-winless Dolphins — owner Christopher Johnson informed the team that Gase was getting a mulligan.
Let’s see Gase and Darnold hit this season straight down the fairway.
Now, with Tom Brady out of their hair and in Tampa, with a seventh team in each conference invited to participate in the playoffs. . .
No excuses for Sam Darnold.
No excuses for Adam Gase.
