WATCH: What Jets coach Adam Gase said during Day 3 of Bills week
The regular season for the New York Jets is now less than a week away, which means it's time to prepare for their AFC East rival in Game 1.
The Adam Gase era will commence when the Jets host the Buffalo Bills on Sept. 8 at 1 p.m. (EST).
Last season, the Jets posted a 4-12 record. The Jets will attempt to snap an eight-year postseason drought. With Sam Darnold, Le'Veon Bell, Jamal Adams and C.J. Mosley as anchors, the possibility is there to snap the slide.
Here's a sampling of what Gase said in his Wednesday press conference:
On RB Le'Veon Bell's message to him heading into his Jets debut:
“When I spoke to him (Tuesday) he said, ‘Don’t hold back.’ He feels like he’s ready to go, I think he’s pretty excited to get out there.”
Analysis: Bell is understandably itching to hit the field after last season's holdout with the Pittsburgh Steelers. While rust could come into play, there's no reason Bell shouldn't shoulder a full workload vs. the Bills to get his feet wet.
On the offensive possibilities with Bell:
“I love it. It’s going to be fun. It’s one thing to call plays in practice but to know that you have him back there and then possibly going back and watching some Pittsburgh tape to remind ourselves who that is back there, it’s a good feeling.”
Analysis: Gase is one of the most creative minds in the NFL. He's never had a running back of this caliber. It'll be fascinating to see the myriad of ways in which Gase employs Bell, who is a threat on the ground and through the air.
On not overlooking the Bills' defense:
"Their points per game last year is probably a little out of wack because they had some games where they had turnovers for touchdowns that really wasn't their defense's fault. It's a tough team to play defensively. These guys are aggressive and they run to the football. They cause a lot of problems."
Analysis: The Bills allowed 23.4 points per game last season, which ranked 18th in the league. However, as Gase points out, that number is inflated a bit by the miscues of the Bills' offense. Gase said Sean McDermott always throws unexpected wrinkles into the fray. Linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, rookie defensive tackle Ed Oliver and defensive end Jerry Hughes are some of the players the Jets will have to pay close attention to.
On the sustainability of Bills RB Frank Gore:
"If you watched him work day in and day out, it wouldn't surprise you. We would always say 'Hey, you should take today off.' And he's like: 'Wednesdays I'm practicing.' And he wants every rep. You're in full pads and he's going at it like it's Sunday."
Analysis: The 36-year-old Gore is an ageless wonder and all-time great. Gore ranks fourth on the NFL's all-time rushing list. Gase had a first-hand look at Gore from their time together with the Miami Dolphins last season. The Jets' defense will have to limit the productivity of Gore and impressive rookie Devin Singletary in the Bills' backfield.
On the advantages of having DC Gregg Williams:
"Greg was brought here to put that thing together and get things rolling in the direction it needs to go to. What he does, I love. I've had to play him so many times that it was frustrating for me. Preparing for him is challenging. I think that whole staff does a great job of working together and putting together a game plan."
Analysis: Gase has plenty of experience battling wits against Williams. Now that they're united, the Jets have a duo capable of maximizing the talent on both sides of the ball. It'll be fun to see how Williams utilizes the Jets' defense.
