WATCH: What Jets coach Adam Gase said during Day 4 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 Thursday press conference:
On CB Trumaine Johnson recapturing his form now that he's reunited with DC Gregg Williams:
"I mean, he was one of the better corners in the league. If we get close to that it's going to be a positive for us. It's all going to be about kind of getting him healthy and back into his rhythm. I feel like he's confident in Gregg's [Williams] defense. Gregg knows how to use him right."
Analysis: Being back alongside Williams could work wonders to revive Johnson's career. In 2015, Johnson had a career-high seven interceptions with the then-St. Louis Rams under Williams. If Johnson can stay healthy, a bounce back campaign might be in the works.
On what Bills rookie DT Ed Oliver brings to the field:
"He penetrates quick. He's extremely fast. You have to be careful with what you do with him in the run game because that's where he can cause a lot of problems. I don't think he gets as much credit of how disruptive that he is in the run game. As far as him as a pass rusher, when you have a guy that, the strength that he has for not being a 320-pound guy playing inside, he has great strength and his quickness is tough."
Analysis: The 6-foot-1, 287-pound Oliver is going to be a challenge for the Jets' offensive line. The No. 9 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft was a three-time First-team All-American at Houston. Oliver's game will translate to the pros because of the leverage and athletic ability he possesses.
On how preparing for Week 1 can be unpredictable:
"Just because you don't know what everybody is working on. There's no film. You can look at how we are right now and what we've shown in the preseason and then you can look at where I've been before and now and Gregg. But at the end of the day, other teams don't know how we're using the personnel we have because every year it changes. When you have time from spring training camp, you work on things that you might be getting ready for this week, just to get reps because when you get into a game week you get limited reps. It's unpredictable and something always weird happens in the first week of the season it seems like. All these games are exciting."
Analysis: While the Jets and Bills are familiar as division rivals, every season is different and any carry over effect is minimal. Teams can look at preseason tape but won't garner much intel because no one is showing their hand. As a result, Week 1 can often lead to some surprises. Expect Gase to have some wrinkles to throw at the Bills that they aren't prepared for and vice versa with Buffalo coach Sean McDermott towards the Jets.
On QB Sam Darnold's comment that the Jets' offense will be electric:
"I like what we're doing in practice. I like what we've shown in the preseason games. We've had some ups and downs. That last game wasn't so electric. But we got to where we needed to be. We started to kind of click there at the end of those drives. I love the confidence that our guys have. I think they're having fun playing in this offense. I love the communication that we're getting back from the players with whether it be ideas or suggestions, tweaks that they want to make, how they kind of see it...We give them a blueprint but they'll put it in sharpie."
Analysis: Even though the Jets' offense fizzled out in the preseason finale vs. the Eagles, there were plenty of excellent takeaways throughout the preseason. The most important thing of note though was Darnold's sharp play. Darnold tallied 211 yards, two touchdown passes, no interceptions, and a 68 percent completion percentage in the preseason. If Darnold can mirror that efficiency this season the Jets' offense will have a chance to thrive.
On the collective motivation for this season:
"I like the way that this group has worked since we started. I think our coaching staff is excited for these guys. I think they have a lot to prove. Things haven't gone their way all the time, the guys that have been here. I think they're excited to kind of wipe the slate clean and start over and work to get to 1-0."
Analysis: The Jets haven't made the playoffs since the 2010 season. However, with a new coach (Adam Gase), new defensive coordinator (Gregg Williams), promising second-year quarterback (Sam Darnold), a Pro Bowl safety (Jamal Adams) and Pro Bowl additions (RB Le'Veon Bell, LB C.J. Mosley), the pieces are in place to potentially snap the slide. Earning a victory vs. the Bills would be the ideal way to build towards that goal.
