Report: New York Jets Head Coach Adam Gase Is on the Hot Seat

The clock could be ticking on Adam Gase’s time with the New York Jets according to a report by ESPN’s Chris Mortensen.

On Sunday morning, Mortensen reported on ESPN that Jets management is carefully watching Gase’s performance with the Jets today at the Indianapolis Colts. The Jets, 0-2, have struggled to start the year and have been physically unimpressive on both sides of the ball.

In addition, the playcalling on offense has been lackluster and unimaginative. That falls on Gase, whom Jets CEO Christopher Johnson called a “brilliant offensive mind” two weeks ago.

Mortensen’s report seems to point towards the Jets potentially getting ready to cut ties with Gase, now in his second year with the Jets.

Would be the right time to do it, with a long week after Thursday. But what OC can you bring in at this point that can install something AND develop Sam so you know what you've got? https://t.co/kkUV6oqEcn
— Alan Hahn (@alanhahn) September 27, 2020

He was an unpopular hire last offseason but some of the vitriol abated for a time. After a 1-7 start to his tenure with the Jets, Gase earned praise throughout the NFL for turning the team’s fortunes around. Six wins in their final eight games for a respectable 7-9 finish was impressive.

Achieving that record on a rebuilding team was especially noteworthy. Doing it with a roster that led the NFL in games missed due to injury only served to underscore Gase’s solid job in closing out 2019 on a high note.

This year, the Jets got pushed around in Week 1 at the Buffalo Bills. Last week in their home opener, they looked inept and ill-prepared in a 31-13 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. While both teams made the playoffs last year, the Jets still seemed nowhere near ready to play at the Bills or the 49ers.

In the second year of the rebuild, it appears through the limited sample size of two games that the Jets not only aren’t winning games but not showing progress.

Progress though, would be difficult to show this season. Not only do the Jets have the second-toughest schedule in the NFL, they also have been hit hard with injuries. Half of their projected starters on offense, for instance, are likely to be missing in Week 3.

Hard to win with a roster already thinned out from a rebuild with that many injuries.

With all that being said, however, it appears that the Jets still don’t have a functional direction on or off the field. It would seem too soon to move on from Gase, especially given the injury situation.

Moments however, such as the Jets giving up an 80-yard run on the first play from scrimmage in Week 2, shows a team that simply isn’t ready. It is hard to sense that the Jets are heading in the right direction when they’ve gone to halftime down 21-3 in both their games.