Second Road Trip of the Year Presents Unique Challenges for the New York Jets
When the New York Jets take the field at Lucas Oil Stadium, there will be 7,500 fans in attendance. While it will be only 11 percent capacity, that will completely change the dynamic from the fake noise pumped into their helmets in the Jets’ first two games.
The 7,500 fans allowed is triple the Colts’ first home game last Sunday in their 28-11 win over the Minnesota Vikings. The Marion County Public Health Department permitted the Colts to increase the number of fans allowed inside the stadium this Sunday. They hope to allow even more fans in the future.
“That's the last thing we're worried about right now,” Jets head coach Adam Gase said Friday.
Metlife Stadium currently does not allow fans to attend games. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has not ruled out fans at some point but has not committed to a timetable for that.
This is the Jets’ second road game of the season. Gase mentioned that the team learned a lot about the protocols and how to travel safely when the Jets played at the Buffalo Bills for the first game.
“Everything went really smooth,” Gase said. “I think it was a little odd though. When you get on the plane, it’d been so long since I think any of us had really done it and traveled and all those things. Just kind of being at a different hotel. I mean, it was more of just a feeling of it felt like a long time since we had done anything like that. The way everything was set up or ops guys did a great job. They made it try to make everything feel as normal as possible or guys did a good job of following the instruction of, not only the coaches but the ops people, the staff on just how to handle everything. I thought guys did a good job.”
Four NFL coaches were fined $100,000 for not wearing a mask last week. Gase said he’d rather not get fined.
He’s been visibly wearing the mask throughout the game.
“When we went to the stadium (for the scrimmage at Metlife Stadium during training camp), I did it both ways,” Gase explained.
“I had it on and I kind of had it down just to see if there was a difference for him (Jets quarterback Sam Darnold) when he was hearing me calling plays. He didn't really say so. And then we went to the first game. That was a big communication part between us. ‘Hey, just let me know if you can't understand something I'm saying or if something's unclear so that I can try to figure out how I can adjust it.’ But that was one that I'd rather not get fined a hundred thousand dollars that would not go over well.”
