Nick Mangold on Jets Head Coach Adam Gase: 'I Like Him, I want to See What He Can Do'
This past Wednesday, New York Jets CEO Christopher Johnson publicly backed head coach Adam Gase followed a disheartening Week 1 loss at the Buffalo Bills. Former Jets center Nick Mangold thinks it was the right decision.
The Jets looked bad in last Sunday’s 27-17 loss at the Buffalo Bills. Down 21-3 at halftime, the Jets punted the first four times they had possession and managed just 254 yards of total offense.
Johnson spoke with the media at the team’s facility on Wednesday, giving an opportunity to endorse the head coach he hired two years ago. He called Gase a “brilliant offensive mind.” It was a comment that drew immediate criticism from fans and the media.
“I think it is more for cohesion within the organization saying we’re going to squash any of the media rumblings that there is dissension among the ranks. It’s disappointing but understandable because you look at players and fans, the difference after a Week 1 loss, after waiting so many months of football even with the uncertainty of football – it’s difficult,” Mangold told Sports Illustrated’s Jets Country. “The players have to dwell on it for 24 hours and then move on to San Fran and that prep. Fans don’t get that opportunity, they dwell on it the whole week. We get to play San Fran. It’s understandable, the doom and gloom that’s there because it was not a good showing. If the players did that same doom and gloom but we’d be staring down at an 0-16 season.”
While the final score wasn’t embarrassing for the Jets, the way they lost certainly was. A touchdown late in the fourth quarter changed the overall scoreline, making the game seem respectable, but the Jets struggles on offense were a black eye for Gase.
It was an opportunity for a fan base that never supported his hire to let loose and criticize Gase.
Mangold sees things differently. The seven-time Pro Bowl selection understands that the Jets 7-9 record last year was quite an accomplishment, given that they led the NFL in game lost due to injury. In addition, factors this year, such as trying to blend four new starters on the offensive line without the benefit of preseason, is a monumental challenge.
“I think the players are with him, I like him. I want to see what he can do. I feel like between last year, Sam having mono and this year coronavirus, he hasn’t a great, fair shake at what he can do. It’s going to be – as long as, like I said, there’s marked improvement every week, winning games. I think we’ll be alright,” Mangold said.
He also said that the expectation for the Jets to make the postseason to save Gase’s job isn’t the bar by which the second-year head coach should be judged. This is a team, after all, very much in a rebuild and a playoff-or-bust mentality ignores the room for growth and development of the roster.
“Between playoffs and whatnot because you can go 10-6 and still miss the playoffs but you wouldn’t count that as a bad season. I think it’s just marked improvement and see where we end up at the end of the season,” Mangold said.
Mangold spoke as part of a media tour for Pepsi X, the former Jets center having had a long relationship with the iconic soft drink brand throughout his career. In a new commercial, he plays the role of the suave and handsome Nicholas Mangold.
Mangold said that the character of Nicholas is an alter-ego that he developed with his family as a way to be goofy. Pepsi has brought it to life in the commercial.
Nicholas interviews Nick in the funny video.
Pepsi is taking the opportunity to support fans with weekly sweepstakes and giving things away. as part of their 'Made for Football Watching' promotion.
“It’s a really cool way that fans can have a little bit of something even though they can’t make it to the stadium this year,” Mangold said.
