The New York Jets close out a 2019 season that has seen an improvement in their win total, but has still been a disappointment. The Jets are 5-2 over their last seven games, but will still fall short of .500 and will not reach their preseason win total number. Criticism has mounted even amidst the recent decent run, but head coach Adam Gase does not have too much concern. He has been telling those around him, “I’m rich as f—k” when it comes to how little he cares about fan criticism, according to New York Daily News reporter Manish Mehta.
The recent 5-2 run was most recently capped with a 16-10 upset of the Steelers that might cost Pittsburgh a playoff spot. While five wins in seven weeks is impressive, the level of competition has been hit or miss. They won three straight over the Giants, Washington, and Raiders, lost to Cincinnati, beat Miami, and were thumped by the Ravens. The wins over Oakland and Pittsburgh are certainly decent, but losing to Cincinnati is an embarrassment.
Prior to the season, DraftKings Sportsbook installed the Jets win total at 7.5. This came following a 4-12 season in which Sam Darnold showed signs of potentially turning into a franchise quarterback option. Their 2018 preseason win total was 5.5. The team added running back Le’Veon Bell and linebacker C.J. Mosley, which raised expectations heading into 2019.
Things went south in a hurry in the Meadowlands. Mosley injured his groin in Week 1 and would only appear in one other game this season. Then, Darnold came down with mono following Week 1 and missed three straight games. Luke Falk was a disaster of a quarterback and a month into the season, the Jets were 0-4.
Darnold returned in Week 5 to help them secure a rather stunning upset of the Cowboys, but they responded with three straight losses to the Patriots, Jaguars, and Dolphins. They were 1-7, and the season was effectively over at that point.
The team has fought back in recent weeks for some semblance of respectability, but criticisms continue around Gase. Mehta reported he has effectively abandoned the defense to coordinator Gregg Williams and the unit views Gase as a glorified offensive coordinator. There have been extensive reports that Gase has lost the locker room as a whole.
The Jets are 6-9 heading into their season finale on the road against the Buffalo Bills. The Jets likely will face a handful of Bills backups because Buffalo is locked into the AFC’s No. 5 seed. That gives the Jets a good chance to finish 7-9, a three-win improvement over last season.
Jets CEO Christopher Johnson told the media back in November that Gase would return as head coach in 2020. That came following the Jets win over the Giants, and they have gone 4-2 since then. Few people have absolute job security in the NFL, but for the time being, it appears Gase will get a second season to turn things around for Gang Green. Some fans won’t be pleased, but they’re stuck with him for the time being.