Why did it take me two days to write about Adam Gase's introductory press conference, you ask? Well, even though I try not to act like I'm in middle school, I can't honestly deny that it was because all I could think about was his super-intense, thousand-erratic-yard stare. I mean jeez, my soul felt straight up violated after his eyes looked upon it with an electron microscope. Nobody can escape Gase's gaze. Well good, maybe that will strike fear into his players and make them fight for him.
But I digress. We all had our fun (Check out "Adam Gase's Eyes" on Twitter if you want to keep it going.), but it's time we get down to brass tax. Because if you listened to the substance of what Gase, CEO Christopher Johnson, and General Manager Mike Maccagnan were saying on Monday, you heard a lot of crucial information. Indeed, Gase seemed to shake off the first day jitters a little when he sat down with Johnson and Maccagnan for questions and, by the time he joined the Michael Kay Show about an hour later, he was relaxed and offered a fascinating look into his history, coaching acumen, and how he sees the future of the New York Jets. Overall, I went from mixed feelings after the initial hire to cautiously optimistic after Monday. Let's dive into the pros and cons a bit, shall we?
Pro: He has head coaching experience.
Adam Gase just spent 3 years as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins. Personally, I was relieved to not have another defensive coordinator trying to be a first-time head coach. Rex Ryan and Todd Bowles are top notch defensive coordinators, but quite frankly they sucked as head coaches. Clueless about offense, terrible game management. We need a seasoned head coach that could give two craps about the media and just wants to be in the locker room inspiring players to succeed. This team has had too many years of no-discipline nonsense.
Con: He has head coaching experience.
As much as everyone wants to, I don't think we can just ignore his 23-25 record in Miami. That doesn't exactly sound like a powerhouse. I haven't seen Ryan Tannehill hoisting the Lombardi trophy. Still, the Dolphins made the playoffs in his first year and were in the hunt at the end of this year despite constant injuries, Tannehill in particular. But there is an argument to be made, that I tend to buy into, that teams are complicated, and taking out major players constantly due to injury eventually wears on the overall structure and direction of a team. The fact that Gase was borderline .500 and kept it interesting every year in spite of glaring depth and personnel issues is worth some credit, I think. Gase has said himself that he's not a fan of the personnel side of things; he'd rather coach and have a rapport with his players, and I respect that. Apparently, he had a hand in personnel in Miami, so then again he does take some of the blame there. Maybe that's why he got fired, after all. Because from a strictly coaching standpoint, I can't find much of a reason. Maybe the Jets structure, where Maccagnan handles personnel and Gase just coaches, is exactly what Gase and the Jets need.
Pro: He was QB coach and then offensive coordinator with Peyton Manning and the Broncos
And we all know how that worked out for them.
That's exactly the kind of QB building energy we need around Sam Darnold and we want him, and the team by association, to succeed. But how much of that was Adam Gase and how much of that was Peyton being a quarterback genius? I guess we'll find out. But, worst case scenario, the experience couldn't have hurt for Gase.
Pro: He can develop Sam Darnold
Basically what I just said. If we want to develop Darnold into our franchise superstar quarterback that everyone says he can be, and if we want to him to play 100% of the time how he played 70% of the time in December, we need a strong offensive mind and QB-beneficial system. Adam Gase fits the bill.
Pro: He knows the AFC East Already
Knowing our division gives us a jump on 6 out of 16 games already, crucial if we want to actually compete with the Patriots for once. Gase liked to joke with Johnson and Maccagnan that he had a 5-1 record against us, so he knows what Miami can and can't do.
All in all, I'd have to say Adam Gase is a net positive for the Jets, and I'm excited to get this year started. We're all starving for a Super Bowl, and hoping this is the beginning of that ascension to greatness.
Comments