Tag: Adam Gase

Sam Darnold is Jets Wire’s Player of the Game vs. Raiders

Another week and another strong performance from Sam Darnold as the Jets took care of business against the Raiders with a 34-3 win.

Another week, another strong performance from Sam Darnold.

The quarterback and the Jets took care of business against the Raiders Sunday with a 34-3 win. Darnold torched the Oakland defense all game long, going 20-29 for 315 yards and three total touchdowns (one rushing). He had a quarterback rating of 127.8.

For his performance, Darnold is Jets Wire’s Player of the game for the second consecutive week.

Darnold’s play over the last few weeks has really picked up. He’s done a nice job making all the necessary throws and still making plays outside the pocket. Most importantly, Darnold is not turning the football over. Instead of forcing the ball into areas where Darnold has nowhere to throw, he’s actually throwing the ball away. In his last three games, Darnold has thrown for 838 yards, seven touchdowns and one interception.

But when talking about Darnold’s play of late, you can’t forget to mention the job Adam Gase has done. Ever since Darnold went to Gase a few weeks ago and talked about the play calling, everything has changed. Gase has played to Darnold’s strengths and the quarterback is making the plays. This offense could barely put up any points earlies this season; Gang Green has now put up over 30 points in its last three games.

It’s extraordinary what this quarterback can do when he has a coach that is calling plays that makes him feel most comfortable. The jury was still out on Darnold if he was as good as everyone thought he was. Those critics have gone silent over the past few weeks.

Darnold’s confidence is clearly back and the entire offense is rolling because of it. He’ll have a couple of more favorable matchups over the next two weeks against the Bengals and Dolphins, which should allow him to keep this hot streak going.

Sam Darnold, Braxton Berrios among Jets’ Studs & Duds in win over Raiders

Following Sunday’s win over the Oakland Raiders, the Jets have now improved to 4-7 on the season and have won three consecutive games.

The Jets won their third consecutive game Sunday after a 1-7 start, improving to 4-7 on the season.

The team has now scored exactly 34 points three straight games in a row. That can be attributed to Adam Gase and Sam Darnold being on the same page, while the makeshift offensive line has done an excellent job of blocking.

New York played nearly a perfect game minus some mental mistakes. The Jets gained 401 yards of total offense, their second straight week of 400 yards or more.

For the Jets, it was another step in the right direction. Here are the best and worst players from the Week 12 victory.

Stud: QB Sam Darnold

(AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

This Sam Darnold kid sure can play.

After taking control of the offense and being more vocal with Adam Gase and Dowell Loggains about what works and what doesn’t, Darnold has never looked back.

He flourished both on the ground and in the air Sunday. Darnold went 20-29, throwing for 315 yards and scoring three total touchdowns. He connected with Robby Anderson and Ryan Griffin for one-yard scores while running in one of his own.

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4 takeaways from Jets’ dominant win over Raiders

Jets Wire breaks down New York’s dominant win over the Raiders with four takeaways from the action.

The Jets are officially on a roll.

New York made it three wins in a row with a 34-3 trouncing of the Raiders in Week 12. Oakland entered the day one game back of the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC West and in possession of the final wild card spot, but that didn’t prevent the Jets from dominating from start to finish. Thanks to strong efforts from Sam Darnold and a stifling defense, Gang Green set the tone early and never looked back.

Let’s take a look back at New York’s fourth win of the season with four takeaways from Sunday’s action.

Where has this team been all season?

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s the…Jets finally getting their act together?

It’s hard to believe considering the way the season started, but things are finally trending in the right direction at One Jets Drive. It took two months, but New York is finally firing on all cylinders in all three facets of the game.

Gang Green’s win over a postseason contender gives its resurgence legitimacy. It’s probably too little, too late in terms of making a playoff push, but it’s certainly encouraging to see the Jets playing up to the potential they entered 2019 with.

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Instant Analysis: Jets beat up Raiders for third win in a row

The Raiders were no match for Gang Green on Sunday.

Wins against Big Blue and Washington were nothing special. Beating a flawed but competitive Oakland team, though? Well, that’s a bit more impressive.

The Jets manhandled the playoff-hopeful Raiders on Sunday, 34-3, at MetLife Stadium. New York, once 1-7, cruised to its third straight win.

Odds are this winning streak is too little, too late for Gang Green, but the organization’s decision-makers and fans should be encouraged by the way the team is clicking. Sam Darnold has looked every bit the part of franchise quarterback lately after a disastrous midseason slump, young players are seizing opportunities created by injuries and the coaching staff — the one everyone wanted to fire a few weeks ago — has made massive strides.

Now, New York will prepare for the lowly Bengals and try to make it four in a row next week.

Game Balls:

  • RB Le’Veon Bell: The Jets running back lived up to his dual-threat reputation, totaling 108 yards on 12 carries and five receptions. The Jets once again used other rushers to spell him in the backfield. They also lined Bell up as a receiver a few times, creating confusion for Oakland’s defense.
  • QB Sam Darnold: All is well with Sam Darnold again. The Jets gunslinger made a handful of highlight-reel plays while going 20-29 with 315 yards and two touchdowns through the air, as well as a score on the ground. He’s 58-89 with 838 yards, seven passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns, and one interception over his last three games.

Quick Thoughts:

  • Despite a bevy of injuries leading up to and during the game, the Jets offensive line delivered another strong performance against Oakland. Darnold was only sacked once and had plenty of time to throw despite some scampering, while Bell found success on the ground for the second week in a row. The makeshift line’s biggest mistake was a holding penalty by Alex Lewis, which negated a big gain from Ty Montgomery.
  • The Jets should line Bell up as a wide receiver more often. Good things tend to happen when he’s thrown the ball, as seen on New York’s first play of the game.

  • The Jets’ first touchdown of the game, Darnold’s second rushing score of the season, was set up nicely by a pretty awful roughing the passer call. Nothing egregious here, but the Jets were given a gift by the refs nonetheless.
  • Bless Austin can ball. The bar was low, be he’s been the Jets‘ best outside corner this season. He hits hard whenever he comes in for a tackle; he had five and a pass breakup on Sunday. Mike Maccagnan may have actually gotten a late-round pick right.
  • One day after signing an extension, Ryan Griffin caught another touchdown pass from Darnold. He now has five on the season. Not bad for a guy who was supposed to be a fill-in for Chris Herndon. With Griffin and Herndon, as well as Trevon Wesco, the Jets look to have their tight end depth chart set for next year.
  • Week 12 was another impressive one for the Jets defense. The Raiders are not worldbeaters, but they’re better than Washington, and Gang Green held it’s own against improved competition despite a decimated lineup. The Jets even forced Derek Carr to the bench. Give props to Gregg Williams for that. The defensive coordinator has done an excellent job developing previous no-names like Austin, Arthur Maulet, Tarrell Basham, Kyle Phillips and more. It would be understandable if this injured Jets defense couldn’t stop a nosebleed, but the unit is holding its own under Williams.
  • Also deserving of credit is Adam Gase. The Jets head coach has drawn plenty of criticism in his first year on the job, but Gase’s offense has soared in recent weeks. A lot of that has to do with his improved game-planning and play-calling, which was on full display in Week 12.
  • Record Watch: Jamal Adams added a half-sack on Sunday. He now has 6.5 this season. The most ever by a defensive back in a single season is eight.

Raiders poor road numbers among things to know in Jets’ Week 12 matchup

The Jets will face a red-hot Raiders team that doesn’t perform well outside of Oakland.

There’s a sense of optimism in the air as the Jets look for their fourth win of the season and third in as many weeks when they return home to take on the Raiders in Week 12.

New York returns home to play a Raiders team that is atrocious away from Oakland, and the implications of this game could affect the AFC playoff picture – just not for the Jets.

The Jets want to win now to prove to their fanbase they have the capability to compete in the future, but it won’t be easy against a team that’s been on a hot streak of its own. The Raiders have won their last three games behind a run-heavy approach and a defense that’s sacked the quarterback 10 times in the past two weeks to improve to 6-4.

Oakland will be the Jets’ biggest test since the Patriots in Week 7 despite the fact they lost games to both the Jaguars and the Dolphins before back-to-back wins over the Giants and Redskins. However, the Raiders have been atrocious away from home this season, which gives the Jets a legitimate chance to emerge victoriously on Sunday.

With that being said, here are four things to know about the Jets’ Week 12 game.

Raiders’ road woes

Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

When the Raiders play away from Oakland, they’ve been one of the worst teams in the league so far this season.

Oakland is 1-3 in road games this season and has allowed an average of 32.8 points in those games compared to the 24.6 they allow at home. 

The Raiders’ defense has been particularly bad on the away from home, ranking near the bottom of the league in sack percentage (2.8%), yards per pass play (8.2), passer rating (118.5) and passing touchdown percentage (8.6). This bodes well for the Jets’ offense if they don’t turn the ball over and find the right spots to hit on Sunday.

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Jets sign TE Ryan Griffin to three-year contract extension

Ryan Griffin’s enjoyed a mini-breakout season with the Jets and will in the team’s future moving forward.

Ryan Griffin is officially part of the Jets’ plans for the future.

New York has inked the tight end a three-year extension that can earn him up to $10.8 million with “reachable incentives,” according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. The deal also reportedly includes $4 million in guaranteed money.

After the NFL suspended Chris Herndon for the first four games of the season, the Jets scooped up Griffin two months after the Texans released him. Not much of him was expected when New York signed him to a one-year, $1.2 million contract other than as a stop-gap until Herndon returns, but the veteran tight end has proven to be a solid contributor on the offense with Herndon now out for the season due to injury.

Griffin leads the Jets with four receiving touchdowns and has also caught 25 passes for 225 yards. He has been one of New York’s most reliable receivers with an 83.3 catch percentage, helping him earn the moniker “sticky hands” after recording five receptions for 109 yards and a touchdown against the Redskins in Week 11.

With Griffin, Herndon and rookie Trevon Wesco manning the position, the Jets have locked up their tight end group for the foreseeable future.

Jets LB C.J. Mosley wants to play again in 2019

C.J. Mosley has missed nine games this season with a groin injury, but he’s hopeful he can return this season.

The Jets surprisingly decided against putting linebacker C.J. Mosley on injury reserve after he reaggravated a groin injury five weeks ago, but now Mosley believes he could play this season, possibly in Week 14.

Mosley received injections of platelet-rich plasma to help heal his injured groin this week. Those shots, he said, give him a “50-50” chance to play again this season.

“If I can do anything to avoid ending my season, I’m going to try it,” he said on Friday, per ESPN. “I’d rather do that than cut my body open. That was the thinking on that.”

The Jets gave Mosely a five-year, $85 million contract last offseason in the hopes he could strengthen the core of their defense. He played well in Week 1 against the Bills, but suffered a groin injury midway through the game. When he returned and reinjured himself in the Week 7 loss to the Patriots, the Jets said he could theoretically return in five-to-six weeks. Heading into what would be his fifth week of rehab, Mosley said he’s running again and hopes to get on the practice field soon. 

While it may seem pointless for Mosley to risk a second aggravation in what is a lost season for the Jets, the linebacker feels it’s his responsibility as a captain to play. That’s a well-intentioned sentiment but looks more and more unlikely as the season progresses. Even Adam Gase remains at worst skeptical and at best noncommittal about Mosley’s return.

“We’re just kind of going through that process and see where it takes us,” he said. “I don’t really know the answer to that.”

Ultimately, it will come down to Mosley’s rehabilitation over the next few weeks. Mosley is positive but realistic when it comes to his availability in the few weeks left in the season. He said he’ll get surgery if his injury doesn’t heal over the next two weeks.

“I’m trying to do everything I can to avoid surgery and play,” he said. “Worst-case scenario: I’ll have to get surgery if next week doesn’t go well.”

Adam Gase praises rookie CB Bless Austin’s strong start

Jets head coach Adam Gase has high praise for rookie cornerback Bless Austin, who missed the past 14 months recovering from an ACL injury.

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After being away from football for over a year, Jets rookie cornerback Bless Austin has jumped onto the scene with New York desperately thin at corner.

After an increasingly long layoff — 14 months without playing football — Austin’s dominant performances through his first two NFL games have caught the eye of many. That includes his head coach.

“He was driving us nuts on the scout team,” Adam Gase said following Thursday’s practice. “When you’re making receivers angry… you know he’s got something to him.”

Austin dons No. 31, the same number Antonio Cromartie did when he was a shutdown cornerback for the Jets. If Austin carves himself out a nice career like Cromartie, it would be a nice parting gift from Mike Maccagnan in his last draft.

Austin, who spent the first eight games on the Non-Football Injury list as he recovered from his second ACL surgery, has held up well in two starts. He has allowed only six catches for 59 yards as the closest defender, per NFL Next Gen Stats.

In his second NFL game, Sunday against the Redskins, Pro Football Focus graded him (77.2), the Jets’ best defensive player.

In a small sample size, Austin has proved himself a worthy candidate to watch down the stretch. If he can stay healthy, the Jets might have found themselves a second-round talent in the sixth-round.

The ACL injuries have taken a toll on Austin, but he’s emerging as a reliable cornerback when desperate times have called for desperate measures. On a whim, New York benched struggling CB Nate Hairston in favor of Austin in the midst of the Giants game. The Jets may never look back.

Jets OC Dowell Loggains vows to throw challenge flag with authority next time he has the chance

Dowell Loggains is going to go about things a bit differently next time he throws a challenge flag for the Jets.

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Jets offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains plans on making his presence felt next time he has the chance to throw the challenge flag.

Granted the chance to do so against the Giants, Loggains squandered it by lightly tossing the flag onto the turf. His gentle toss garnered some criticism and as a result, a change in approach. If he has the opportunity to take another crack at throwing the challenge flag on behalf of Adam Gase, let’s just say Loggains is not going to be gentle.

Loggains has gained somewhat of a cult following ever since emerging as New York’s designated challenge flag thrower. Usually head coaches are responsible for tossing the red flag, but Loggains has assumed that responsibility under Gase.

“I’ve always had someone else do it because I’m moving around quite a bit and that’s how I like it,” Gase said regarding him not being the one to handle the challenge flag.

With Gase serving as the chief offensive play caller on gamedays, Loggains takes somewhat of a back seat despite his job title. Most of his work comes directly with Sam Darnold, as the two frequently discuss adjustments and watch tape in between series.

Allowing Loggains to be the challenge guy gives him an added responsibility that he not only welcomes, but seems to genuinely enjoy. The unusual role has made him somewhat of an internet meme, but look on the bright side.

At least he’s getting criticized for how he throws a flag instead of play calling.

Sam Darnold credits Jets locker room for bouncing back after 1-7 start

Jets quarterback Sam Darnold gives credit to the players in the locker room for responding from a 1-7 start.

Jets quarterback Sam Darnold praised the locker room for how the team has been able to bounce back from a 1-7 start to the season.

The Jets could’ve easily mailed it in for the season after the first eight games, but Adam Gase has done a good job keeping the team together and playing hard. While Darnold is giving Gase credit for that, he believes the players in the locker room are the ones continuing to put in the work and trying to win every week.

“We got such good guys in the locker room,” Darnold told reporters. “The coaches do a great job of making sure that we all stay together and they do a great job to continue to work hard and gameplan, but everyone in that locker room is set on winning.”

Under former head coach Todd Bowles, effort was sometimes a problem. It didn’t necessarily happen over a long stretch of games, but here and there you’d see the Jets clearly not care about a game. It’s good to see that this hasn’t yet been a problem under Gase, despite all the issues that he’s had with players so far in his first season.

As for the players, there’s definitely a belief among them that they can win football games consistently. But with the amount of bad luck the Jets have had with injuries, it has made it more difficult to win games.

Now that the Jets are getting some players healthy again, you’re starting to see glimpses of this team playing well. Obviously, the last two games have been against the bottom feeders of the league, but you still have to go out and execute.

If the Jets can continue to build on these wins, there should be some more confidence heading into next season.