What offense was Joe Douglas watching?

It’s hard to understand why Joe Douglas had praise for Adam Gase and his offense in his end of the year press conference on Tuesday.

Joe Douglas seems to be a little bit confused about the way the Jets performed on offense down the stretch in 2019.

New York’s first-year general manager held his end of the year press conference on Tuesday and made some remarks about Adam Gase’s offense that makes you wonder what exactly he was watching as the season came to a close. Douglas praised the direction of the Jets’ offense in the final eight weeks of the season, pointing at player growth as a reason to have confidence in Gase heading into 2020. Considering New York finished the season on a 6-2 hot streak, it’s understandable that Douglas had praises for the man leading the charge on the sideline.

Douglas highlights the growth of players and play of offense the final eight weeks as reason there should be confidence in Gase. #Jets

— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) December 31, 2019

The only problem is, Gase didn’t orchestrate an offense that provided any reason for confidence or hope for the future.

Yes, the Jets finished on a high note after a brutal 1-7 start, but New York averaged just 15.6 points per game over its final five games. That stretch included a six-point showing in a loss to the previously winless Bengals and just 13 points in a season finale win against a Buffalo Bills defense littered with backups and practice squad players.

The Jets started the second half with three consecutive 34-point showing, but those came against porous Big Blue, Washington and Oakland secondaries. After that, it was back to sputtering the rest of the way. If it weren’t for Gregg Williams calling excellent games on a weekly basis on the other side of the ball, odds are New York’s run at the end of the season would not have transpired.

It’s not like Sam Darnold took any major steps forward in the second half, either. Douglas praised player growth in New York’s final eight games, but the team’s most important offensive player and future of the franchise wasn’t really a shining example of any kind of growth. In fact, he occasionally showed signs of regression.

Darnold completed only 59 percent of his passes over the Jets’ final five games. He threw for six touchdowns and only three interceptions, but those final five games were littered with questionable decisions and a bevy of missed throws the USC product typically makes in his sleep. That’s not growth. That’s being stuck in the mud.

Speaking of being stuck in the mud, New York’s rushing attack was essentially non-existent because of Gase’s inability or lack of desire to feature Le’Veon Bell and play to his strengths as a rusher. Bell recorded under three yards per carry in the Jets’ final two games. He finished the season with only 3.2 yards per carry. You could point to an underperforming and banged-up offensive line as a major reason for Bell’s lack of production, but that would be ignoring the problem at hand.

Gase didn’t lead an offense that offers Jets fans any reason to have confidence in him going into his second season at the helm. Frankly, New York’s higher-ups shouldn’t have much confidence based on the results. Gase’s offense was among the worst in the league at the start of the season and wound up finishing dead last. Supposed offensive masterminds typically don’t boast the worst offense in the NFL.

You can’t blame Douglas for taking pride in New York’s strong finish to the season. It’s hard to believe the Jets managed to finish 7-9 after all the team had to overcome to get to that point. Still, Douglas’ praise for an offense that was not good at any point in 2019 begs a question that needs to be answered:

What the heck was he watching?

Jets vs. Steelers: 4 takeaways from New York’s win over Pittsburgh

Here are four takeaways from the Jets’ 16-10 win over the Steelers.

In a game that no team looked like they wanted to win, it was the Jets that ultimately pulled it out with a 16-10 win over the Steelers.

Winning ugly is better than losing, but the Jets’ offense is becoming a real concern. After driving down the field on the first drive of the game, New York’s offense went ice cold. Luckily, the Jets’ defense shut out the Steelers offense in the second half that carried them to a victory.

Let’s take a look at some takeaways from the Jets’ sixth win of the season.

Defense responded well after beatdown in Baltimore

The Jets defense was torched by Lamar Jackson and company last week in Baltimore, but bounced back quite nicely this week.

Devlin Hodges and Mason Rudolph are no Jackson, but New York’s defense did everything right on Sunday. They got to the quarterback with four sacks and forced two takeaways after only forcing one in their last three games. The Jets also got off the field well on third down, only allowing the Steelers to convert three times.

Gregg Williams continues to show why he is one of the best defensive coordinators in the league. This defense has been decimated by injuries all year long and are still able to give opposing offenses trouble.

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Adam Gase, Sam Darnold deny rift between them after viral video

Adam Gase and Sam Darnold both denied that any disagreement happened between them on Thursday night against the Ravens.

Adam Gase and Sam Darnold have assured everyone that their argument on Thursday night against the Ravens had nothing to do with them.

After the Jets turned the ball over on downs late in the fourth quarter, the Fox broadcast turned over to the Jets sideline and caught Gase and Darnold in a heated discussion. However, on Monday, Gase said that the conversation wasn’t related to the two of them, but rather it was about someone else on the offense not doing their job.

“Somebody didn’t execute their job and I was bitching about that,” Gase told reporters. “And [Darnold] was doing the same thing.”

It was clear and obvious that Darnold, as whatever he said caught the attention of backup quarterback David Fales. Fales looked to be in shock of what was said and his face showed it. When speaking to reporters on Monday, Darnold said that Fales is prone to making those types of faces.

“David always kind of has that weird look on his face anyways,” Darnold said.

Whether this conversation was truly about someone on the offense not executing his job or Darnold getting mad at Gase over the fourth down play call, it’s not a good look. Darnold has always had Gase’s back since the day he was hired, but this season has not gone as planned for either of them.

The Jets offense is second to last in yards per game with 274.1. They’re 29th in points per game, 31st in first downs per game and their third down conversion percentage is also 31st. As for Darnold, he is tied for fifth in interceptions, 36th in completion percentage and 21st in yards per game.

It’s been a bad year all around and both Gase and Darnold showed their frustrations. In the back of your mind, though, you have to wonder if their relationship is souring. Given that Gase has been promised another year by Christopher Johnson, that would not bode well for 2020.

Avoiding past mistakes among keys to Jets offense vs. Dolphins

Jets Wire takes a look at four keys to the Jets offense as they get ready to do battle with the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.

The Jets will have a chance to put their embarrassing Week 9 loss to the Dolphins behind them when Miami comes to town on Sunday.

New York not only gave the Dolphins their first win of the season that week, but it turned in a performance that made many wonder what was up with Sam Darnold and the direction of the offense. The Jets couldn’t get much going throughout the course of the afternoon and ultimately faltered down the stretch in a loss that certainly stung.

All of that has a chance to become ancient history in Week 14. As long as the Jets focus on these four keys to their offense, they’ll be in good shape.

Avoid past mistakes

When the Jets went down to Miami in October, they simply couldn’t get out of their own way. From turnovers to poor throws and questionable reads by Sam Darnold, New York’s offense found itself stuck in a rut.

There’s no doubt that Adam Gase has been harping on eliminating the mistakes of October in film sessions throughout the week. The Jets’ offense has looked worlds better since that game (even despite last week’s setback against the Bengals), so it’s not unreasonable to assume Darnold can put the past behind him and turn in a solid performance on Sunday.

The Dolphins play hard, but they’re still 3-9 and feature a roster that lacks depth and talent in certain areas. As long as the Jets can shake off what transpired in Week 9, they’ll be able to take advantage of that.

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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.

Meeting between Adam Gase, Sam Darnold serving as a turning point for Jets offense

The Jets offense is finally in sync after Sam Darnold’s meeting of the minds with Adam Gase in Week 8.

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It’s imperative that players and coaches are always on the same page in the NFL. One little difference in philosophy or opinion could be the direct result of a unit falling into a tailspin instead of trending in the right direction.

It took two months to accomplish at One Jets Drive, but it looks like the quarterback and head coach are finally in cohesion regarding the direction of the offense.

Following New York’s 29-15 loss to the Jaguars in Week 8, Sam Darnold had a conversation with Adam Gase to discuss the pros and cons of Gase’s offensive scheme. The discussion could’ve gone nowhere if Gase remained stubborn in his ways, a personality trait that contributed to his downfall with the Dolphins. Instead, the first-year Jets coach listened to his quarterback and absorbed his input.

The end result? A potential turning point in the direction of the offense and Darnold’s development.

There’s no sense in running an offense in which the quarterback is uncomfortable with its inner workings. Throughout the first half of the season, Gase did most of the talking and Darnold did the majority of the listening regarding New York’s offensive gameplans. While this painted a clear picture of what Gase expected out of him, the USC product’s input was limited until two months into the season. At that point, he felt comfortable enough to dish out his thoughts on the Jets’ offense.

Since the conversation in Gase’s office took place, the Jets have gone 2-1 and now sit at 3-7. It’s not an ideal record, but a welcomed one considering how bad the team looked in losses to the Patriots and Jaguars. Darnold also looks more like the quarterback who ended 2018 on a hot streak, passing for 783 yards, six touchdowns and only two interceptions in New York’s last three games.

“I think the whole offense is really getting a feel for the offense,” Darnold said. “I think, just getting in that rhythm and being able to understand exactly what’s going on out there really allows us to play a lot faster.”

It’s no surprise that the Jets are suddenly in a rhythm offensively after Darnold’s meeting with Gase. It has taken longer than many expected, but New York’s offense is finally showing promise. That can be attributed to Darnold voicing his opinion and getting a better understanding of the operation.

With Gase set to return in 2020 and now on the same page with his franchise quarterback, the Jets offense should only get better from here. New York’s competition hasn’t been stiff the past couple of weeks, but don’t be surprised if Gang Green’s efficiency on offense becomes a regular occurrence for the rest of the regular season and beyond.

Sam Darnold thinks Jets still have a shot at playoffs

After defeating the Giants, 34-27, Sam Darnold was feeling good about where the Jets could end up by the end of the season.

The Jets played one of their cleaner games of the season both offensively and defensively, but it was far from a complete performance. Some of the same issues that have doomed the Jets this season, such as offensive line play, penalties and cornerback coverage, were still a problem. But that didn’t stop Darnold from talking about the playoffs after the game.

“We need every win from now on,” Darnold told reporters. “We’ve still got a chance. I mean, if we got on a roll here and win out, we’ve got a chance at the playoffs. Guys in this locker room know this. We know that and we’re really excited to get back to work.”

It’s great that Darnold still has confidence in his team, but it’s hard to imagine Gang Green making a playoff run. The Jets are second to last in the AFC with eight teams in front of them for the final playoff spot. The Steelers hold that spot with a record of 5-4, so the Jets are three games back of them.

Looking at the Jets’ remaining schedule, there are only three opponents that they could be favored to beat: the Redskins, Bengals and Dolphins. Other than that, their schedule doesn’t give any reason for hope. The other four games are against the Raiders, Bills, Steelers and Ravens. All of those teams are either in the playoff hunt or are currently a playoff team.

The Jets also have a ton of work to do despite winning on Sunday. The offense didn’t have much life to it after the first two drives, while the offensive line couldn’t open up any holes for Le’Veon Bell. As for the defense, the cornerback situation is dreadful. They have nobody who can cover. Also, the inside linebackers are completely depleted thanks to injuries.

So while this win on Sunday was much needed for the Jets, there’s no reason to believe this team is going anywhere this season. What else is Darnold supposed to say, though?