Adam Gase now has more double-digit losses than he does total wins

In yet another blowout loss, the Jets fell 30-10 to the Cardinals in Week 5.

In yet another blowout loss, the Jets fell 30-10 to the Cardinals in Week 5. With that, Adam Gase now has as more double-digit losses (31) in his career than he does overall wins (30) between his time with the Jets and Dolphins.

The Jets offense, conducted by Joe Flacco, looked exactly like the offense that Sam Darnold has run in the previous four weeks. Granted, there were some new wrinkles and trick plays, but the Jets put up just one offensive touchdown and couldn’t convert in the red zone, again.

While the Jets have had injuries pile up, there have been few signs of life from those on the field. Through five games, the Jets averaged 15 points per game and they have just six offensive touchdowns.

Sunday was the sixth time that Gang Green has been outscored by 20+ points in the Gase era, which is the most in the NFL since he took over as the team’s head coach.

As Gang Green begins its season at 0-5, Gase is now 7-14 as Jets head coach and 30-40 for his career (including the playoffs). While Gase’s job appears to be safe for now, his winless team will travel to Miami in Week 6 after the NFL’s newest schedule changes.

Instant Analysis: Cardinals hand uninspired Jets 5th consecutive loss

The Jets are going to have to wait another week for their first win of 2020.

The Jets are going to have to wait another week for their first win of 2020. Or maybe until 2021. Who knows at this point?

New York turned in yet another uninspired performance against the Cardinals in Week 5, failing to muster any sort of offense or contain Kyler Murray in a 30-10 loss. The Jets entered Week 5 behind the eight ball without Sam Darnold under center, but their unmotivated and lackluster performance on both sides of the ball against Arizona indicates a win would have been tough to come by regardless of who was playing quarterback.

With yet another loss in the books, it’s on to Miami for the Jets in Week 6. The Dolphins are off to a middling start of their own in 2020, but at least Brian Flores’ team comes to play on a weekly basis. The same cannot be said for Adam Gase’s squad.

Game Balls

MLB Avery Williamson: New York’s defense did not do much to slow down Kyler Murray and the Cardinals offense, but Williamson did his part by intercepting a deflected Murray pass and returning it inside Arizona’s 20. He also added eight tackles on the afternoon.

WR Jamison Crowder: Crowder accounted for more than half of the Jets’ receiving yards, catching eight passes for 116 yards and a touchdown in the third quarter. New York’s passing attack is far from dynamic, but it is drastically improved when Crowder is healthy and on the field.

Quick Thoughts

-Give Joe Flacco credit. The Jets didn’t do enough to beat the Cardinals, but Flacco was not the reason why New York fell short. Expecting a 35-year-old coming off neck surgery to light it up in his first start of the season is simply unrealistic.

-You have to be able to convert in the red zone if you want to win games. With that in mind, it should come as no surprise the Jets are winless in 2020. New York’s red zone offense is consistently putrid and that rang true once again in Week 5. Jamison Crowder found paydirt in the third quarter, but not being able to put six on the board after Avery Williamson’s interception and return deep into Cardinals territory is unacceptable.

-Four third-down conversions through four quarters? That’s not going to get the job done under any circumstance.

-Gase has done a lot of things wrong this season, but going for it on fourth-and-one in the red zone in the second quarter wasn’t one of them. Field goals aren’t going to beat the Cardinals…

-With that being said, why not hand it to Le’Veon Bell or Frank Gore instead of Trevon Wesco on third-and-one? Any running back would have been able to hit the wide-open hole New York’s offensive line created. A tight end doesn’t have that kind of cut back ability or awareness.

-2020 has been the definition of a nightmare season for Chris Herndon. He was supposedly a star in training camp but has looked more the part of a player who shouldn’t have even made the 53-man roster in the first place.

-Gregg Williams’ undisciplined defense reared its ugly head yet again when the Cardinals went for it on fourth-and-one in their own territory in the third quarter. Both Marcus Maye and Jordan Jenkins bit hard on the play-action fake, resulting in a wide-open tight end in the flat for Kyler Murray. That play could have changed the game and swung momentum in the Jets’ favor. Instead, Arizona powered forward and scored a touchdown.

-Gase now has more career losses by double digits than he does career wins. How exactly is he still employed as a head coach in the NFL?

Ex-Jet Kelvin Beachum has been a steady presence for Cardinals

As Kelvin Beachum returns to New York in Week 5, the ex-Jets tackle has been a steady presence for the Arizona Cardinals.

As Kelvin Beachum makes his return to MetLife Stadium, the Jets’ former starting left tackle has quietly been a steady performer for his new team.

Beachum’s name wasn’t brought up often during his three years in New York from 2017-2019. That’s typically a good thing for offensive linemen. In Beachum’s case, it meant he did an admirable job protecting Sam Darnold and Josh McCown across three seasons, all while not getting the praise and recognition he deserved. Beachum often fought through injuries, but he still managed to be a more than adequate bodyguard for New York’s quarterbacks.

Despite Beachum’s value as a potential depth piece and mentor for someone like Mekhi Becton, the Jets signed swing tackle George Fant instead. The move effectively ended Beachum’s tenure in green and white.

Beachum waited four months on the free agent market before heading out west to sign with Arizona. The Cardinals brought him in to compete for the starting right tackle position with Justin Murray. Despite not playing on the right side since 2013, Beachum won the job.

Since then, Beachum has played all 281 of the team’s offensive snaps through four games.

While Beachum got tossed around in Arizona’s Week 4 loss by Panthers defensive end Brian Burns, he has otherwise been solid for Arizona. He’s got a 65.5 Pro Football Focus grade and zero sacks allowed this season. While not perfect, Beachum has given the Cardinals more stability at right tackle than they’ve had in years.

Sunday’s game won’t be a grand homecoming for Beachum, but he was a solid player in New York and should be remembered as such. Now he’s doing much of the same in Arizona as the Cardinals try to prove that they’re contenders in the NFC West.

Sam Darnold doesn’t regret playing through shoulder injury against Broncos

Jets quarterback Sam Darnold does not believe it was a mistake to play through his shoulder injury against the Broncos last week.

Sam Darnold has drawn plenty of criticism throughout his brief career with the Jets, but one thing that has never been brought into question is his toughness.

When Darnold landed hard on his right shoulder after being slammed to the ground by Broncos linebacker Alexander Johnson in Week 4, it seemed like there was a pretty good chance he would be done for the remainder of the game. Injuries to a quarterback’s throwing arm are no joke and are typically handled with kid gloves. Instead of playing it safe and sitting out the rest of New York’s tilt with Denver, though, Darnold missed only four plays after heading back to the locker room to be evaluated.

With a week to reflect on his decision, Darnold concluded he has no regrets about returning to the field against the Broncos. He won’t play in Week 5 against the Cardinals because of the shoulder injury, but once he got the green light to return against Denver, sitting on the bench was the last thing on his mind.

“At the time they told me I could go back in and play, I did,” Darnold said Thursday when asked if it was a mistake for him to play through his injury, per ESPN’s Rich Cimini. “I had adrenaline running. I was ready to go…it didn’t hurt anymore after I went in, after I got hurt the first time. So no, I don’t think it’s a mistake at all.”

The Jets have recently come under fire for their handling of injured players. New York’s decision to allow Mekhi Becton to relieve an injured Chuma Edoga in the first quarter against the Broncos despite a barking shoulder that could force him out of action in Week 5 was widely criticized. Adam Gase and company allowing Darnold to return has also been questioned.

Darnold is currently listed as week-to-week, which means his absence could extend past Sunday’s scheduled matchup with Arizona.

Cardinals favored over Jets despite back-to-back losses

The Jets enter Week 5 as underdogs against the Arizona Cardinals.

Despite coming off losses in consecutive weeks, the Cardinals are unsurprisingly favored over the Jets in Week 5.

The Jets have allowed 131 points through four weeks and will take on an Arizona team that hasn’t put forth its best offensive effort just yet. Between Kliff Kingsbury dialing up plays and the combination of Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins, New York is surely in for another long day on Sunday.

In Week 4, the Jets were able to hold their first lead of the season, but it didn’t last very long. On a short week, the Jets managed to hold a +3 advantage in the turnover battle, but they still lost by multiple possessions to a third-string quarterback. As for the Cardinals, they lost by double digits to the Panthers on the road. Murray was kept in check by Carolina, as it only allowed for him to throw for 133 yards on the day. He should be able to bounce back in Week 5.

With the Cardinals vying to get back on track and the Jets aiming for their first win on Sunday, oddsmakers view Arizona as 6.5-point favorites, according to BetMGM.

The total over-under for Sunday’s game is set at 47.5 points with both sides holding at -110. New York possesses a money line of +240 at a 6.5-point disadvantage. Against the spread, both teams hold the same odds at -110.

The last time the Jets took on the Cardinals was on Monday Night Football in Week 6 of the 2016 season. New York fell 28-3.

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Jets QB Sam Darnold determined to play against Cardinals, but status unclear

Sam Darnold wants to give it a go against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 5 despite his injured right shoulder.

Sam Darnold is determined to play against the Cardinals on Sunday, but whether he gets his wish remains to be seen.

Darnold suffered a sprained AC joint in his throwing arm against the Broncos in Week 4. The injury temporarily sent him to the locker room for further evaluation, but he returned early in the second quarter after missing only four plays and remained under center for the remainder of the game.

Darnold did not disclose the grade of his sprain when speaking with reporters on Monday, which is an important factor in the timeline of his recovery — a Grade 1 sprain would bode well for his chances of playing. However, he has been getting treatment on his elbow in an effort to suit up against Arizona in Week 5.

“I feel good,” Darnold said, per Newsday’s Al Iannazzone. “It keeps getting better every day. I’m excited to see what my progress is come Wednesday. We’ll see what we do there.”

Wednesday is a key day for Darnold when it comes to his chances of playing this weekend. If he can’t throw in practice, his odds of taking the field against the Cardinals become slim. With that being said, Darnold does not believe he needs to practice this week in order to be ready to go for Sunday.

“It really does depend on what the doctors say and what they think can happen in the future in terms of further injury,” Darnold said. “If this can have a lingering effect if I do hurt it more.

“For me, the most important thing is playing football. I understand that there might be a potential risk. I think the most important thing is going out there and playing if I can. If I’m able to play and I don’t play, that’s worse than anything, in my opinion.”

Adam Gase did not rule out the possibility that Darnold could miss time when speaking with reporters on Friday. It’s also safe to assume Gase and general manager Joe Douglas will have a say in the final decision as they look to protect their quarterback. In the event that Darnold cannot play, Joe Flacco will start under center.

“Your best ability as a quarterback is your availability,” Darnold said. “I’ve always said that, and I believe in that. I always want to do everything I can to not miss any games.”