Initially decimated by the spread of COVID-19, the sports world seems to be on the mend. The MLB and NBA have resumed play and the NFL is on track to play a season, albeit under unique circumstances. The season will be unorthodox for every one of the league’s 32 members. Yet, for the squad at 1 Jets Drive, the circumstances are uniquely paradoxical. Preceded by a tumultuous off-season that saw the team deal superstar safety Jamal Adams to the Seattle Seahawks, the 2020 season is one that many fans would agree is crucial for shaping the team going forward. Unsurprisingly, the man at the center of it all is polarizing second-year head coach Adam Gase. Gase has spurred what can be referred to as the paradox of the 2020 New York Jets season.
The Paradox of the 2020 New York Jets Season
For most fans, the sentiment going into a season is simple. Root for your team to win as many games as possible. Fans of the New York Jets are faced with a unique dilemma in 2020. The hiring of Adam Gase as head coach in 2019 was a move that did not sit very well with a number of fans at the time. Those feelings surely spread further throughout the fanbase after the team’s abysmal start to the 2019 season. Starting 0-4 and turning to a third-string quarterback due to injury, the team faced quite a bit of adversity early on. Still, the team turned it around a bit and finished the season 6-2 over the final eight games. So why are fans still so against the notion of retaining Adam Gase beyond 2020?
The answer is that there is simply too much to suggest the contrary. Rumors about Gase’s inability to adapt to personnel existed long before he arrived in New York. The debacle that was Le’Veon Bell‘s first season with the team is indicative of Gase’s lack of awareness about his questionable personnel choices. Bell was not used nearly enough in the slot in 2019. Even leading into this season, Gase seemingly has placed on the blame on Bell’s “lack of understanding” of his system, rather than acknowledging that the system itself may be flawed if it finds such little use for one of the best running back talents the league has seen in some time. Comments like these are particularly tough for fans to hear. They suggest that Gase’s lack of self-awareness will continue for quite some time.
The Fan’s Dilemma
As such, fans have two options. One is to root for another year of mediocrity from a team that has been steeped in it for years. This in hopes that it will be enough to rid the team of the stubborn Gase. The other option is for fans to root for success, and risk Gase returning. Now the argument does exist that if Gase were to succeed this year, it would indicate growth and improvement on his end. While he will certainly have some adversity to overcome, such as the opt-out of C.J. Mosley, and success the Jets enjoy in 2020 will likely be in spite of Gase, not because of him. Be it due to great defensive planning by Gregg Williams, or a major leap from Sam Darnold, a Gase gameplan renaissance is low on the list of likely outcomes.
So should fans be rooting for the team to lose in 2020? In short, no. Personal vendettas against Adam Gase are not uncommon, and frankly, may be justified up to this point. But stubbornness is not synonymous with self-destruction. Fans do not need to like Gase for the team to win games, and the players will surely be on his side if the wins start to pile up. Aside from comments by the now-departed Jamal Adams, players like Alex Lewis and Sam Darnold have expressed their support for the veteran head coach. Make no mistake about it, Gase has little leeway in 2020. If the team were to start slow and fire him, fans should remain optimistic so long as the play of Darnold continues to progress in a positive manner. The outcome of the 2020 New York Jets paradox remains to be seen.
