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What the heck is he supposed to say?
Here are a few of the questions that Joe Douglas was asked on Tuesday about Adam Gase, the head coach of the 0-8 Jets.
Al Iannazzone – Newsday: How do you access the job Adam as done?
Douglas: Again, I’m going to say, this is not all on Adam. I have to do a better job. I have to do a better job of surrounding him with better players and better weapons. We’re in this together. I’m going through and trying to think everything I can do to help Adam, and the goal is to get this fixed together.
Rich Cimini – ESPN: Joe, in your opinion, can this team get to where you want it to be with Adam as the head coach?
Douglas: Yes. Ultimately, I have to do a better job for all these coaches and players and the hope that we is that we can fix these problems together and be here together for a while.
Cimini: So you are saying he’s part of the solution then.
Douglas: Yes.
Look, I have no idea what’s in Joe’s heart, soul and mind about Gase as a coach, but I do know, he answered these questions the only way he could, without causing a firestorm with the New York and national press. If there was one word in any of those questions, that was perceived as questioning the coach, it would have been huge news. We all know that.
So what did you expect him to say?
But also, even if Douglas doesn’t think Gase is the answer, he’s not empowered to do anything about it. He and Gase are both equals and equally report to the owner. Douglas picks the players and Gase coaches the team, and neither has any power over the other.
The problem with this set-up is quite simple. Gase clearly isn’t doing the best job coaching the Jets this year. Some could argue the game plans and X’s and O’s have been suspect at times. But the only person empowered to review these issues with Gase is the owner, whose wheelhouse is more on the business side. So perhaps it’s not ideal for a businessman to be meeting with the coach about strategic issues.
If Gase had a football boss, with strong football acumen, that person would be able to get into the weeds with what is going on, on the coaching side, that has led to a -144 point differential.
The Jets are getting blown out in most games. You might argue they don’t have great talent, but neither do the Giants, but their rookie head coach has them in every game over the last month, with every game decided by a field goal or less, including a win over Washington.
So why are the Giants in most games, but the Jets are getting blown out most games? The Giants aren’t most talented than the Jets.
But who, with a strong football mind, can get into the football minutia with Gase, about what the heck is going on in these games and demand he makes changes?
It’s not Douglas, and it’s certainly not Douglas’ place to evaluate the job Gase is doing.
So nobody should read too much into his public support of the coach.
He basically said the only things he could, without creating a controversy, and also leaving his lane, which doesn’t allow him to lord over the coach.
November 4, 2020
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