New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers running back Raheem Mostert had choice words for the turf at MetLife Stadium.   

During Thursday's matchup between the New York Jets and Denver Broncos, Mostert tweeted: "ANOTHER injury at MetLife? Shocker. The turf is horrible!! Shut that field down, [NFL]."

Mostert, who left a Week 2 game against the Jets at MetLife with a sprained MCL, appeared to be referencing an injury to Jets wideout Lawrence Cager. The receiver was running a route when his leg buckled without contact. The Jets ruled him doubtful to return with a hamstring injury. 

Mostert wasn't alone in calling out the turf:

It's hard enough playing for the Jets. They shouldn't be subjected to a terrible playing surface, too. 

When the New York Jets host the Denver Broncos on Thursday night, Adam Gase reportedly won't be coaching to save his job.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Gase will not be fired in the aftermath of a potential loss to the 0-3 Broncos even though New York would fall to 0-4 on the season in defeat.

Rapoport noted that those close to the situation believe firing Gase so early in the season would be counterproductive and possibly damaging to the development of quarterback Sam Darnold.

Gase is in his second season as head coach of the Jets after coaching the Miami Dolphins for three years. He helped the Jets exceed expectations to some degree last season with a 7-9 record, but they have looked awful during their 0-3 start this season.

The Jets rank last in both total offense and scoring, and their defense is 27th in points allowed.

It also seems as though Darnold is regressing in his third season—though he admittedly doesn't have many weapons, especially with running back Le'Veon Bell on IR—as he has thrown for just 562 yards with three touchdowns and four interceptions.

On Thursday, the Jets are facing a winless Broncos team that is starting the unheralded Brett Rypien at quarterback. Rypien saw the first game action of his career last week, going 8-of-9 for 53 yards with no touchdowns and one interception versus the Bucs.

If anything can get the Jets on track this season, a home game against a struggling team with an inexperienced quarterback should do the trick. However, as things currently stand, it is difficult to envision Gase lasting as the Jets' head coach beyond the 2020 season.

New York Jets star running back Le'Veon Bell is reportedly hoping to return from a hamstring injury for the team's Week 5 game against the Arizona Cardinals on Oct. 11. 

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported the update Wednesday.

New York might have thought the three-time Pro Bowler would feel rejuvenated after sitting out the 2018 season, having had a league-leading 406 touches a year earlier. Instead, he ran for 789 yards and three touchdowns, averaging a career-low 3.2 yards per carry.

The start of the 2020 season didn't represent a change in the right direction. Following their 27-17 defeat to the Buffalo Bills in Week 1, the Jets placed Bell on injured reserve with the hamstring injury, ruling him out for a minimum of three games. Week 5 would be his first game eligible to return to the active roster.

New York signed Frank Gore in the offseason to bolster its depth in the backfield and signed Kalen Ballage following Bell's injury after previously seeing a trade for the former Dolphin fall through in late August.

Gore will likely retain the starting role with Ballage and 2020 fourth-round draft pick La'Mical Perine providing further support on the ground for Thursday's Week 4 clash with the Denver Broncos.

The Jets would incur a $4 million hit in dead money but save $9.5 million by releasing Bell after the 2020 season, per Spotrac. They could spread that $4 million over 2021 and 2022 while saving $11.5 million by designating him as a post-June 1 cut.

It seems fair to wonder whether that's something the front office will consider based on how poorly his tenure in New York has played out.

New York Jets head coach Adam Gase might be on the hot seat, but he isn't letting that impact his preparations for a Week 4 game against the Denver Broncos. 

"I can't focus on that," Gase told reporters Tuesday. "It's wasted energy for me. It's not going to help me at all. All I can do is make sure I get our guys in the right headspace to go out there on Thursday and play well."

His sentiment is understandable because worrying about whether he's going to be fired probably won't help matters too much. Having said that, to some it may seem as though Gase is burying his head in the sand to some extent.

The pressure is undoubtedly mounting on Gase.

ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported people inside the team are beginning to evaluate him more closely. And that was before the Jets suffered a lopsided 36-7 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. New York gained just 260 yards on offense as Sam Darnold went 17-of-29 for 168 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions.

The Jets ranked dead last B/R's most recent NFL power rankings, with the consensus being they are "well and truly terrible."

Darnold's performance is particularly concerning since he's supposed to be the franchise quarterback and Gase was brought in partially because he's an offensive specialist. The situation has reached a point where questions are arising about Darnold's long-term future in the Big Apple.

Of note, the Jets have denied, per ProFootballTalk's Mike Florio, that chief executive officer Christopher Johnson has begun reaching out to coaching agents.

Gase's fate could be decided by Thursday night. A loss to the winless Broncos, who are relying on Jeff Driskel at quarterback, would be a new nadir this season.

Adam Gase's future with the New York Jets is in danger. 

According to Colin Cowherd of Fox Sports, Gase will get canned if the Jets lose to the Denver Broncos on Thursday (h/t Funhouse and Mike Rosenstein of NJ.com):

"I am told with Adam Gase that Jets lose Thursday, he's done. He got a vote of confidence, now they play Denver, they will lose. ... Gase has a problem. He's not only losing games, but he's lost the locker room. ... Too many Jets are always hurt. There's something here. Do players want to play? I'm told the Jets have already reached out to a top coach agent and started asking questions. They're going to look to college, they're going to look to the pros. But the Jets have started the process. Of course, the Jets will deny this, but the Jets are now calling big-time agents. I'm not going to give you the name of the agent because that will give up my source. But they are calling big-time agents, Christopher Johnson, and they're now compiling lists."

ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported before Sunday's loss that Gase's seat was warming:

Gase has earned his place on the hot seat. He is just 7-12 as the team's head coach and has started the 2020 season at 0-3. More damning is the fact that Gase, hired ostensibly to transform the offense under young quarterback Sam Darnold, is leading a Jets team that is last in the NFL in both points and yards per game. The 42-year-old has a 30-37 career record after three seasons in charge of the Miami Dolphins.

That doesn't exactly reflect New York Jets CEO Christopher Johnson's previous comments that Gase has a "brilliant offensive mind."

"I have full confidence in Adam," Johnson told reporters last week. "I think that he has a lot more in him as a head coach than some of our fans are giving him credit for. And I understand they want to see success. I think that they will."

"Look, I think he can work with and develop quarterbacks," he added. "I do continue to think he's a brilliant offensive mind especially. He has my every confidence."

Apparently that confidence is wavering—and justifiably. The Jets have gotten worse each week:

• Week 1: 27-17 loss to the Buffalo Bills
• Week 2: 31-13 loss to the San Francisco 49ers
• Week 3: 36-7 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. 

The Jets are trending down at breakneck speeds. It would be hard to blame the Jets if they cut ties following a Week 4 loss vs. Denver. 

Three weeks into the 2020 NFL season, New York Jets head coach Adam Gase might already be on the hot seat.

ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported Sunday that "executives of the Jets at the highest levels are looking at Gase as well" as the coach is the subject of criticism from both inside and outside of the team.

Gase's hiring was a bit puzzling in the first place since the Miami Dolphins were 23-25 in three years under his watch. A 7-9 finish in 2019 did little to dispel the narrative the Jets erred in bringing him aboard.

Any coach in New York is guaranteed to face a significant level of scrutiny; it comes with the territory. Mortensen's report comes on the heels of two players publicly questioning how the team was practicing as it dropped its first two games.

"We've had some slow practices, and it correlates to the game," safety Bradley McDougald said, per SNY's Coby Green. "We need to have a complete, full week of just great practices. I don't think we've had that yet. As soon as we realize that and hone on in to how important practice is and come out and win at practice, then it will translate to the games on Sunday."

McDougald followed up to say his words "weren't pointing the finger at anyone" and that he was "not coming for my coaches."

Still, teammate Avery Williamson concurred with the assessment during an interview on WFAN's Joe & Evan:

"I definitely can agree with him at times; sometimes in practice, guys are missing tackles or we're not doing things right, we haven't been as crisp as we should be at times. Or starting fast—he's definitely correct that at times, we don’t start fast at practice. We haven't the last two weeks, but that's something we have to fix ourselves, because you can't come out sluggish in games and expect to win. It's tough to recover when a team you're playing is that good."

Those comments potentially add some new perspective Le'Veon Bell's frustrations in training camp:

Even if one doesn't put the blame for the Jets' poor practices on the head coach, Sam Darnold's performance is becoming a large indictment of Gase.

Darnold didn't take a big step forward in his second year, throwing for 3,024 yards, 19 touchdowns and 13 interceptions, and his 197 yards per game through two games are well below last season's average (232.6).

Gase is supposed to be something of a quarterback specialist. However, Ryan Tannehill turned his career around immediately after getting away from Gase, and Darnold continues falling short of expectations.

The Jets play the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday before having a short week to prepare for the Denver Broncos on Thursday. Perhaps an 0-4 start would be the final nail in Gase's coffin. 

Members of the New York Jets' fanbase are planning to gather outside the team facilities in New Jersey on Thursday afternoon for a "Fire Adam Gase Protest."

Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News passed along the details of the event, which would come as stadiums around the league have banned or limited fan attendance amid the coronavirus pandemic:

A social media post rallying fans to attend the protest did ask attendees to wear masks and remain socially distant.

The Jets are off to an 0-2 start after losses to the Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers by a combined score of 58-30. It's dropped Gase's record with the organization to 7-11 after he was hired in January 2019.

"I'm pissed off right now," Gase told reporters Sunday. "That s--t is no fun, going out there and getting your ass beat."

The disappointment is magnified because Tom Brady's departure from the New England Patriots was supposed to open up the AFC East race for the first time in essentially two decades. Instead the Jets are already lagging behind the Bills and the Cam Newton-led Pats.

New York safety Bradley McDougald questioned whether the team's lethargic practice pace was a factor on game day, but Gase said he hasn't "necessarily felt that."

"Everybody has a different feel for how practice goes," the Jets coach said. "We are heading into Week 3 here, if that's the feeling that they have, I mean we have the chance to really kind of ramp it up and make sure we're doing what we need to do in individual and pick up the tempo."

Regardless of the reason, the Jets are at early risk of falling behind in the playoff race ahead of Sunday's road game against the Indianapolis Colts, and another loss or two could land Gase on the hot seat.

It sounds like some fans are already prepared to hand him that distinction.

As the injury-plagued New York Jets head to Indianapolis in Week 3, head coach Adam Gase says his team must rely on all available players in an effort to find its first win of the year.

"We're down to whoever has a pulse ... whoever's available," Gase told reporters Thursday.

Per the Indianapolis Star, four Jets players did not practice this week, including wide receiver Jamison Crowder, who missed Week 2 with a hamstring injury after collecting seven of 13 targets for 115 yards and a touchdown in Week 1. Fellow wideout Breshad Perriman was also held out midweek with a sprained ankle.

Seven Jets were limited in their participation on both sides of the ball, including offensive linemen Mekhi Becton and George Fant and defensive backs Ashtyn Davis and Nate Hairston. Running backs Kalen Ballage and La'Mical Perine were also limited, a bad sign with Le'Veon Bell on injured reserve until at least next week.

Chris Hogan, who has seven receptions for 75 yards after signing a one-year deal with New York this offseason, was limited with a rib injury suffered in Week 2, but NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported the former Patriot did not break any bones and should be "OK" moving forward.

Even with Hogan, the Jets have only three wide receivers heading into Week 3. They will also rely on Braxton Berrios, who scored a touchdown while grabbing six passes for 59 yards last week, and Josh Malone, who was signed from the practice squad this week after appearing in both games this season.

Indianapolis won't field a perfectly healthy team either. Running back Marlon Mack and safety Malik Hooker are done for the year, and wide receiver Parris Campbell is recovering from an MCL/PCL injury and will be out until at least Week 6.

For two New York Jets defenders, the team's slow start the season is attributed to the way they practice.

"It all goes back to practice. We've had some slow practices and it correlates to the game," safety Bradley McDougald told SNY TV after a 31-13 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 2 (h/t ESPN). "We need to have a complete, full week of just great practices, and I don't think we've had that yet. The sooner we realize that and hone in on how important practice is and coming out and winning at practice, then it will translate to the games on Sunday."

The Jets also fell to the Buffalo Bills in Week 1, 27-17. In both outings, the Jets were down 21-3 at halftime. A slow start in Week 2 allowed 49ers running back Raheem Mostert to peel away on the first play from scrimmage, resulting in an 80-yard touchdown. 

"Until we dominate at practice on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, Sunday is going to be a toss-up," McDougald said. 

McDougald, who was acquired by the team when they sent safety Jamal Adams to Seattle this offseason, wasn't the only one to publicly question the practice habits of the Jets. Linebacker Avery Williamson criticized his teammates in a radio appearance Tuesday on WFAN.

"Sometimes, in practice, guys are missing tackles or we're not doing things right," Williamson said. "We haven't been as crisp as we should be at times. ... We don't start fast at practice."

Jets head coach Adam Gase said he wasn't aware of the sentiments expressed by his players, and Williamson texted him to apologize, according to ESPN's Rich Cimini. Despite the 0-2 record, Gase, who is 7-11 at the helm of the Jets, said he didn't feel the same way.

"Nobody said anything during the week," Gase said. "I felt like we had really good tempo to practice. Sometimes an individual guy, if he wants to change something, we talk about it every week. It's not like it's not an open forum. If somebody doesn't like the way something is going, we can easily speak up."

The Jets have a chance to right the ship when they head to Indianapolis on Sunday to take on the 1-1 Colts, who earned their first win of the season with a 28-11 win over the Minnesota Vikings.

After Sunday's 31-13 blowout loss to the San Francisco 49ers, New York Jets coach Adam Gase was brutally honest about his feelings toward his 0-2 team.

"I'm pissed right now," he said, via SNY's Ralph Vacchiano. "That s--t is no fun going out there and getting your ass beat."

The Jets were down from the start Sunday, when 49ers running back Raheem Mostert returned the opening snap for a 80-yard touchdown. But Gase, who was called a "brilliant offensive mind" by owner Christopher Johnson this week, couldn't lead the Jets past the injury-ravaged 49ers—who were already without George Kittle, Richard Sherman, Deebo Samuel and Dee Ford before they lost Nick Bosa, Solomon Thomas, Mostert and Garoppolo during the game.

Granted, the Jets were also missing Le'Veon Bell, Jamison Crowder and Denzel Mims before Breshad Perriman left in the second quarter with an ankle injury, but they left much to be desired on both sides of the ball.

Quarterback Sam Darnold, who was 21-of-32 passing with 179 yards, couldn't find the end zone until the final minute of play, and Gase did little to energize a struggling offense when he elected to kick a field goal instead of attempt a touchdown on fourth down when San Francisco led 24-3. 

Beyond Mostert's opening touchdown, the Jets defense allowed 184 rushing yards and an average of 6.8 yards per carry. Before Garoppolo exited at halftime with a high ankle sprain, he was 14-of-16 with 131 yards and two touchdowns directed to backup tight end Jordan Reed.

Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams said Friday that his defense was close to being "dominant," per Zach Braziller of the New York Post.

After falling to the Bills 27-17 in Week 1, the Jets will look to earn their first win of the season against a Colts team that lost Parris Campbell and Malik Hooker in Week 2 after Marlon Mack was ruled out for the season in Week 1.