One game into the 2020 season, owner Christopher Johnson already has to defend Adam Gase.
"I have full confidence in Adam," the New York Jets owner told scribes Wednesday, per Connor Hughes of The Athletic. "With the expectation of right now, this is the first practice I'm missing since end of July. I've seen him interact with this team. I've seen him lead this team. I've seen him...look back to last year: He took a team that did so poorly the first half of the season and held them together. They finished well. I think 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 they will."
Gase went 30-34 in three years in Miami before Johnson immediately signed Peyton Manning's former OC in 2019. The Jets started out 1-7 last year, including a loss to the previously winless Miami Dolphins, before finishing the season on a 6-2 run once the schedule eased up -- including a Week 17 win in which the Buffalo Bills had nothing to play for ahead of the postseason.
Gang Green's 2020 campaign got off to a rocky start with a 27-17 loss to the Bills in Buffalo, a game which wasn't as close as the score might indicate.
Johnson noted that Sunday's loss was a "mess" but believes his team can turn it around behind Gase.
"That was not what I was hoping for. It was a bad game on all fronts," Johnson said. "I feel you'll see a different team moving forward. But no question it was a mess on Sunday. I was not happy about that."
With Le'Veon Bell already on IR and first-round pick Mekhi Becton (the only bright spot on an otherwise dreary offensive line performance) dealing with a knee injury, the prospects of Johnson's team turning it around swiftly will be met with raised eyebrows.
After Johnson decided to hire Gase, then keep him following Year 1, it's no surprise the owner is backing his coach after one game. If losses pile up and fans become more restless, we'll see if Johnson's tune changes.
