Jamal Adams was named the Pro Bowl’s “Defensive MVP” yesterday after his one interception and sack performance. Adams was electric all week among fellow players and fans, this was the perfect cap off to his stellar season.

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Well what a freaking ride these last ten days were – my god. The Jets kicked off their interview process with Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy early last week. They continued along the way by interviewing the likes of Kris Richard, Mike McCarthy, Todd Monken, Adam Gase, Kliff Kingsbury and Matt Rhule – they really left no stone un-turned. As the days went by it became clear who this job was coming down to and that was Matt Rhule (Baylor HC), Adam Gase, Todd Monken and Mike McCarthy – at the end of the day Adam Gase was the one to get the final nod.

All day yesterday everyone was riding the Matt Rhule bus, frankly so was I – in my opinion I thought he was going to be the hire. The Mike McCarthy buzz started to fade, it was odd they weren’t naming him the coach – they had no reason to wait for anything. Late Tuesday night, Adam Schefter puts out a tweet that McCarthy will coach for the Jets or sit out in 2019. To me that was Mike McCarthy’s last ditch effort to put a little pressure on the Jets to offer him the gig, kudos to them for not biting if they weren’t completely sold on him being their next coach. Then there was the build up for Matt Rhule, was he in NY? was he not? plenty of media outlets were left in the dark but claiming he was indeed going to be the hire – needless to say, he wasn’t. The Jets and Matt Rhule were discussing the staff he was going to assemble if he was given the job with the Jets, suggesting some names for him for his staff. Rhule was not interested in taking suggestions from the Jets about guys he should consider for certain roles, he wanted to bring in his own people and hire them himself – which is fine, there is nothing wrong with that. The only thing with that is he is a college coach who doesn’t have considerable connections in the NFL game, so if the Jets were concerned with him bringing in his own people then that right there is a red flag and another good “no hire”.

Finally, this brings us to the guy who did indeed get the job and that is former Miami Dolphins head coach, Adam Gase. I’ll be honest with you I was not a huge fan of this hire when the news broke last night, I was a fan of Mike McCarthy and was excited about what he could do considering his past and I was warming up to the idea of Matt Rhule. No part of me was ready for an Adam Gase hire, so my initial reactions were not that “glowing” to say the least. But as the night went on and I relaxed myself, did a little more reading and researching I have come to terms with the hire much better then originally. Gase has an edge to him which I really think this team/organization needs, who cares if he isn’t warm and fuzzy to the media or players – the Jets need a guy who is going to be all about football and trying to win games. I trust what he can do with Sam Darnold helping him grow into the quarterback we are all so desperately waiting for, I think he and the offense he will create – can do wonders for this football team. He also has NFL head coaching experience within the same division so he knows the Jets division rivals inside and out, that’ll be important as he won’t need to learn his divisional foes on the job. And lastly, he is a no nonsense kind of guy – to me he sounds like a guy who is going to expect his football players to play smart and invest everything they have into the game. I mean if your a professional that’s what you should be doing, if he can hold his players and coaches accountable it’ll be a refreshing sight as a fan and a wake up call to the players – and boy do they need it!

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According to the multiple media outlets the New York Jets have signed wide receiver Quincy Enunwa to a contract extension worth 4 years $36M with $20M in guarantees. This is exactly how this offseason needed to start for the Jets – bringing Enunwa back is essential for this offense, especially Sam Darnold who Enunwa already has chemistry with. The Jets will be very active this offseason on the free agency market, trying to fill certain holes throughout the roster – starting with extending Quincy Enunwa is the exact move they needed to make.

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The final “Thursday Injury Report” is upon us as the Jets look to close out the 2018 season against the Patriots this Sunday in Foxborough. Some injury news at practice today, according to Ethan Greenberg of the New York Jets, states that Trumaine Johnson, Mike Pennel and Jason Myers were all full participants after being held out yesterday. As for CB Morris Claiborne who is dealing with a shoulder and wrist issue and WR Jermaine Kearse an achilles situation – I don’t anticipate either of these guys playing this week. This could potentially open the door to cornerbacks Derrick Jones and Parry Nickerson to get some game action before we head into the offseason.

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According to the New York Jets WR Quincy Enunwa and LB Kevin Pierre-Louis both did not practice today making this their second straight missed practice this week. DB Daryl Roberts and OLB Jordan Jenkins both were limited in today’s practice for the second straight day as well. In Todd Bowles press conference after practice he indicated that Quincy Enunwa will be ruled OUT against the Packers this weekend at MetLife Stadium. At this point I find it hard to believe Quincy plays another down this season, at this point it is best they shut him down – not risking him for further injury. You’d have to think his injury history these past two seasons will be a point of conversation when Enunwa and the Jets try to agree on a new contract. It wouldn’t surprise me if the Jets fill Enunwa’s new deal with plenty of incentives based on how many games he plays and the success he has on the field. I fully anticipate both Jordan Jenkins and Daryl Roberts to play in this game on Sunday, the only injury we are dealing with for this upcoming game is that of Quincy Enunwa.

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Well that was refreshing, even though we lost this game Sam Darnold played his absolute best game as a pro on Saturday verse the Houston Texans. He looked great, making plays with his feet, showing great presence in the pocket, delivering great throws while working through his reads – it was so impressive watching him. For the first time this year it looked as if the game has slowed down for him a little bit, he was breaking the huddle early, he looked poised pre snap and made athletic plays all night. At times during this game my mouth would drop when he delivered balls through tight windows rolling to his left, his right or climbing the pocket. I did feel as if he was on the field all by himself as it was pretty obvious this Jets team needs much more talent around him to help really take this thing to the next level. Just imagine what this kid could do with an improved offensive line, more play-makers on the outside and a running game that can legitimately keep a defense honest. It seems as if the few weeks Sam Darnold was out with his sprained foot did him a world of good, allowing him to see what it takes to be a starting quarterback in this league from another perspective. If he can close out these final two games with solid performances like this past Saturday the Jets will have to feel confident heading into this offseason with one thing on their minds – surrounding Sam Darnold with a competent coaching staff and upgraded talent around him. 

Week 15 Observations:

• The offense played arguably their best game this weekend thanks in large part to Sam Darnold and his legs and right arm. As I mentioned earlier the kid was electric, reading the field and making plays with his legs and arm – sometimes both on one play. Robby Anderson had one of his better games as it seems Darnold and him are creating that chemistry they seemed to have lacked when this season first started, Anderson will be back next year to continue this chemistry along with some new additions the Jets will be expected to add. Chris Herndon will be the Jets starting tight end for the foreseeable future as long as he continues to make the plays he’s been making, the guy continues to take steps forward as this season progresses. What really blows my mind is how Sam Darnold was spreading the ball around to all of his receivers, he wasn’t falling in love with one guy as we saw at times during this year with Quincy Enunwa. This team has a bright future with Sam Darnold at the helm, as long as they hire a competent coach once they let Todd Bowles go and bring in some surrounding talent we’re in for a fun ride. 
• The defense played a good game, they made some big stops, got after the quarterback a little bit but didn’t come up with the big stop when the game was on the line. That seems to be a common theme when it comes to this defensive unit this year, much different then the Texans defense who once the game was in their hands they shut the Jets down to end the night. That is what this Jets defense is needing they must obtain multiple players who can collapse the pocket and put their foot on the throat of an opposing team when its time to close a game out deep in the fourth quarter. Once the Texans had the lead and the Jets came on the field with about 2 minutes remaining that defense took over, they rushed only four and dropped the rest into coverage and got to Darnold multiple times. THAT is what this Jets defense needs to do moving forward if they want to start making some noise. 

We have two more weeks of this season Jets fans, there are big changes coming for this team. We will see a new coaching staff for the 2019 season with a much different looking roster, this was a rough year as we all expected a little bit more. But brighter days are upon us, I can feel it- 2019 is going to be a fun one something we’ve all deserved for a long time. 

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