The New York Jets struggled mightily in the 2nd and final year with HC Adam Gase. What were the reasons behind this difficult season for Gang Green?
2020 record: 2-14
- Division record: 0-6
- Record against teams with winning records: 2-7
If you ever wondered how accurate the phrase “any given Sunday” is, just take a look at how the Jets finished their season. They started off 0-13 and had games against the Rams and Browns (Both 10+ win teams who made the Divisional Round) to follow. Blow out losses, very close losses, meltdowns, the first 13 weeks had it all for the Jets leading into these two games.
And of course the J-E-T-S came to play and pulled off massive upsets against those playoff bound teams. The 2020 season still finished with a bad taste for Jet fans as they finished 2-14 and did not get the #1 overall pick. However, it was cool to see the players still battling their tails off and in turn beating opponents in different weight classes.
Team Ranks:
| Total Offense | 32nd (4479 yards) |
| Passing Offense | 31st (2796 yards) |
| Rushing Offense | 23rd (1683 yards) |
| Total Defense | 24th (6201 yards allowed) |
| Passing Defense | 28th (4409 yards allowed) |
| Rushing Defense | 12th (1792 yards allowed) |
| PPG | 32nd (15.2) |
| PPG Allowed | 26th (28.6) |
| Offensive Line Ranks | |
| PFF | 29th |
| Football Outsiders (Adjusted run yards) | 16th (4.35) |
| Football Outsiders (Adjusted sack rate) | 29th (8.1%) |
| 2020 Offense Play Selection |
| Pass – 57.2% |
| Rush – 42.8% |
| PFF Top 5 Graded Players in 2020 |
| 1. Corey Davis WR (85.3) * (with TEN) |
| 2. Marcus Maye S (82.9) |
| 3. Quinnen Williams DT (81.4) |
| 4. Folorunso Fatukasi DT (80.1) |
| 5. Morgan Moses RT (79.9) * (with WAS) |
Leading Passer: Sam Darnold
- 59.6 completion percentage
- 2,208 passing yards
- 11 total touchdowns
- 11 INT’s
Leading Rusher: Frank Gore
- 653 rushing yards
- 2 touchdowns
- 3.5 YPC
Leading Receiver: Jamison Crowder
- 59 receptions
- 699 yards
- 6 touchdowns
Defensive MVP: Quinnen Williams
- 7.0 sacks
- 55 tackles
- 2 forced fumbles
How long did they hang in the playoff race until?
Week 5. Some may poke fun and argue it was over after the first half of the Bills game in Week 1. But, it is tough to eliminate a team until they have dug themselves into a big enough hole. No team has ever started 0-5 and made the playoffs, and the Jets continued that trend after falling to the Cardinals in Week 5.
Story of the season: Offensive woes
People forget, but Sam Darnold and Adam Gase had a somewhat successful connection in 2019. Darnold finished with a 19:13 TD to INT ratio and a 7-6 record as a starter in 2019. 2020 was a different beast for these two leaders of the Jets offense. Darnold had a 9:11 TD to INT ratio with a 2-10 record and regressions in nearly every passing statistical category.
The QB/Coach duo will take the majority of the blame similar to most situations in the NFL. But, another major problem with this offense was the lack of playmakers. Jamison Crowder had a couple of highlight reel worthy plays.
Outside of him, the Jets had no receivers who recorded more than 40 catches or 400 yards for that matter.
What did you think of the Jets’ performance in 2020? Let me know on Twitter @James_Costanz.
