New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold is really pumped to work with Adam Gase moving forward and expects big things.
When the New York Jets fired former coach Todd Bowles, they went looking for a coach that could unlock the potential of Sam Darnold. They feel they found that when they hired Adam Gase, and Darnold agrees.
Darnold spoke to Randy Lange of NYJets.com and expressed how excited he was about working with Gase. “I’m so excited. I couldn’t be more thrilled to work with Coach Gase.” While early excitement doesn’t guarantee results later, it’s a good sign that Darnold is on board with Gase.
Darnold thinks the offense can soar to new heights with Gase, and that they can win some games. He thinks that Gase’s schemes will result in a lot of points for the team next season and beyond.
“A lot of points. That’s the name of the game, man. If you can score more points than the opponent, you win the game,” Darnold said. “Obviously we’ve got great players on defense and we’re going to get a great coach so I’m excited to see where our defense is headed. But at the same time, we’re going to score a lot of points. That’s kind of the direction the game’s heading, and I’m really excited about putting up a lot of points and helping this team just win some games.”
Darnold references a defense that will continue to be built around Jamal Adams, the playmaking safety who will be entering his third year next season. A scheme change to 4-3 under expected defensive coordinator Gregg Williams could also help unlock Leonard Williams‘ full potential.
Scheme is one thing, but Gase will also need to get continued improvement out of Darnold. Development and scheme go hand-in-hand to an extent, but they are also different enough that a coach can be good at one and not the other.
However, Darnold feels that Gase will be effective in the development aspect of the game. He points to the monster seasons that Peyton Manning had under Gase as reasons for optimism.
“He’s done some great things with guys in the past, being able to call plays for Peyton and be in his helmet,” Darnold Said. “He gave me a little insight into what it would be like on the inside, being a part of this offense. And this is the cool thing about Adam, too — he makes our offense go off of what our guys can do well and what I can do well. So I’m really excited about the whole thing and I think his passion and energy will be great in terms of leading our team.”
Ultimately, Darnold is on board with Gase. Now it’s time to see if they can win some games together.
