JETS HEAD COACH ADAM GASE

Postgame Press Conference
Sunday, January 3, 2021

Opening Statement…

Just an update on the injuries. (Denzel) Mims went out with a concussion. (Mekhi) Becton went out with an ankle. Jeff Smith went out with a shoulder. That's the injuries.

Rich Cimini, ESPN: Do you have any indication of the nature and severity of Becton's ankle injury?

They said high ankle. That's all they told me.

Connor Hughes, The Athletic: Now that the season is over, how would you sum up this one as a whole?

I mean, we just finished this last game. It's a little quick for me to go through it now. It just wasn't good enough, obviously.

Rich Cimini, ESPN: Sam (Darnold) was playing a solid game up until those two picks in the second half. Can you just talk about the first one in particular and what kind of momentum change it created?

I couldn't tell if the ball just got away from him and if he just threw it kind of high. It was going to be a tight window. They went into a zone coverage, kind of was thinking that he was going to get to a check down, but we really didn't get out on that one. We were kind of hanging back. There was a two-man rote. I couldn't tell if he just missed the throw or something else happened.

Mark Cannizzaro, New York Post: What are your expectations in terms of your future? Do you have anything set up with Christopher (Johnson) for tomorrow or tonight?

I'm sure we'll talk tonight and tomorrow.

(follow-up) Mark Cannizzaro, New York Post: Given the results, what are your expectations at this point?

I don't know. I'm not going to predict anything.

Connor Hughes, The Athletic: Is there anything you believe you could have done differently over the last two years that maybe would have led to more success on the field?

That's hard to think about right now. We're just coming off the field from this last game.

(follow-up) Connor Hughes, The Athletic: Where are you emotionally after this one?

I wanted to win this game. I've come up here enough times to have this result. I felt like we had good plans coming in. We had a decent stretch there where we did some good things. We didn't finish it the right way.

Otis Livingston, WCBS: Is today's result kind of a microcosm of your career as the Jets head coach thus far?

I don't know. That's for you guys to determine.

Rich Cimini, ESPN: What kind of message did you leave the team with after the game?

We talked about our checkout procedure and told the guys they did a good job sticking together this year. Keep getting better in the future.

Otis Livingston, WCBS: How important was it for your team to finish strong down the stretch?

When you win three in a row, that's a good feeling. It's never easy to do. I was really hoping we would be able to finish the season out with three in a row. That's what you remember. We just weren't able to do that.

Rich Cimini, ESPN: Sam seemed like he steadied himself the last couple of weeks, and then he has today. How disappointing, overall, was his season?

It definitely wasn't what he or I thought. I know he had some adversity to overcome. I'm sure we'll look back at it, there will be things we wish we would have done differently. But this is where we're at right now. It wasn't good enough.

Otis Livingston, WCBS: Why do you feel the game got out of hand in the second half?

Once they hit that double pass and we turned it over, it just slid away from us.

Brian Costello, New York Post: Do you believe you should be brought back for next year?

Christopher and I will have a discussion.

QUARTERBACK SAM DARNOLD

Postgame Press Conference
Sunday, January 3, 2021

Shara Taylor, New York Beacon: Sam, can you talk about the last interception in the game and what happened?

Yeah, I mean, they were bracketing, and one of their guys fell off of (Jamison) Crowder and made a good play. Again, it was just trying to do too much, and forcing it in there, and the guy made a good play.

Connor Hughes, The Athletic: Sam, did you and Adam (Gase) talk at all after the game or have you talked at all after the game, and if so, what did you guys say to each other?

I mean, we just kind of talked about the play. Not really. I know we're going to talk probably later tonight and tomorrow as well.

Brian Costello, New York Post: (Mark Cannizzaro) asked about your thoughts on Adam's future. Obviously, there's a decision the organization has to make.

Yeah, that's not my decision. I love Adam, love him as a coach. But it's not my decision.

Mark Cannizzaro, New York Post: Just as a follow-up, I mean, I'm not sure everybody in that locker room has similar feelings or not, but do you feel like you've let him down to some degree? Again, a lot of things are out of your control.

Yeah, I mean, I definitely didn't play well this year. I think there were really only the two games that we won. I think I can definitely play better in the future. Yeah, I don't think I've played well enough this year, I wasn't consistent enough and that's really it.

Mark Cannizzaro, New York Post: Just as a follow-up, if Adam is let go, how would you feel about that? What would be your emotion at this point? Because obviously this looks like it's kind of heading in that direction.

Yeah, I mean, I'm not going to deal with hypotheticals right now.

Otis Livingston, WCBS: Sam, you just went on record to say that you didn't play well enough this year and that you weren't consistent enough. Why do you feel like in your third season, when most experts say that that's when a quarterback makes his biggest leap in the NFL, why do you feel like it didn't happen?

I don't know, I think we'll assess. Again, I didn't play consistent enough. Just right off the bat, I think I made too many impulse decisions. I think I'm going to go back and look at the tape and figure it out, but that's just kind of my thoughts right off the jump.

Connor Hughes, The Athletic: Do you believe you played your final game as a Jet quarterback?

I'm not sure.

Brian Costello, New York Post: Sam, would you seek any answer from Joe Douglas about what they think about your future?

Yeah, I mean, I'm sure I'm going to be having conversations with them tomorrow, if not at some point in the near future.

Otis Livingston, WCBS: Sam, if this was your final game as a Jet, how would you sum it up? How would you sum up your tenure as a franchise quarterback?

I'm not going to do that right now. I think I'm going to live in the moment and just, you know, talk to some of my teammates and coaches after the tough loss and go about it that way. But I think whether I stay, whether I leave, whatever happens, I'll deal with it when it comes.

Connor Hughes, The Athletic: Would you, kind of piggybacking off of what Brian (Costello) said a little bit ago, though, Sam, would you want to know sooner rather than later what your future with this team is, if they plan on keeping you as the quarterback next year?

I'll talk to Joe and those guys about it when I get a chance to talk to them.

Rich Cimini, ESPN: Sam, does it seem kind of crazy? You're only in your third year and here we are talking about possibly moving on to another team. When you process that in your mind, I mean, what does that sound like to you?

I think for me, right now, I'm living in the moment and I'm not going to deal with what if this happens, what if that happens? It was a bad loss against the Patriots and I'm going to soak it in, watch the tape, and get better that way. But I'm not going to worry about any of that until it's front and center, and that's what I need to worry about.

Otis Livingston, WCBS: Sam, in living in the moment, as you said, speaking of today's game in particular, why did you guys have so much success in the first half and not as much in the second half? Why was that, that you guys took a step backwards?

I mean, I think the turnover definitely derailed us a little bit, the first one, and obviously the second hurt us really bad. So, I've just got to take better care of the football.

Brian Costello, New York Post: Sam, this might be tough 30 minutes off the field, but could you just kind of sum up your emotions, your feelings about this whole season?

Again, I said in the beginning, I didn't play well enough this year. I'm going to watch the tape and try to get better that way. But, that's just kind of my assessment right off the bat.

Brian Costello, New York Post: What about from a team perspective, just going through this 2-14 year and all the challenges of COVID and just kind of what kind of season it was?

Yeah, it was a crazy year, I think everyone can agree, whether you're 2-14 or whether you're 15-1, I think everyone can agree it was crazy. So, I don't know. We had opportunities to play football and win games and we didn't do that enough.

Connor Hughes, The Athletic: Sam, do you believe that the Jets failed in setting you up into a position to have success?

No, I don't think I played well enough, like I said in the beginning. So, that's really all I can worry about.

ADDITIONAL JETS PLAYERS

Jamison Crowder, WR

(On how much motivation being on a 2-14 team gives him in the offseason)

"It gives me a lot of motivation. I am always highly motivated to work and to try and get better. Whether we were 2-14 or 14-2, I am always going to try to work and put myself in the best position. I am going to take a little break now for a few weeks and then get back to working out and everything."

(On what it is going to take for the Jets to be competitive next year)

"I really do not know. In all honestly, that is not really my job. My job is just to make sure that I am being as consistent and being as available as possible. I will leave that up to all the decision makers and all those people in those positions. I really do not know honestly though."

(On the message head coach Adam Gase gave the team after the game)

"Just keep working, keep fighting. Like he said, it has been a tough season but we came to work each and every day and tried to come out with victories on Sundays. He said to just keep working, keep fighting basically."

(On if he believes that Sam Darnold is a franchise quarterback)

"Yeah I like Sam, Sam is really good. Like I said, all those decisions are for the decision makers. I think that Sam and I have had a really good connection these last two years. Sam is a baller, he is young and still growing. He is definitely a baller and can be that quarterback for an NFL organization for sure."

Neville Hewitt, LB

(On what the Patriots did in the second half that resulted in success)

"They definitely ran a few gadget plays, the reverse pass to Cam Newton that resulted in a touchdown and then our missed assignment on one of the passes that Cam threw for a touchdown to the tight end [Devin Asiasi]. The game got away from us in the second half, we needed a few stops and we just didn't get them. The Patriots ended up converting and that is when we got behind. This is a hard place to win and everyone has known that for years."

(On why he was out of the game for a few plays)

"I took on either the guard or center with my shoulder and I had a little stinger. I knew I didn't have enough time to recover from the pain that I was feeling, so I made sure I got out of the game to get evaluated and checked out by the trainers and I was good to go so I came back in."

(On the emotion he feels in ending the season as 2-14)

"It is not what I imagined would happen this year, but you look at everything that played a role and had an effect on us and there were a lot of different things and moving parts to this team. There are a lot of guys that we asked to step up that didn't have a preseason and never played in this league before and it definitely takes time for guys to groom and grow. As guys got more comfortable in this league, they got better each week and we got better as a defense and a team and were able to win the two games that we did."

(On the expectation that head coach Adam Gase will remain head coach moving forward)

"I know this is a business and a production that is based off of winning, but I appreciate coach Gase and everything he has done for me in my career. I played for him when I played in the playoff game when I was in Miami, I got hurt there and a lot of guys there said my career was over, but coach Gase came here and gave me an opportunity to play. I will forever appreciate him and all the coaches on this staff who believed in me and allowed me the opportunity to play."

(On if wants to continue playing with the Jets next season)

"Yeah, you know, I had a pretty good season and if they decide to bring me back, I would love to come back. We will see how free agency plays out."

Marcus Maye, S

(On the Jets success in the first half and what changed in the second half)

"They did a great job with switching things up in the second half. Attacked us in some areas that we did not expect them to attack us. They did a great job adjusting at halftime. We have just got to find a way to get off the field in certain situations."

(On losing this game when the Jets had an opportunity to end the season on a three-game winning streak)

"It was definitely frustrating, nobody wants to lose. We have been playing pretty well the past two weeks, so we were excited coming in here. We fought hard, the results just did not come the way we wanted to. It was the last game of the season so you want to go out as a winner, but you have to look at the bright spots of today."

(On whether he is proud of the way the defense performed this year despite losing several players)

"These guys have been showing up all year. Each week they come ready to play, ready to work, trying to get better. I commend these guys, hats off to them all year. We have been put in tough situations all year but we have found a way to fight and overcome. Like I said, I commend these guys for sticking with it, sticking with each other. I give my hat off to them."