Adam Gase blames himself for New York Jets' woeful offense, says 'that's on me'

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Embattled New York Jets coach Adam Gase blamed himself for his team having the NFL's worst offense two years in a row, but he's not worried about it being a blemish on his reputation.

"I don't know if 'worry' is the right word," Gase said Wednesday. "It pisses me off. If there's one side of the ball I want to make sure is right, it would be that one. It has not happened, and that's on me."

Gase was hired in large part because of his offensive acumen, but his offense is on the verge of finishing 32nd in total yards for the second year in a row. Before last season, the Jets had finished last in total offense only once in the previous 47 years.

Despite a two-game winning streak, the Jets (2-13) are expected to fire Gase after Sunday's season finale against the New England Patriots.

Gase disputed a report by New York radio station WFAN that said he already has been informed of his fate, claiming the report "was news to me. No one has said that to me."

Jets CEO Christopher Johnson called Gase a "brilliant offensive mind" this past September, but the Jets have struggled profoundly for most of the season, averaging only 15 points and 275 yards per game. They have yet to score more than 28 points in a game.

It's so bad that Gase doesn't even bother looking at their offensive rankings.

"There's no point in looking at it. I know where we're at," he said. "It's not good. We had so many games where we were so unproductive. I feel like things have been better in the last month or so. Before that, we were inept -- couldn't do anything.

"[What hurts] is those games where you have absolutely nothing -- no yards, no points, no third downs, red zone percentage is crap. You have more than two or three of those, it's just going to be bad."

The poor offensive numbers are not all Gase's fault; quarterback Sam Darnold has been inconsistent, the Jets have no playmakers at running back, they have started eight different offensive line combinations and the receiving corps has battled injuries.

In Gase's final season as the Miami Dolphins' coach (2018), they finished 31st in total offense -- which contributed to the surprising nature of the Jets' decision to hire him to replace Todd Bowles. Gase has spent the better part of two seasons answering questions about his job security.

"That started about Week 6 last year," he said.

"I learned probably when I was 22 years old, Nick Saban told me, 'Do your job until someone tells you different,'" added Gase, who served as an undergraduate assistant for Saban at Michigan State. "That's what I'm going to be focused on. My job is to get us ready to go this Sunday."

The Jets are down to two running backs, as rookie La'Mical Perine tested positive for COVID-19. Leading rusher Frank Gore has a bruised lung and has been ruled out, leaving Ty Johnson and Josh Adams.