Jets Post-Game Quotes & Videos
Head Coach Adam Gase
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.
Sam Darnold
Video: Here
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.
Jamison Crowder
Video: Here
Neville Hewitt
Video: Here
Marcus Maye
Video: Here