ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — For the first time since 2016, the New York Jets will go into an offseason knowing they will have the same offense and same playcaller for two consecutive seasons. In their world, that is known as continuity.
Jets coach Adam Gase will have an opportunity to build on what he started, although it’s certainly fair to wonder how much of a foundation was actually built in 2019.
While Gase did a commendable job of coaching the team to a 7-9 finish after a 1-7 start, he failed to improve the offense — the main reason he was hired last January. The Jets finished last in total yards, and if you think that’s just a “Jets” thing that happens to every coach … well, you might be surprised to learn it has occurred only twice for the franchise in the past 48 years.
Chris Berman and Tom Jackson recap the weekend’s games with extended highlights and analysis.
The show will stream live at 7:30 p.m. ET each Sunday during the 2019 season and will be available on demand each week until late Wednesday night. Watch on ESPN+
The Jets placed 30th out of 30 teams in 1995, Rich Kotite’s first year. He was their last offensive-minded head coach before Gase, which means they’re 0-for-their-past-2 in quick fixes on that side of the ball. The Jets’ other last-place finish was 1971, when quarterback Joe Namath started three games and the Jets landed 26th out of 26 teams in total yardage.
When Gase retreats to his bunker in the offseason, he needs to take a hard look at his offense. No one expected a top-10 unit in his first season, but they actually regressed from last season — fewer points, fewer touchdowns and fewer yards than in 2018, when the Jets had a rookie quarterback and an offensive coordinator (Jeremy Bates) who hadn’t called a play in eight years.
If Gase wants to succeed in this job, he will have to win people over with his brain — i.e., his offensive acumen. It won’t be with his quirky personality, which turns off the fan base.
He didn’t display his guru reputation this season, although let’s be fair: The injury situation on the offensive line (nine different starting combinations) forced him to adjust on the fly, changing run-blocking schemes based on the weekly personnel. That’s a tough deal.
But as Gase said after Sunday’s 13-6 ugly win against the Buffalo Bills: “No one cares if you get injured or not. You just have to figure out a way to win the game.”
Perhaps Gase’s best accomplishment was solidifying a strong relationship with quarterback Sam Darnold, who made modest improvement in Year 2. He called Gase a “great dude,” adding, “We’ve grown so much and I just love playing for Adam. I just know that he’s going to put us in a really good situation.”
The Jets beat the Bills in Week 17 to cap off the 2019 season with a 7-9 record. AP Photo/Adrian Kraus
The data doesn’t support that opinion. Neither does the eye test. The only players on offense who exceeded expectations were wide receiver
Football fans are in for a treat if the next decade comes anywhere close to producing the type of extraordinary matches we’ve witnessed over the last 10 years. With the decade coming to a close, theScore takes a look at the top 10 matches from the 2010s:
10. USA 4, Canada 3 (2012)
Stuart Franklin – FIFA / FIFA / Getty
The wild women’s semifinal at the 2012 Olympics may go down in history as one of the best matches ever played.
Canada and the United States put on a show for the crowd at Old Trafford, as the two sides battled for a place in the gold-medal game.
With Canada leading 3-2 with under 20 minutes remaining, a controversial series of events saw the Americans tie the match with a penalty. The Canadians were incensed, but it only got worse for them. U.S. star Alex Morgan’s dramatic extra-time goal in the 122nd minute helped the eventual gold medalists advance with a 4-3 victory that won’t soon be forgotten.
9. Tottenham 3, Ajax 2 (2019)
Mauricio Pochettino’s halftime speech during the second leg of this Champions League semifinal must’ve been epic; Tottenham went into the interval down 3-0 on aggregate against an inspired Ajax squad that was in the midst of a seemingly unstoppable Cinderella run.
After going down 2-0 in the opening 45 minutes in Amsterdam, Lucas Moura came to Tottenham’s rescue with a second-half hat-trick, securing the north London side’s passage to the Champions League final. As the Brazilian wheeled away in celebration, Ajax players crumbled to the pitch in disbelief.
8. LA Galaxy 4, LAFC 3 (2018)
Zlatan Ibrahimovic marked his arrival in Major League Soccer with a performance for the ages in 2018.
The Swedish forward, predictably, took center stage during the first-ever edition of El Trafico with a ludicrous goal from about 40 yards out to bring the LA Galaxy level with crosstown rivals LAFC. He wasn’t done there.
Ibrahimovic followed that up by winning the match with a header in stoppage time, capping an incredible comeback that saw the Galaxy overturn a 3-0 deficit in the second half.
7. Chelsea 2, Barcelona 2 (2012)
Darren Walsh / Chelsea FC / Getty
All signs were pointing to Chelsea’s Champions League journey ending at the hands of a Barcelona side overflowing with talent in 2012.
Despite winning the first leg 1-0, Chelsea’s hopes of reaching the final were beginning to fade when Barcelona jumped out to a 2-0 first-half lead at the Camp Nou.
Ultimately, Chelsea managed to hold off Barca’s potent attack before Fernando Torres scored the game-winner in a match that ended up being Pep Guardiola’s final Champions League game as manager of the Catalan giants.
6. Manchester City 4, Tottenham 3 (2019)
LINDSEY PARNABY / AFP / Getty
Admirers of attacking football got their fix when Manchester City hosted Tottenham in the quarterfinal of the Champions League last season.
The contest got off to a blistering start, as the two sides were level at two apiece after just 11 minutes of action. But after Sergio Aguero gave the hosts a 4-3 lead on aggregate, City looked as though they were on their way to the penultimate round of the tournament.
In the end, it wasn’t meant to be for Pep Guardiola’s men, as Fernando Llorente capped off the thriller with a tally that gave Spurs the edge on away goals. In a game that offered constant drama, VAR ruled out a last-gasp Raheem Sterling goal that would’ve won the tie for City. Fitting, really, that video review played a prominent role in a defining match of 2019.
5. Liverpool 4, Barcelona 0 (2019)
Quick-thinking. Precision. Big game player.@trentaa98 ???#UCLfinal pic.twitter.com/Mz0KAbuuY9
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) May 27, 2019
Liverpool’s miracle comeback at Anfield will go down as one of the greatest moments in Champions League history.
All signs were pointing to Jurgen Klopp’s men bowing out of last season’s competition after getting battered by Barcelona in the first leg of their semifinal clash at the Camp Nou. However, in a match that defied all logic, Liverpool overcame the odds to erase the 3-0 deficit before Divock Origi got on the end of Trent Alexander-Arnold’s clever corner, knocking out a shell-shocked Barca team.
Although Liverpool went on to hoist their sixth European trophy after beating Tottenham in the final, it was the mesmerizing night at Anfield we’ll remember most from their title-winning run.
4. Real Madrid 4, Atletico Madrid 1 (2014)
Reuters
Atletico Madrid were seconds away from winning their first Champions League title while simultaneously extending their bitter rivals’ wait for the 10th European crown they so desperately wanted.
And then disaster struck for Atleti in the 2014 final.
After Real Madrid’s efforts to find an equalizer were denied, Los Blancos finally broke through in the third minute of stoppage time courtesy of a Sergio Ramos header.
The goal seemed to light a fire under Carlo Ancelotti’s men, as they went on to dominate Atletico, scoring another three goals in extra time en route to winning La Decima. The 4-1 scoreline flattered their performance, but Ramos’ goal paved the way for the historic triumph.
3. Barcelona 6, PSG 1 (2017)
Reuters / Albert Gea Livepic
Nobody gave Barcelona a chance after the Catalan giants were drubbed 4-0 in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 tilt against Paris Saint Germain in 2017. How could they possibly come back?
Luis Suarez opened the scoring just three minutes into the second leg before an own goal and a Lionel Messi penalty restored hope at the Camp Nou. But after an Edinson Cavani goal, the task once again seemed impossible; Barca had less than 30 minutes to score three times.
That’s when Neymar – not Messi, for once – took over. The Brazilian scored a stunning free-kick in the 88th minute, jolting Barcelona back to life. He made it 5-5 on aggregate with a stoppage-time penalty, and then teed up Sergi Roberto for the 95th-minute winner, completing a comeback that will be talked about in the Catalan capital for generations to come.
2. Germany 7, Brazil 1 (2014)
Mike Egerton – PA Images / PA Images / Getty
Lifting football’s most coveted trophy on home soil was Brazil’s only objective during the 2014 World Cup. In the eyes of Selecao fans, it was their destiny.
But Germany had other plans in a surreal semifinal in Belo Horizonte, as Joachim Low’s side absolutely dismantled the five-time champion to produce one of the most shocking results in World Cup history. Seven goals. You couldn’t make it up.
As the German goals continued to flow, so did the tears from Brazilian fans, who were equal parts stunned, crushed, and angry. It ended up being the most emotional of nights in Brazil, just not quite the way the nation expected.
1. Manchester City 3, QPR 2 (2012)
Manchester City – Agüero vs QPR (2012) pic.twitter.com/atijBaF8By
— • (@Beardamendi) July 19, 2016
Hollywood’s finest couldn’t have scripted a more gut-wrenching and dramatic end to the 2011-12 Premier League campaign.
The stage was set for Manchester City to clinch their first top-flight crown since 1968 when they hosted a Queens Park Rangers side battling relegation on the final day of the season. However, Roberto Mancini’s men found themselves in danger of letting the Premier League title slip away to rivals Manchester United when QPR appeared to be on the verge of a massive upset.
But a relentless attack eventually wiped out fears of a collapse for the ages, as Sergio Aguero followed up Edin Dzeko’s equalizer with one of the most dramatic moments in football history – in the 94th-minute, he scored the game-winner to send the Etihad Stadium into a state of delirium.
Martin Tyler’s iconic commentary of the goal – “Aguerooooo” – still gives you goosebumps.
Rams left tackle Andrew Whitworth, who already has met his 75% playing-time threshold this season, will get an additional $500,000 if Los Angeles wins Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Cardinals and finishes the year with nine victories.
It would be a fitting way for the season to end for Whitworth, who has been beyond charitable with his time and resources.
Borussia Dortmund beat a handful of Europe’s top clubs to the punch on Sunday, announcing the signing of coveted teen phenom Erling Braut Haaland from Red Bull Salzburg.
Borussia Dortmund have completed the signing of Erling Braut Håland from @RedBullSalzburg on a contract until 2024! pic.twitter.com/C9ilU0u0dt
— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) December 29, 2019
“I had several intense conversations with the club’s management team, in particular with Hans-Joachim Watzke, Michael Zorc, and coach Lucien Favre,” Haaland said of the move. “Right from the very start, I knew I wanted to move here. I can’t wait to get started and play in front of over 80,000 fans in the incredible Dortmund atmosphere. I’m so excited.”
The 19-year-old striker was linked with Manchester United, Juventus, and RB Leipzig in recent weeks. The latter will be particularly disappointed in missing out on the rising Norwegian star, as Leipzig appeared to have a leg up on the competition thanks to sharing the same owner – Red Bull – as Salzburg.
The Red Devils, meanwhile, were reportedly unwilling to meet the demands of the player and his representatives. Haaland’s father, Alfie, and agent Mino Raiola wanted a share of the profits from any potential future sale, reports Mark Ogden of ESPN. United were also unwilling to insert a buyout clause in the teenager’s contract, Ogden adds.
It’s unclear if those clauses exist in his Dortmund deal, but Haaland ultimately agreed to a long-term contract with the German side. A transfer fee was not disclosed.
Reports earlier this month suggested Haaland had a release clause in his contract worth €25 million. Salzburg were reportedly keen to incite a bidding war that could extend into the summer transfer window and were thought to be holding out for an offer in excess of €60 million.
Whatever Dortmund did end up paying, they’re getting one of the game’s most sought-after talents. In 14 league matches this season, Haaland scored 16 goals, adding six assists. He was equally dominant in the Champions League, forcing the football world to take notice by smashing home eight goals in six group stage matches; only Robert Lewandowski scored more times in the opening round of this season’s tournament.
The towering forward will link up with his new teammates on Jan. 3 before departing for the club’s winter training camp in Spain.