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Jets S Jamal Adams reacts to the Jets’ embarrassing 41-10 loss to the Bills on Sunday, Nov. 11, 2018, at MetLife Stadium.
Andy Vasquez, Staff Writer, @andy_vasquez
Jets Head Coach, Todd Bowles is shown after the Jets’ loss to the Bills, Sunday, November 11, 2018. During the second half of the game some fans were screaming for him to be fired.(Photo: Kevin R. Wexler/NorthJersey.com)
The Jets aren’t firing coach Todd Bowles. At least not right now.
Much to the dismay of angry Jets fans everywhere, Bowles survived Sunday’s 41-10 loss to the Bills, one of the ugliest and most embarrassing defeats in recent team history.
With the Jets reaching the bye week at rock bottom, it seemed like a perfect time to make a clean break from Bowles. The Jets are 3-7, certain to miss the playoffs for the fourth straight season under Bowles and the eighth straight year overall. Bowles is a dead coach walking, so why wait until the end of the season to make a decision as the Jets will reportedly do?
Well, according to an NFL Network report, the Jets don’t want to make a “rash” move.
It could be argued that firing Bowles, who is in his fourth seasonhere, would hardly be a rash decision. He’s 23-35 overall with the Jets, and he’s lost 30 of his last 43 games since starting 10-5 as a rookie head coach.
Worse yet, Bowles has a miserable 7-14 record against the AFC East — a division that has been weak outside of the Patriots during his tenure.
Before the season, Jets CEO Christopher Johnson said Bowles would not be judged on a win-loss or playoff mandate, but on the progress of the team.
“I’m absolutely looking for the team to advance,” Johnson said in September. “But how to judge that, it will be obvious to [everyone] and it will be obvious to me.”
It’s obvious now, to everyone, that the Jets are headed in the wrong direction. So why did Johnson, who was visibly upset after Sunday’s loss to the Bills, decide to stick with Bowles?
Elijah McGuire runs with the ball past Harrison Phillips of the Bills. Sunday, November 11, 2018 (Photo: Kevin R. Wexler/NorthJersey.com)
There are some logistical issues that make a change less than ideal right now. As bad as the Jets are, they are not dysfunctional. Firing Bowles mid-season, with his players enthusiastically defending him, could turn the locker room toxic.
There is also no clear-cut successor to Bowles on the staff. Offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates can’t be named the coach, because his inability to get the offense going has been a huge reason for the team’s struggles this season, and few others on the staff have play-calling experience.
The Jets also must make every decision with 21-year-old rookie quarterback Sam Darnold in mind. If they fire Bowles now, they would have to do it with a clear-cut plan of how they’ll bring along Darnold in the final six games of the season.
But keeping Bowles also has its risks. Darnold has struggled mightily in his last three games. What if he continues to regress under Bowles and Bates when he returns from the foot injury that sidelined him Sunday? Could they be setting him back?
And while it’s nice that the players are supporting Bowles, sometimes the players don’t know what’s best for the team or even themselves.
Jets Head Coach, Todd Bowles is shown after the Jets’ loss to the Bills, Sunday, November 11, 2018. During the second half of the game some fans were screaming for him to be fired. (Photo: Kevin R. Wexler/NorthJersey.com)
If the Jets keep turning in embarrassing performances, such as Sunday’s, it could do damage to the players’ psyche and mindset. That can’t be good for Darnold or anyone else. And as long as Bowles is the coach, there are going to be constant questions to players about their coach’s job status.
If the Jets keep losing, it’s not going to be a fun environment for Bowles or anyone else as the season draws to a close. But this is the road Johnson has chosen.
Bowles will get the chance to save some face, even if it’s probably too late for him to save his job.
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ANALYSIS: Embarrassing loss to Bills proves the Jets are broken, and no one knows how to fix it
BOWLES: Jets stand by embattled coach, but is it too late to save his job?
MORE: 7 candidates to be the Jets’ next head coach if they fire Todd Bowles
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