Todd Bowles is firmly on the hot seat right now, but safety Jamal Adams is trying to defend the Jets head coach.
The New York Jets started this season in somewhat promising fashion with a 3-3 record. But they’ve lost six in a row since, with four of those losses coming by at least 14 points, and the status of head coach Todd Bowles is definitely in doubt.
The worst of those six losses came back in Week 10, 41-10, when the Buffalo Bills had to turn to Matt Barkley under center. After that game, Jamal Adams was adamant that Bowles is not the problem, as he had been the week before, and heading into the rematch with the Bills on Sunday the Jets safety is continuing to defend the head coach.
During his regular appearance on WFAN Tuesday, Adams acknowledged changes are needed but again refused to lay the blame completely on Bowles.
There are other problems in that building. I feel for him. I really do. It’s not his problems that are going on right now. Hopefully, it’s going to change next year. We’ve got to change it. It needs to be changed, because to me, we’re running out of time.
The Jets went 10-6 in Bowles’ first season, but they are 13-31 in the two-plus seasons since. Back to-back 5-11 campaigns followed in 2016 and 2017, and 2018 is quickly headed toward three in a row with that record. Even though the problems go beyond him, there’s no way Bowles survives that.
The Jets are 20th or worse in the league in total (23rd), scoring (22nd) and run defense (26th), with 16 takeaways (tied for 15th in the league). Adams has been a bright spot, though, with 88 total tackles, three forced fumbles, 2.5 sacks and one interception while being graded as the fifth-best safety in the league by Pro Football Focus.
Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan hasn’t created a roster flush with talent, which in turn hasn’t helped Bowles pile up wins. Adams stands as a good draft pick (sixth overall in 2017), but there have been some bad misses as well.
Adams said he plans to talk with the Jets brass this offseason about what he perceives as the problems in the organization. Some changes have to be coming, and Maccagnan should be feeling heat too.
Adams can say all he wants, now or later, about more wide-ranging problems regarding culture or a losing mentality. But nothing, shy of winning the final four games of the season, will prevent the Jets from launching their offseason changes by firing Bowles.