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Would the New England Patriots turn to an ex-New-York-Jets head coach as the man to replace Josh McDaniels? According to NFL.com’s Mike Giardi, the Patriots have former Jets HC Adam Gase in a group with Bill O’Brien as candidates to fill the OC void.
In addition to Bill O’Brien, Adam Gase’s name keeps popping up when speaking to league sources about the #Patriots now vacant offensive coordinator position. In Foxboro, there’s hope for an internal promotion, although that likely wouldn’t come with the official OC title.
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Gase is just 43 years old, but his coaching career dates back more than 20 years to when he was a graduate assistant at LSU. Gase has worked on both sides of the ball in the NFL and in the college ranks.
The question is, would Gase be the right guy to replace Josh McDaniels and to pick up the next stage of Mac Jones’ development?
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How Did Adam Gase’s Teams Perform When He Was a HC?
Gase was a head coach for five years. All of those seasons were with Patriots AFC East rivals, the Miami Dolphins, and New York Jets. The Dolphins went 10-6 under Gase in 2016 finishing in second place behind the Patriots that season.
Unfortunately, they dipped to 6-10 and 7-9 in the 2017 and 2018 seasons, respectively, and Gase was fired. Gase quickly landed with the Jets for the 2019 season, and his run there was even worse.
Under Gase, the Jets finished 7-9 in 2019 before descending to 2-14 in 2020 which led to Gase being removed from the position of head coach. While Gase’s teams have failed to win consistently, there were other reported problems with his leadership style.
Bleacher Report’s Tyler Conway pointed out potential personality issues with Gase and O’Brien.
Conway wrote:
Throughout his tenures in Miami and New York, Gase gained a reputation for having a prickly personality without the success to back up his lack of interpersonal skills. He ran into issues with players during both of his stops while also clashing with management. Those same personality conflicts also follow O’Brien, who had a major falling out with wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and engaged in a power struggle with the front office in Houston. The Texans fired O’Brien four games into the 2020 season after he made a series of questionable personnel decisions after wresting control over roster decisions.
The presence of a strong figure like Belichick might negate any potential problems on that front, but it is still noteworthy to mention Gase’s previous problems working with others.
What’s Adam Gase’s Track Record as an OC?
What’s more relevant to Gase’s potential candidacy with the Patriots is his time as an offensive coordinator. He has been stellar in that role.
He served as the Denver Broncos offensive coordinator in 2013 when they reached Super Bowl XLVIII. Denver had the highest-scoring offense in the NFL that season as they finished 13-3 with Peyton Manning putting up video game numbers. Manning threw for 5,477 yards, 55 TDs and 10 interceptions.
The following season, the Broncos had the second-highest scoring offense with Gase in the same position. They finished 12-4 but got ousted in the Divisional Round by the Indianapolis Colts.
In 2015, Gase headed over to the Chicago Bears for a season. Chicago didn’t have the same kind of success with Gase running their offense. The Bears were the 23rd highest-scoring team in the NFL that season, but Gase’s work with the Broncos still provided him the opportunity to become a head coach.
He didn’t work as a coach in 2021, but it appears he is ready to get back on the sidelines or up in the booth for 2022.
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