The NFL has opened its 2020 season with a new look. Miraculously, they seemed to have embraced or are trying to embrace the fight against racial injustice. On the field, there have been many significant changes.
Quarterback Tom Brady, who won six Super Bowls with the New England Patriots, is now with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Cam Newton, who was the league MVP in 2015 quarterbacking the Carolina Panthers, has replaced Brady as the Patriots’ starter.
The Washington Football Team has finally ceased using a Native American face as its logo and dropped their previous name. Of course all 32 teams are playing under the new COVID guidelines with no fans in attendance.
The one constant is the state of affairs for the New York Jets. They began their 2020 season this past Sunday, Sept. 13, in Buffalo against the Bills with a 27-17 loss. The Jets’ game in a nutshell can be described as awful, ugly and unimpressive. Also add unprepared. Put the latter adjective on the Jets’ head coach Adam Gase.
“We have to get better,” said Gase stating the obvious after the defeat. “We have to improve. We have to make sure that we do a better job next week because we are playing another team that’s really good on offense, and they are really good on defense, and really good on special teams. So we cannot play like we did this last game.”
The team to which Gase was referring is the San Francisco 49ers, the reigning NFC champions, who will oppose the Jets in their home opener at MetLife Stadium on Sunday. The Niners are also 0-1, experiencing a narrow 24-20 loss to the Arizona Cardinals.
Part of the Jets’ troubles against the Bills was time of possession. Buffalo controlled the ball for 41:16 minutes to the Jets’ 18:44. They did have some positives in the face of a disappointing afternoon. Receiver Jamison Crowder had 7 receptions for 115 yards, including a 69-yard catch and run touchdown in the third quarter. And there were some positive moments from running back Frank Gore (6 carries, 24 yards), who is expected to start at running back on Sunday against the Niners, replacing Le’Veon Bell who injured his hamstring.
At 37, Gore is older than some coaches whom he was with as a player with the Bills last season, when he rushed for 599 yards on 166 carries. He was signed by the Jets during this past off-season. Jets quarterback Sam Darnold, who is somewhat familiar with quarantining after being isolated from his teammates for several weeks last season battling mononucleosis, had a modest day going 21-of-35 for 215 yards. He threw for one touchdown and was intercepted once.