Next up for the 0-12 Jets? A date with the star safety who forced his way out of town last offseason after contract extension negotiations stalled.
Jamal Adams will be across the field Sunday in Seattle when the Jets face the Seahawks, their first meeting since Adams’ three-year career in New York ended on a sour note with a trade. The former sixth-overall pick of the Jets already has 7.5 sacks in eight games and could make a brutal season for his former team even tougher.
“Obviously, Jamal presents a challenge for everyone,” quarterback Sam Darnold said Monday on a conference call. “For our tight ends, our receivers, our line, myself, our running backs. He’s a really, really good player, physical player, super smart as well. So we got our hands full there. We’re excited to not just face him but face a really good Seattle defense.”
The Seahawks, who have the 31st-ranked defense in the league, are coming off a 17-12 loss to the Giants. Adams said after the game he wasn’t worried about facing the Jets and instead was focused on fixing the Seahawks’ issues.
“If there’s anything I know about Jamal, it’s [that] he’s going to treat every game the same,” defensive tackle Foley Fatukasi said. “Much respect to Jamal.”
Darnold said it was “tough to say” how much the Jets have missed Adams’ energy and presence this season.
“When he’s here, you feel his energy,” Darnold said. “When he’s not, you have other guys step up and other guys are able to lead. Obviously there’s some days where you miss the energy but we have a lot of good players here and guys that bring a lot of good energy to our locker room.”
The Jets suffered a crushing loss Sunday, but also may have lost three players for the season. Starting right guard Greg Van Roten (toe), starting safety Ashtyn Davis (foot) and cornerback Bennett Jackson (hamstring) all left the game with injuries and could miss the final four weeks.
“Right now all three of those guys, the time frame, I’m still trying to figure out, but we could be in a situation where all three of those guys may be out to the rest of the season,” coach Adam Gase said.
Linebacker Jordan Jenkins is dealing with a shoulder injury, but his status for this week remains up in the air.
Darnold on the Jets falling to 0-12: “You don’t ever envision yourself losing this many games in consecutive order. It’s tough, but we’re all dealing with it together.”
