The Jets did their due diligence in their search for a new leader and that included a conversation between Johnson and Peyton Manning. In Denver, Gase was Manning’s QB coach in 2012 and his offensive coordinator in 2013-14. Over the course of those three seasons, Manning averaged 4,954 passing yards and 43 TD passes. The Broncos went 38-10 in regular season action during that time frame, earning postseason trips each year, capturing two AFC crowns in addition to one Super Bowl title.
“It was a long conversation. He talked about how Adam really worked with Peyton when he was just off his injury and how he really made the whole offense work to what he could do at every step along the way,” Johnson said referencing Manning’s year off in 2011 following neck surgery. “It was a process. We had a great conversation and it’s great to get information from such a great source. But it just let us know what we already knew, it reinforced what we had already learned for ourselves about Adam and that was a good thing to do.”
Johnson ultimately made the decision with only wins on his mind and Gase knows that’s what people will remember him by.
“Really at the end of the day, it’s going to be what do we do through a 16-game season,” he said. “I know we’re all going to try to work for the same goal. Once the players get in here, we can start building off of that.”
But before the players arrive, Gase will hammer down on his staff.
“Now we’re going to move on to where it counts when we start building the team and when we start playing games,” he said. “That’s what you are evaluated off of and that’s what you are going to be judged off of.”
