When the NFL trade deadline was approaching on October 29, rumors began swirling that the New York Jets were interested in shopping Pro Bowl safety Jamal Adams.
This didn't sit well with him; he felt disrespected.
Since then, Jamal Adams has accounted for six sacks – five over the last two games – one touchdown, 17 tackles, five tackles for loss, seven quarterback hits, and two forced fumbles.
Yeesh, that is one impressive three-game stat line.
This Sunday, the Oakland Raiders will enter his dojo and every member of the Silver and Black this week knows they need to account for Adams' whereabouts.
"Huge stress," Derek Carr said Wednesday when asked about Adam's presence. "If you don't account for that guy he can ruin a football game because as we saw in the [New York] Giants film, just taking the ball away from quarterbacks and things like that. It's happened to all of us Daniel [Jones], don't worry about it. Those things happen, but you see him make these plays and it changes the outcomes of games. And you have to account for him, you have to be alert for him. But you also have to trust your rules because they are a smart staff. They've been around the block. They know how to use him and to make you think one thing and do another. I mean throw the left hook when you are ready for the right kind of a thing, so you just prepare with your rules and you prepare with what coach's game plan is and put that in place. But, absolutely he's one of those guys you have to know where he is at."
Every snap, Carr has to check the coverage and identify which players are blitzing from where, and typically those players aren't Jamal Adams. The former LSU Tiger has quickly established himself over three years as not only one of the best safeties in the league, but one of the best overall players.
"I have nothing but respect for him," Carr added. "He's not just one of the best safeties, he's one of the best football players in the NFL. Definitely one of the most physical. It's fun to watch him play."
Adams' pass rush is part of what makes him such a successful player in this league. While most safeties stay back in coverage, Adams isn't afraid to fly around in the trenches and bulldoze his way to the quarterback. His six sacks are tied for the 26th most in the league and they've all come within the last three weeks. It's clear that the Jets' decision to try and shop him set something off and he's hell bent on making a statement over the last half of the year.
Wednesday morning, Jets' head coach Adam Gase shared why the team's pass rush has taken a step forward the last few weeks.
"I mean, Jamal's [Adams] obviously been a big part of that," he told the media. "He's done a good job of being where he's supposed to be. He's making the plays when it's his turn to do it. When he's pressuring you don't see him miss opportunities. When he gets back there, he finishes the play.
In 2018, the Jets had Adams blitz 69 times over 16 games, and 11 games through the 2019 season he's blitzed 55 times. With less opportunity, Adams has two more pressures than a year ago (12). Jets defensive coordinator Gregg Williams has learned to utilize his newest asset after leaving the Cleveland Browns this offseason, and Raiders offensive coordinator Greg Olson can see Williams' imprint on the defense.
"I think it started in New Orleans, that was my first exposure to Gregg but certainly there is a lot of similarities in what he was doing then," Olson said Thursday. "But like every good coordinator, I think he's evolved over time, but certainly it's an imprint that he started when he was in New Orleans."
The Raiders are facing the top-ranked rushing defense in the league, and while getting Josh Jacobs going will be the priority, the offense always needs to keep its eyes on Adams.
