Before Jamal Adams began his weekly media gathering Thursday at the Jets practice facility in Florham Park, N.J., he wished his mother a happy birthday. “I love you and miss you,” he said into the cameras before reporters were allowed to ask questions.
It was a good day all-around for the Adams Family. Along with a birthday, Jamal was celebrating winning his appeal of a $21,056 fine for a hit on Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield during the Monday night game in Week 2. Adams was penalized for roughing the passer when he knocked down Mayfield after a third-down pass in the first quarter.
The Jets eventually lost 23-3 and Adams took to Twitter to blast the NFL for the penalty and subsequent fine. He posted a video of the play in a Tweet that began: “This league is a damn joke! I just got fined $21 K for this hit…”
Adams bathed in his vindication.
“I knew I was going to win it because it was legal,” the Pro Bowl safety said. “I got that $22 back in my pocket. I’m happy it wasn’t taken out because now I can spend that lovely money on my mother for her birthday. I’m excited about that.”
As good as all that sounds, the week will be even sweeter if the Jets (0-4) can somehow find a way to beat the 3-2 Cowboys, a team the Adams family hasn’t much cared for, though Jamal grew up just north of Dallas. His father, George, was a running back on the Giants 1986 Super Bowl team, and though Jamal was born after his NFL career was finished, rooting for America’s Team wasn’t allowed.
“I was not a Cowboy fan,” Adams said. “My father played for the Giants so I was the biggest Giants fan. It was all about saying, ‘the Cowgirls.’ That’s what it was growing up.”
It wasn’t just the Cowboys. Adams didn’t like the University of Texas either, eventually playing his college ball at Louisiana State.
“When the Longhorns won the [national] championship it was a tough day of elementary school for me,” he said.
For all the grade-school trash talk, Adams has nothing but respect for the Cowboys these days, especially the crew that will come to MetLife Stadium on Sunday to try to snap a two-game losing streak. Despite setbacks to the Saints (12-10) and Packers (34-24), the Cowboys own the league’s top offense, averaging 452.8 yards per game thanks to the three-headed monster of quarterback Dak Prescott, running back Ezekiel Elliott and wide receiver Amari Cooper.
“It’s a hell of challenge,” said Adams, whose Jets defense is ranked 12th in the league, including a staunch seventh against the run. “They’ve got a lot of skilled players, a lot of stars that can play football in that organization. We’re looking forward to the matchup.”
Despite the 0-4 start, the return of starting quarterback Sam Darnold has rejuvenated the Jets. It’s like the Jets are making a third start to their season after all the talk of a reset following the bye week fell flat in a 31-6 loss in Philadelphia last Sunday. A team meeting Monday helped clear the air.
“We had that meeting with everybody in there, holding everybody accountable and telling everybody what we’re going to do from here on out,” Adams said.
“It was just to get on the same page. Everybody sees we’re 0-4. No one is going to feel sorry for us. We’re not going to feel sorry for ourselves. We just have to keep our head down and keep focused.”
Losing grinds on Adams and he is desperate to change the Jets narrative. He was asked if getting his fine rescinded was an omen of good things to come.
“Hopefully, I can be the guy that switches it around,” he said. “I’m just out there to play football. I’ve never been a dirty guy, but I am full throttle on the field. I’m never trying to take cheap shots at anybody. At the same time, I’m all about playing fast football and that’s never going to change for me.”