New York Jets coach Adam Gase, who was involved in an injury dispute with Le’Veon Bell at training camp, blatantly guessed on Sunday for leaving the running back in the game after s’ being injured in the hamstrings.
“I’m mad at myself for letting him come back in there in the second half,” Gase said after the 27-17 loss to the Buffalo Bills.
Bell was injured late in the second quarter when he awkwardly fell on an incomplete pass in which he shot a retention penalty on linebacker Alex Klein. He returned in the second half with his hamstrings wrapped up. There were five pieces left before it became apparent he didn’t have a burst.
He was replaced by Frank Gore and did not return. The Jets declined to comment on the severity of the injury and Bell was not made available.
“It looked poorly played,” Gase of the second quarter game in which Bell appeared to stop. “I look and thought it was going to be a touchdown and then he got caught. And the kind of how he pitched and squeezed, it looked really bad.
“I saw him grab his hamstring and he didn’t want to come out. We came in at halftime. I let him in there. I was worried about that, and we finally got together. said, “I can’t put you in there. We can’t risk being hurt more than you already are.”
At camp, Gase and Bell had poor communication over an alleged hamstring injury, which adds another layer to that.
Bell was pulled from the fray due to hamstring strain, Gase told reporters in August. Minutes later, Bell disputed that, tweeting that there was no injury and that he wanted to continue. Gase, admitting he was “caught off guard” by the Twitter rant, requested a long session with Bell and they cleared the air.
Bell subsequently attributed this to miscommunication, suggesting that he and Gase should speak directly to each other on the sidelines instead of involving coaches.
Until Sunday’s injury, Bell had received almost all of the running back workload. He ran six times for 14 yards and caught two passes for 32 yards.
If he can’t play next Sunday, the Jets will rely heavily on Gore, 37, who will face the San Francisco 49ers, his team for the first 10 years of his career. The only other healthy back on the list is Josh Adams, who scored a late touchdown. Rookie La’Mical Perine is recovering from a sprained ankle.
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