Jamal Adams' strip-six: The play that may have changed the 2019 Jets season

Barging through Saquon Barkley and ripping the ball out of Daniel Jones' hands with brute force, Jamal Adams scampered into the end zone for a touchdown - with all the vigor of a superstar.

AP

Adams' "strip-six" came less than a minute into the third quarter of the Jets' Week 10 game, which they led 14-13 at the time, and ultimately won 34-27. That effort by Adams to rob Jones and take it to the house turned out to be the difference in that game. It may now be proving to be the difference in this Jets season.

On the heels of three straight disastrous losses, the Jets were 1-7 and on life support. The fan base had begun rebelling against head coach Adam Gase, Sam Darnold was stuck in a spooky slump and the season was quickly careening downhill. 

Then Adams took it by the reins, playing his best game of the season against the Giants, en route to Defensive Player of the Week honors. 

While the Jets squeaked out victory against their Big Apple brethren, there has been no such thing either of the past two weeks. 

On the road in Washington and at home vs. Oakland, the Jets defense led by Adams has been dominant. Gregg Williams' unit allowed 17 points to the Redskins - 14 of which came in garbage time up by 30 - and just three to the Raiders. 

Offensively, Darnold has been sharp, flashing the talent that gave hope for the future in the final weeks of the 2018 season. Gase's game plan and playcalling have been creative and spot on, the Jets scoring 11 offensive touchdowns in these three straight wins, a far cry from the three total in the preceding three losses. 

When Adams ripped the ball away from Jones, the Jets ripped the bandage off an ugly wound. The reality is the scars of a treacherous start still remain. Those are the seven losses staring at them in the standings. But, at the least, some healing is now happening.

The next couple weeks will tell a lot about who this team really is. Matchups with winless Cincinnati and regularly hapless Miami, who already embarrassed the Jets once, present opportunities to prove this isn't a fluke.

And even though "playoffs" are far more pipe dream than realistically achievable, the Jets have a shot to go into a primetime game against AFC contender Baltimore just one game under .500. That'd be a far cry from 1-7 bottom-feeder. It'd be a testament to a turnaround, a team-wide chanelling of unflappable effort and belief, undeniably spurred by Adams.