The Jets shocked the world on Tuesday morning when they fired head coach Robert Saleh, fresh off their trip to London, where they fell to 2-3 on the season following a 23-17 loss against the unbeaten Vikings.
On the surface, you can make the case for this pretty easily, as Saleh’s 20-36 record since the start of 2021 isn’t the stuff dynasties are made of. Adding insult to injury is the latest loss coming against former Jets top-five pick Sam Darnold, who lit up Saleh’s defense for 275 yards and three touchdowns during the trip overseas.
Saleh never coached Darnold — the Jets dealt the young quarterback to Carolina before drafting Zach Wilson with the No. 2 overall pick in Saleh’s first season — but you can bet owner Woody Johnson didn’t enjoy his former would-be franchise quarterback looking good for someone else against his vaunted defense. The Jets offense under Saleh’s tenure ranks dead last in several major categories, including points scored and offensive EPA.
Yet this is where the move makes little sense: The most underwhelming aspect of the Jets this season is the offense, of which Saleh really doesn’t have his hand in things. When the Jets traded for Aaron Rodgers, the widespread understanding was the team would cater to his desires when it came to personnel decisions and coaching moves.
They’ve done just that. Nathaniel Hackett was hired as offensive coordinator, despite a disastrous tenure as Broncos head coach for less than a full season the year prior.
Allen Lazard was a high-priced free agent, Randall Cobb picked up a payday. The Jets even brought in ex-Packers quarterback Tim Boyle to be Rodgers’ backup.
The defense hasn’t been dominant, but it’s been good enough this season, giving up the fifth-fewest points in the NFL. They’ve held all but one opponent (the 49ers in Week 1) to 23 points or fewer and still find themselves at 2-3 on the year. The offense has…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/jets-fire-robert-saleh-did-aaron-rodgers-impact-on-team-play-a-role-in-new-yorks-shocking-midseason-move/
Author : Will Brinson
Publish date : 2024-10-08 16:36:15
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
