New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh has come under fire a little bit in recent weeks. His team has not performed well on the field as they have lost six out of their last seven games, dropping their record to 5-9 on the season.
This is the second straight year in which offensive ineptitude has tanked the Jets’ chances of making the playoffs and snapping their drought which will reach 13 years without a postseason appearance this season. A lot has played into the team’s struggles on that side of the ball.
Putting all of their eggs into the Aaron Rodgers basket just to watch him get hurt on the fourth offensive snap of the season was disastrous. But, they did nothing to try and stop the bleeding, opting to go with Zach Wilson, Tim Boyle and Trevor Seimian as their quarterback room after that. It is not a stretch to say the Jets put together the worst quarterback depth chart in the NFL after Rodgers’ injury.
Injuries to the offensive line certainly didn’t help as the Jets were hit hard in the trenches. Backups and practice squad players filled the lineup which lacked chemistry and cohesion, leading to poor performance.
NFL News & Rumors: Robert Saleh & New York Jets Updates
Recently, Saleh was called out by a Jets reporter for this. New York isn’t the only team that has suffered injuries to quarterbacks and offensive linemen, but in the opinion of the reporter, Saleh is the only one who uses it as an excuse for his team’s failures.
The Cleveland Browns, who are 9-5 on the season, have started four different quarterbacks this season and have been without their star offensive player, running back Nick Chubb, since Week 2. They also lost both starting tackles and a top backup. The New York Giants had a three-game winning streak with undrafted rookie quarterback Tommy DeVito leading the way and Big Blue doesn’t have nearly the defensive talent to fall back on as the Jets.
Another mark against Saleh is just how embarrassing the Jets have performed regularly under his watch. As the head coach, overall team performance has to fall on his shoulders and too often they haven’t been competitive in games.
Week 15 against the Miami Dolphins was the latest example, as New York lost 30-0. According to Michael Nania of Jets X-Factor, that is the 17th loss by 14+ points under Saleh, meaning they have more blowout losses with him at the helm than wins (16). Only four of those wins, and one this season, have come by 14+ points.
NFL News & Rumors: Robert Saleh & New York Jets Updates
This season, the Jets have lost five times by 20+ points. That is the most in the NFL, which is hard to do given the defensive talent on the team and just how poorly some other offenses, such as the 2-12 Carolina Panthers or 3-11 New England Patriots have performed this season.
Under Saleh, per Nania, the Jets have an average margin of defeat of -13.8, which is the second worst in the NFL. When they lose, they aren’t even competitive, they get thoroughly embarrassed by their opponent.
With a -86 point differential on the season, second worst and ahead of only the Patriots in the AFC, it is hard to get excited about their outlook. Even if they are healthy with Rodgers leading the way, Saleh has proven to be such a net negative as a coach, he could undo all the positive regression the team should have.
Ownership will have to look long and hard about evaluating Saleh’s position with the team. If he is costing them games without much pressure of winning right now, what will he do when the pressure is on for the team to perform? The Jets may not want to wait and find out. Instead, they can be proactive and seek out an established head coach to lead a veteran-laden team or an up-and-coming coordinator who could raise the ceiling of the team more than Saleh has shown capable.
Want the latest NFL analysis, breaking news, and insider information? Click here. Interested in reading storylines and analysis about the NBA? Check out our partner NBA Analysis Network.
