Jets’ Head Coach Robert Saleh continues to stick his head in the sand when it comes to the inefficiencies of his coaching staff
It is hard to admit your mistakes. It is even harder to admit your mistakes when it comes to people you care about. Robert Saleh just can’t seem to see what is wrong with his offensive coaching staff as he gets ready to lead the Jets into one of the most important seasons in franchise […]
It is hard to admit your mistakes. It is even harder to admit your mistakes when it comes to people you care about. Robert Saleh just can’t seem to see what is wrong with his offensive coaching staff as he gets ready to lead the Jets into one of the most important seasons in franchise history. That’s not hyperbole. This is one of the most important seasons in Jets history.
No Jets’ team has had bigger let down than last year since 1999 when Vinny Testeverde went down with an injury in the first game of the season after leading the Jets to the AFC Championship game the season before.
The Jets had all the makings of a Super Bowl contender last season after bringing in one of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of the NFL to a young and hungry team looking to end a 12-year playoff drought. But things spiraled out of control when Aaron Rodgers went down before the Jets first punt of the year.
With Aaron Rodgers returning and another year added to his age, the pressure is on the Jets to win now. The problem is, the Jets simply don’t have the offensive coaching staff built for any sustained success.
At the annual spring owner’s meetings in Orlando, Saleh spoke publicly for the first time since the season ending press conference on January 8th. When asked about his offensive coordinator, Nathaniel Hackett, who inexplicably kept his job following a disasterous season, Saleh was quick to brush aside any criticism pointed at his OC.
"I know (Hackett) will be (better). When you lose, you're a loser. I suck, Joe D sucks, we all suck. It goes with the territory. The best thing we can do is put our heads down and go to work."
At some point, that just isn’t enough. Every occupation is filled with people who work hard that simply aren’t up to a certain standard needed to be successful. That is why it is on management to make tough calls when it comes to employment.
Saleh went on to say that he was looking to add another offensive coach this off-season but the names they targeted didn’t work out, so he decided Nathaniel Hackett and passing-game coordinator, and quarterbacks coach Todd Downing will be enough.
How is that possible? How can he look at what the offense was last year, regardless of who was at quarterback and determine they have the right guys and nobody else is needed?
Another example is offensive line coach Keith Carter. Carter was ridiculed by current and former players and Saleh still decided he was the right man for the job.
The Jets current offensive line includes two tackles on the wrong side of 30 and a guard who hasn’t played a game past Halloween in three seasons, but they still are leaning on Keith Carter’s approach to building a championship offensive line. That is putting your head in the sand when it comes to the issues surrounding the team.
If the Jets look up in November and find themselves out of the playoff picture with a stagnant offense and four back-up linemen in the starting lineup, they will cry bad luck and “that’s the game” instead of fixing the problem when they had a chance.
These are the decisions that don’t make headlines, like the free agent signings the past few weeks, but have just as big of an effect on the team as who is lining up on Sundays. Losing games might be what makes you a loser, but making these decisions is what loses games.
Jets now have a whole new draft opportunity thanks to one of their smarter moves in recent memory
Anyone who was forced to suffer through a New York Jets game last season could see the Jets needed to upgrade their offensive line to have any sort of fighting chance even with a healthy Aaron Rodgers at the helm. Joe Douglas didn’t want to trust the fate of his team to the draft, where […]
