This once-promising Jets season has cratered and the group is now making ready for its twelfth straight season with no playoff berth.
Not one of the gamers or coaches have needed to reside by way of that whole 12-year drought, however proprietor Woody Johnson has. You now must surprise if Johnson can be in search of somebody to fireside after this collapse. The Jets have been 7-4 on the finish of November and the playoffs seemed like a practical vacation spot. However the Jets have misplaced 5 video games in a row and have been eradicated from playoff rivalry with Sunday’s loss to the Seahawks.
It’s unlikely that Johnson will hearth common supervisor Joe Douglas or head coach Robert Saleh. The coach who may very well be within the crosshairs, although, is offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur. The Jets have scored 4 touchdowns on this five-game shedding streak and LaFleur has had no solutions whether or not Zach Wilson or Mike White is at quarterback.
Saleh predictably threw his assist behind LaFleur on Monday.
“I feel in moments like these, that is Yr 2 of dedication to go younger in every single place,” Saleh mentioned. “Coaches, gamers, workers, everyone, and it’s so necessary to take a deep breath, maintain the primary factor the primary factor, and ensure we do a fantastic job on the subject of self-scouting, analysis, and ensure that we’re telling ourselves the reality fairly than permitting narrative and panic to set in, so these are all issues that we’re going to check the heck out of as soon as the season is over.”
When the Jets do their “self-scouting,” Saleh and LaFleur want to determine how the Jets simply went two straight video games with out scoring a landing, how they appear to stumble each time they get to the purple zone and why they haven’t been capable of construct a constant operating sport.
Whereas followers need LaFleur gone, Saleh cautioned that this isn’t simply on one particular person. The offense has been hit laborious by accidents. The offensive line is beat up and has been by way of plenty of gamers. The lack of operating again Breece Corridor in October was a killer blow. Then, after all, there’s the quarterback play, which has been horrible prior to now two weeks.
“It’s not basketball the place you may level at one particular person, or golf the place you may look inward,” Saleh mentioned. “There’s 11 guys on the sphere, and every of these guys have a soccer coach. There’s lots of shifting components in a single play, there’s lots of shifting components, and to attempt to pinpoint one particular person simply to make folks be ok with giving a purpose why one thing’s failing, it’s not truthful to gamers, it’s not truthful to the GM and the scouts, it’s not truthful to anyone, however discovering the reality is what’s truthful, and that’s one thing that takes time.”
The issue with firing LaFleur is it might not be straightforward to discover a robust alternative. Saleh is sort of definitely coming into a make-or-break season in 2023 that may lead to him being fired if the Jets fail to make the playoffs. The Jets additionally don’t have a quarterback. Certain, they may very well be out there for one in free company, however when coaches interview in January, the Jets received’t be capable to give any assurances about who the quarterback can be in September.
Any teaching candidate with choices won’t wish to coach the Jets.
Jets followers must also do not forget that a 12 months in the past they wished defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich gone when the Jets had the worst-ranked protection within the NFL. A 12 months later, the Jets have the No. 3 protection and it’s the energy of the group.
Saleh and the Jets have invested two years in LaFleur. It might be smarter to stay with him for a 3rd season than to herald a completely new system.
Saleh mentioned he has confidence in LaFleur and may relate to what he’s going by way of. The 49ers have been twenty eighth in scoring protection in 2018 when Saleh was the coordinator and so they went 4-12.
“I’ve been in LaFleur’s footwear,” Saleh mentioned. “I advised you guys the story. In 2018, second 12 months as a coordinator on protection, and it might’ve been very straightforward for Kyle [Shanahan] to fireside me — very straightforward simply to say, ‘You recognize what, we went 4-12. You’re the scapegoat. Get the heck out of the constructing,’ however to his credit score, he sat down. He went over the weeks following the season and dedicated to me, and the remaining is historical past.”
