The New York Jets’ decision to fire head coach Robert Saleh following a 2-3 start to the season has proven to be a catastrophic mistake. The team’s owner, Woody Johnson, believed that firing Saleh would provide a spark and help the team salvage their season. However, the opposite has occurred, and the Jets have completely imploded since Saleh’s departure.
Saleh’s firing was unique in that he hadn’t lost the locker room, and the players still universally loved him. The team’s struggles were not solely his fault, and it seemed odd to fire him following a six-point loss to the best team in the NFL at the time. Johnson made Saleh the scapegoat for all of the Jets’ organizational dysfunction, but it’s become increasingly apparent that Saleh was not the root of the team’s issues.
In fact, Saleh’s firing has only served to make the situation worse. The Jets promoted a first-time head coach in Jeff Ulbrich, who appears to be in well over his head. The team’s defense has taken a significant step back since Saleh was fired, which shouldn’t come as a surprise. Ulbrich has been tasked with calling plays for the Jets, but this was and has always been Robert Saleh’s defense.
The Jets’ decision to fire Saleh was a quick-fix scheme to cure the team’s dysfunction. However, it’s clear that the team’s problems run much deeper than just the head coach. The revolving door of coaches, inconsistent roster decisions, and top-down dysfunction have all but guaranteed that any leader in Saleh’s position would struggle to find lasting success.
The Jets’ collapse since Saleh’s firing has been nothing short of astonishing. The team’s defense has been unable to stop anyone, and they continue to get out-coached on a weekly basis. The players seemingly quit the moment Saleh was let go, and the team’s morale has never been lower. Woody Johnson’s impulsive decision to fire Saleh has sent the team spiraling into a cycle of further turmoil.
It’s clear that the Jets’ problems are not just related to the head coach, but rather a systemic issue that runs throughout the organization. The team’s lack of stability and continuity has made it impossible for any coach to succeed. The Jets need to take a long, hard look at themselves and realize that firing Saleh was not the solution to their problems.
In fact, keeping Saleh around might not have made the Jets a playoff team, but it would have looked better than this. The team’s defense was at least respectable under Saleh, and the players seemed to respond to him. Ulbrich, on the other hand, has been unable to replicate Saleh’s success, and the team’s defense has suffered as a result.
In conclusion, the New York Jets’ decision to fire Robert Saleh has been a disaster. The team’s collapse since his departure has been nothing short of astonishing, and it’s clear that the Jets’ problems run much deeper than just the head coach. Woody Johnson’s impulsive decision to fire Saleh has sent the team spiraling into a cycle of further turmoil, and it’s unclear when the team will be able to recover.
