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Following the New York Jets firing of head coach Robert Saleh, NFL Insider Dianna Russini of The Athletic talked about what Saleh's final plea was to management before being released.
“Saleh attempted to lay out a bit of a case,” Russini said. “I’ve got a top-five defense, I’ve got a top-five special team’s unit right now. We could potentially be first in the division depending on what we do Monday night. And Woody Johnson just believes that if they don’t make this change right now the entire season is just going down the drain.”
The Jets have a 2-3 record and currently sit in second place in the AFC East Conference. Their Thursday Night Football victory over the New England Patriots highlighted what could have been for the Jets. The combination of defense and offense led many to put them back in the conversation for perhaps a Super Bowl appearance.
Saleh finished his Jets tenure with a 20-36 record. He consistently endured inconsistent quarterback play, especially when Aaron Rodgers had a season-ending Achilles injury. Saleh went through six quarterbacks within three and a half seasons.
Was the NFL insider right about the Jets firing Robert Saleh?
Saleh made his point about having a legitimate defense. According to ESPN's Benjamin Solak, the Jets' defense ranked first in points allowed per drive, first in EPA per play, and 3rd in success rate under the former San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator.
Despite the defense being consistent, the offense was nothing of the sort. Through five weeks, they rank 27th in yards per game (286.6) and 25th in points per game (18.6). Although Saleh brought in Rodgers's former offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, it didn't eliminate the offensive woes.
However, as Saleh made his way out, it didn't come without any headlines. He was escorted by the team’s director of security and was not given a chance to say goodbye to his players. ProFootballTalk's Mike Florio even said that how he was fired was nothing like how his predecessor, Adam Gase was fired.
The Jets haven't fired a head coach midseason since 1976. Nearly 50 years later, Saleh broke the mold. While the decision shocked players, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported that the decision came from ownership. If anything, Saleh came in and excelled at what he was good at. Defense. The offensive woes weren't entirely Saleh's fault. Regardless, Jets ownership felt if a change wasn't made right now, the season would be a waste.
For the time being, defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich will take over as interim head coach. It'll be worth noting if the defense and team as a whole will take a dip without Saleh leading the Jets moving forward.
