The 2021 NFL offseason was supposed to be the dawn of a new era for the New York Jets.
After a disastrous two-year stretch with the offensive-minded Adam Gase as the head coach, the team went in a different direction by hiring San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, hoping he would help turn things around.
Saleh was coming from a great organization to a Jets team that was in desperate need of new leadership.
Unfortunately, it looks like they have whiffed again.
He has not provided the kind of positive impact the fan base and franchise were hoping for. Aaron Rodgers’ Achilles injury in 2023 gave everyone, but a real argument could be made that it wasn’t deserved.
With Zach Wilson, Trevor Siemian and Tim Boyle running the offense in Rodgers’ absence, the unit once again tanked. That has been the case throughout Saleh’s tenure as head coach, as 25th is their best finish in yards and 28th is their best finish in scoring.
That has placed an incredible amount of pressure on the team’s defense.
If they don’t play perfect football, the odds of coming away with a victory plummet.
Regarded as a very strong unit, even the defense has come up short at times.
In his first season, Gang Green was the worst defensive team in the NFL.
Things improved in Year 2, as they were fourth in yardage allowed and points surrendered, but another step back was taken in 2023, finishing 12th in points and third in yardage allowed.
Not surprisingly, the results when it comes to the win/loss record have been ugly as well. Far too often under Saleh, the Jets aren’t even competitive on the field.
One statistic, shared by user "NDS1089" on X exemplifies just how ugly things have been during his tenure as head coach.
The team has played 52 games, going 18-34. That is poor enough to warrant scrutiny, but the real embarrassing part is that New York has suffered more double-digit losses with 19 than they have won.
The 19th occurred in Week 1 to kick off the 2024 season as the Jets went on the road to face the 49ers and lost 32-19.
Their defense allowed points on eight consecutive possessions, unable to get off the field with timely stops.
