Robert Saleh makes confusing comment after Jets' Week 1 loss
By Max Weisman
It's Week 1, and the New York Jets are in the basement of the AFC East again. After all three division rivals won Sunday afternoon, the Jets lost to the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football. They've now lost 12 of their last 13 primetime games.
In Aaron Rodgers' return to the NFL, the four-time NFL MVP threw for only 167 yards, a touchdown and an interception in the Jets 32-19 loss. Despite the short stats, Rodgers showed flashes of his past self, but outside of two touchdown drives with Rodgers under center the Jets offense, for the most part, couldn't move the ball against the 49ers defense.
In his Tuesday morning zoom with reporters, Jets head coach Robert Saleh gave some confusing comments about the Jets performance.
Saleh finished his day-after zoom with reporters, and the main takeaway: 0-1 this year feels better than 1-0 last year. He vowed to get the defense “fixed.” The offense showed signs of promise despite poor results: “Our offense is going to be really good this year.” #Jets
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) September 10, 2024
“You know what? Unfortunately, it does," Saleh said when asked if 0-1 this year feels better than 1-0 last year.
It's true that after the Jets Week 1 22-16 overtime win over the Buffalo Bills last season had a cloud hanging over it with the season-ending injury to Rodgers, but the Jets beat a good Bills team without their quarterback. This season, they looked worse and Rodgers played the whole game.
New York's defense looked suspect. It allowed 32 points and 401 yards of offense to a team without their star running back, though Jordan Mason filled in nicely for Christian McCaffrey. The Jets defense allowed scores on seven straight drives Monday night. Saleh told reporters he isn't worried about his defense's performance.
"Do your job and we would've been in much better shape," he said. "In the second half, we got to it and played better in the run game. I know we're going to get the defense fixed. It's not a problem."
The offense struggled as well. The 49ers dominated time of possession, with New York possessing the ball for only 21:20. That's the least amount of possession a team quarterbacked by Aaron Rodgers has ever had. San Francisco ran 70 plays to the Jets 49. Saleh isn't concerned.
“Our offense is going to be really good this year,” he said.
Time may be running out on Saleh, though. In three years and one game as the head coach of the Jets he has an 18-34 record. His .346 winning percentage is one of the worst of all time.
ESPN analyst and noted Jets fan Mike Greenberg said Saleh was outcoached.
Aaron Rodgers looks fine.
— Mike Greenberg (@Espngreeny) September 10, 2024
Robert Saleh, Joe Douglas, not so much. #Niners are elite, but you at least wanted #Jets to look in their weight class. On this night, they certainly were not.
Outcoached, outmanned, outplayed, outfought. Just deflating.
The Jets have a chance to get right next Sunday against a Tennessee Titans team that blew a 17-3 second half lead to the Chicago Bears. The pressure is on.