Jets HC Robert Saleh addresses job security, frustration with another losing season

'I’ll speak for everyone and [say] that we are frustrated that we haven’t been able to string together wins'

12/18/2023, 9:40 PM

The Jets fell to 5-9 on the season with a 30-0 defeat at Miami on Sunday and saw their slim playoff chances evaporate, ensuring 2023 would be the franchise's eighth straight losing season and 13th straight without the playoffs.

Robert Saleh, whose head coaching record with New York now stands at 16-32 with 17 defeats coming by double digits, said concerns about his job security do not enter his mind.

“Just coaching trying to beat Washington,” Saleh said when asked if he feels like he is coaching for his job the last three weeks of the season.

“Two types of coaches,” he continued. “Those who have been fired and those who are about to get fired, my man. We coach in the moment. We coach to win a football game.”

Saleh added that owner Woody Johnson has “been great” during their daily conversations about the team and game planning. And the head coach believes the locker room is still behind him and they do “a great job playing for one another.”

“That’s first and foremost, you always play for the man next to you,” Saleh said. “But from there, I think this team is still bought-in, I think this team still plays for one another, I think this team still loves one another.

“I’ll speak for everyone and [say] that we are frustrated that we haven’t been able to string together wins, but I do appreciate the way we go out and fight. Just gotta find a way to be successful.”

After Sunday’s defeat some of that frustration came out in comments made by wide receiver Garrett Wilson about his usage in the offense and comments from wide receiver Allen Lazard who said he felt the Jets had been “out-schemed” and “out-efforted” by the Dolphins. The head coach didn’t dispute Lazard’s assessment.

“Yeah, they’re warranted,” Saleh said about those comments. “Obviously we didn’t coach it well enough. We didn’t execute it well enough. And all the way across the board wasn’t good enough in all three facets. 

"Any time you lose 30-0, throw a dart at the dartboard and you can pick a reason. But at the end of the day, starting with me all the way down, we’ve all gotta be better.”

The Jets’ offense, which produced just 103 net yards against Miami, was hamstrung by a particularly poor showing from the beleaguered offensive line. Saleh said the struggles “starts and ends up front to be able to get the quarterback a chance to go throw it, then obviously the quarterback with timing.”

There won’t be reinforcements coming back to the lineup ahead of Sunday’s game against the 4-10 and already eliminated Commanders, but the unit has “to be more detailed” in their play.

Saleh reiterated that Zach Wilson, who left Sunday’s game with a concussion, remains in the protocol and will be the starter for the remainder of the season if healthy. Trevor Siemian would start if Wilson does not get medical clearance.

A year ago the sentiment from Saleh was that the team was a quarterback away from reaching their potential and, not only ending a long playoff drought but becoming a legitimate Super Bowl contender. Aaron Rodgers would have fit that bill but was lost after just four offensive plays. Reflecting on that, the head coach said he had confidence in the roster on the whole.

“Obviously in my heart, I feel like we built a championship roster,” Saleh said. “But at the end of the day we still gotta find ways to win with guys that are on the football field and we’ve gotta be better as coaches, we’ve gotta be better as players. And we’ve gotta find a way to string together plays, we’ve gotta find a way to stop offenses and make plays on special teams. Gotta be better in situational football. So it goes all the way across the board.

“Do got a lot of confidence in the guys in the locker room. Love the players that are in that locker room and we’ve just all gotta be a little bit better.”

When asked if he anticipates a lot of changes coming in the next few months, he said he is “just focusing on Washington” but “when we get to those bridges we’ll cross ‘em.”

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