Jets Uninspiring OC Search Another Consequence Of Saleh Error
The consequences of the Jets end-of-season collapse under Head Coach Robert Saleh keep piling up.
Offensive Coordinator Mike LaFleur, Saleh’s original sin, so to speak, was let go after his offense failed to produce a touchdown over the final three games. (By the way, anyone find it interesting that Saleh told the media after the season that he received multiple “inquiries” about LaFleur’s availability, yet no one has reported that any team with a vacant OC position has even bothered to interview him? To be fair, the coaching carousel is still in its early stages and reports have intimated that he could land on the Rams’ staff, where Head Coach Sean McVay calls the plays.) Finding LaFleur’s replacement is looking like it will be a similar bumpy ride, with the current crop of characters mentioned as LaFleur’s successor not particularly intriguing. The most experienced of the reported names, Dolphins QB coach/passing game coordinator Darrell Bevell, told the Jets (and Commanders) on Wednesday that he isn’t interested in the job.
Wonder why. Do I stick with a program that is committed to competing for a Super Bowl, or join a franchise that marks progress by playing meaningful games in December? Though owner Woody Johnson didn’t issue a playoff mandate for 2023, every quality candidate considering the Jets gig understands that Saleh will be on thin ice should Gang Green fall short in his third season at the helm, meaning they too could be looking for work in a year.
That’s why the Jets’ remaining reported interview list includes first-time OC candidates plus Nathaniel Hackett, who was just ignominiously axed as Head Coach of the Broncos following a disastrous season. Marcus Brady, who was fired as Indianapolis OC as part of their in-season purge before landing in Philadelphia to finish out the season as a consultant, has also reportedly landed an interview with the Jets brass and just might be at the top of this class.
Good play-callers don’t often fall off trees, and when they do, they are quickly plucked to become head coaches. Look at the guys running the show in these playoffs—among the eight head coaches playing this weekend, all but one has had success in the league as an offensive play-caller. Only Buffalo’s Sean McDermott rose up from a defensive background, and he’s reaping the benefits from the work of prior OC Brian Daboll, who immediately rejuvenated the Giants in his first season as their head coach. Daboll turned Daniel Jones, who had been so unreliable that the G-men didn’t even bother to exercise his fifth-year option, into a poor man’s version of Buffalo’s Josh Allen in one season.
Saleh, delegating the task to LaFleur and his subordinates, failed to develop QB Zach Wilson in a similar manner. So now the Jets are back to square one on that front too. Will they acquire a veteran via free agency or trade? Will they use a top pick to draft one? No one can be sure. An inquiring OC candidate would like to know in order to make an informed decision on his next employment.
The more I digest the acid from the latest of many Jets crashes in my lifetime, the more I believe the right move on Black Monday should have been to start over with a new coaching staff. The media, and a good portion of the fan base, likes the personable Saleh, who did improve a little in his game management decisions after a rocky rookie season. However, Saleh blew this opportunity by refusing to do the inverse of what the Giants just did across the hall. Daboll, an offensive whiz, partnered with a highly regarded Defensive Coordinator in Wink Martindale. Meanwhile, the former DC Saleh, needing to pair with an offensive version of Martindale, instead went with his good friend LaFleur, who had never called plays at any of his prior stops at any level.
If the Jets had fired Saleh after the season, I’d bet you’d have seen a slew of candidates—guys with experience and up-and-comers—putting their names in the hat. Despite the franchise’s mostly deplorable history, any NFL head coaching job is a plum gig.
The only head coach with a play-calling background the Jets have hired this century was Adam Gase, who flamed out spectacularly in his two seasons preceding Saleh thanks to his abrasive style. What a shame if that experience had any negative effect on the organization’s mindset when Saleh was originally tabbed.
Now, two years later, the Jets are still paying the price for going that route.