There Is A Way For The Jets To Change Course Without Potentially Alienating Rodgers

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One tidbit is often forgotten whenever someone in the Jets’ organization raves about Offensive Coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. They’ll note that quarterback Aaron Rodgers won back-to-back NFL MVP’s when the two overlapped in Green Bay, but the fact that Hackett didn’t actually call the plays those seasons is conveniently omitted.

Packers Head Coach Matt LaFleur was the offensive play-caller, and likely had a large role in overseeing how the offense would function in general. Unlike Jets HC Robert Saleh, a former 49ers Defensive Coordinator, LaFleur built his career on the offensive side of the ball.

As such, LaFleur could delegate the intricacies and the more intimate relationship with Rodgers to Hackett, who must have made quite an impression such that a future Hall-of-Famer would vouch to the Jets during his recruitment last offseason for an assistant who hasn’t had much success in his career when given larger responsibilities. Hackett had one above-average scoring season in five years as Jacksonville’s play-calling OC before joining Green Bay and was fired after 15 games in his first season as Head Coach of the Broncos in 2022 for, among other things, his incompetence as a play caller.

Hackett, in his weekly Thursday press conference in advance of Sunday’s season finale (thank goodness) in New England, admitted things haven’t gone well in New York. How could he suggest otherwise? Gang Green ranks last in the league in so many offensive categories, including, but certainly not limited to, red zone touchdown percentage, third down conversion rate, and expected points added per play. There was a stretch of seven weeks where the Jets offense didn’t execute a touchdown drive longer than one play.

And it wasn’t all because Rodgers ruptured his Achilles and was lost for the season on the fourth snap of Week 1 versus Buffalo; several other clubs have managed to operate as an NFL offense with their QB2, QB3, or in the case of Cleveland’s Joe Flacco, QB4. No, the Jets were inept in so many other areas, starting with the simple task of lining up properly and not moving before the snap. No team has committed more pre-snap penalties on offense than New York’s 37 this season.

It took Hackett nearly half the season to figure out that a better use of rising running back Breece Hall’s abilities was having him catch passes out of the backfield in space as opposed to trying to jam him down the throat of loaded boxes that were blocked by a lousy offensive line. I’m sure there were some plays where receivers were schemed open for potential explosive gains but were missed due to leaky pass protection, the quarterback’s failure to process, or his accuracy. But the more common denominator was the large quantity of third-down pass patterns that fell short of the sticks, no matter the distance.

In short, Hackett’s performance this season deserves a pink slip on Black Monday.

Ah, but what to do about Rodgers? I imagine the Jets are leery of upsetting their only hope for a better 2024, so there has to be another way.

There is. Dump Saleh. Replace him with one of the hot offensive minds around the league, even if it’s a guy who would be on his first HC job like Detroit’s Ben Johnson. I know he had a rough start to his NFL career, but did Jets management notice how the Bills resuscitated their season when Joe Brady took over as play-caller?

Replicate the LaFleur/Hackett dynamic at One Jets Drive. Hackett can keep his title. It may be tough sell to force a coach who may be in demand this offseason to retain someone on their staff with whom they might not be on the same page, but it should be made clear who is in charge and that this unusual situation would be a short-term thing. Rodgers may say he wants to play for a couple more seasons, but this was always going to be a one-year-at-a-time engagement. And he was nearly decapitated in Year 1.  

From all indications, Saleh is a likeable fellow with a great story, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he and Rodgers indeed hit it off. But the evidence is in that Saleh is not a good head football coach. Even for someone like Rodgers who has, shall we say, a unique set of ideas, this should be obvious. The Jets’ record (6-10 this season, 17-33 since taking over in 2021) screams it. So does the manner of the defeats, with New York getting blown out six times this season. The 4-12 Patriots have only lost four times by multiple scores.

I am aware that owner Woody Johnson has already issued a vote of confidence to Saleh and General Manager Joe Douglas. Johnson is entitled to reevaluate things and change his mind. Assuming his mind is functioning (a risky assumption, I know), he’ll find that Saleh is the easiest scapegoat for subjecting the fans to the horrors of this season.

Of course, all this is probably too practical for me to expect the Jets to go with it. But the option exists.

Prediction: Patriots 12 Jets 6