Jets head coach Robert Saleh.
AP Photo/John Munson
EAST RUTHERFORD — Robert Saleh and the New York Jets aren’t acting like this is a make-or-break season for them in their third year at the helm. If they were, their questionable coaching decisions on the offensive side of the ball may be vastly different.
Through three weeks of the NFL season, the 2023 Jets offense has averaged under 15 points per game and has not totaled over 200 yards once. Sure, the combination of the Buffalo Bills, Dallas Cowboys, and New England Patriots defenses are all considered elite, but those numbers are among the worst in the history of football.
Yet through two weeks, the lack of any legitimate adjustments has been startling.
When Aaron Rodgers went down with his Achilles injury, the Jets could have started working out free-agent quarterbacks to see if they could help in the locker room, and on the field if needed. The coaching and front office staff decided not to, citing their belief in the improved play of backup-turned-starter Zach Wilson.
In fairness to them, Wilson has improved based on the first two years of his NFL career. The issue is that the improved play from Wison hasn’t been nearly enough for the Jets to come away with wins on Sunday.
So now the Jets are stuck.
If they were to sign a free-agent quarterback now, they would essentially have to wait a couple of weeks before even thinking about putting him on the field due to learning a new playbook and teammates. Wilson would need to be the starter anyway.
It doesn’t even appear the team wants to go that route though. Instead, with all the potential solutions that a new leader in the locker room could bring, the coaching staff is digging themselves into a do-or-die hole with their current quarterback.
“Right now, he’s who gives us the best chance to win,” Saleh said.
They don’t have to do this. They don’t have to continue to fool themselves into thinking they’ll win with a…
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