Robert Saleh: Jets aren't going to panic after one loss
Jets head coach Robert Saleh on the sidelines during the second quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on September 17, 2023 in Arlington, Texas. Credit: Getty Images/Richard Rodriguez
The Jets’ season isn’t over, even though it may feel that way after they were overmatched on both sides of the football on Sunday against the Cowboys.
There are 15 games left, still plenty of time for the 1-1 Jets to fix the defensive issues that were on display in Dallas and the offensive line struggles that everyone saw coming.
Robert Saleh said it’s no time for overreaction, but definitely time for action.
“Just like last week wasn’t the Super Bowl, this week’s not the apocalypse either,” Saleh said on a Monday Zoom call. “I know it tends to feel that way, especially in this market. But it is what it is. We lost a game. That’s a hell of a football team. You got to be able to face the music and try to figure out what went wrong and tell the truth about it.”
The Jets were dominated, 30-10, but Saleh cautioned against looking at the boxscore and making assumptions.
This defeat wasn’t about Zach Wilson throwing three interceptions — all of them in the fourth quarter with the game already decided. The truth is the Jets could not match the Cowboys’ size, strength, speed or game plan on offense or defense.
The Cowboys had five drives of at least 12 plays; the Jets had seven series of three or fewer plays. With less than two minutes left in the first half, Dallas already had run 45 plays, the Jets 14.
“It’s one game,” Saleh said. “I don’t think it really defines who we are as a defense or who we are as a team.”
He put most of the onus on the defense for not getting off the field.
Things might have been different for the Jets if Aaron Rodgers hadn’t suffered an Achilles tendon tear in Week 1, ending his season. But Saleh basically said even a great quarterback might not have overcome that defensive performance.
“If we play like that on defense, I don’t care who the quarterback is, it’s not going to be good enough,” Saleh said.
Rodgers probably would have been able to handle the pass rush better than Wilson and been more effective converting third downs (the Jets were 1-for-10), but this game was an indictment of everyone. It wasn’t a good game for offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett.
The offensive line did a bad job of pass protection and run- blocking. There were breakdowns and missed assignments galore. Jets running backs Breece Hall, Dalvin Cook and Michael Carter totaled 24 yards on 10 carries and had a fumble.
Saleh acknowledged that there was blame everywhere for this game — coaches included. He brought up the play-calling on offense as well as defense.
“We weren’t efficient enough on short-yardage situations,” he said. “Whether it’s from a creativity standpoint, whether it’s an execution standpoint, it’s all of us, we’re all in the same bucket. Then you go back to the defense. Our job as a defense is to get the ball back for the offense.”
The Patriots will visit MetLife Stadium on Sunday and try to hand the Jets their 15th straight loss in this one-sided rivalry.
“It’s Week 3 going on Week 15,” linebacker C.J. Mosley said. “We just got to stay the course. It’s one loss, it’s the third game of the season, we got a division game coming up, so we can lock back in on what’s really important.”
Defensive tackle Solomon Thomas said the message is simple: believe.
“We have everything in the world ahead of us,” he said. “There’s no reason to get down, there’s no reason to question things . . . We just have to get back on track this week against the Patriots at home.”
Saleh agreed.
“You have to turn the page and go on to the next game,” he said. “We got 15 of these left. Yesterday obviously [stunk]. Then again, it’s not the end of the world either.”
Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.
