The New York Jets made the aggressive move to change their offense by letting Mike LaFleur go as offensive coordinator and by supplanting Aaron Rodgers over the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Zach Wilson, at quarterback. That was part of the first message.
The second message, however, clearly was aired in Episode 2 of the critically acclaimed docuseries Hard Knocks on Tuesday.
Robert Saleh Doesn’t Mince Words About Offensive Struggles
Head coach Robert Saleh was visibly seen walking off frustrated from the team’s joint practice with the Carolina Panthers before their preseason game played on Saturday.
The reason? He wasn’t fond of the execution of the offense — which he believes has carried over from last year’s struggles.
“Offense, it was our first f—— opportunity to change the stink that’s been in this organization for a very long time on the offensive side of the ball,” Saleh barked.
“You can have a Hall of Fame quarterback. You can have two $10 million-plus [wide] receivers. You can have a reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year [Garrett Wilson]. You can have all kinds of skill in the running back room. None of it f—— matters until the big boys up front change who the f— we are. We as coaches, we as an organization, can’t want it more than you.”
Saleh was referring to the offensive line. He questioned the intensity levels and the effort of the 2023 group.
How Did the Jets’ OL Fare Last Season?
The Jets weren’t among the best at protecting the passer. The team allowed 42 total sacks during their 7-10 season. Worse, they had to go through three different quarterbacks — and all three were sacked anywhere between nine to 23 times, with Wilson being handed the latter number.
New York didn’t fare much better with creating running lanes at a consistent level. They ranked 25th overall in rushing yards and placed 21st in total rushing touchdowns.
The Jets’ run offense also ended the year racking up just 38 ground-based yards against the Miami Dolphins to close out the 2022 season, which ended in a loss.
To address their offensive line woes, the Jets selected Joe Tippmann and Carter Warren out of Wisconsin and Pittsburgh, respectively, in the 2023 NFL Draft.
New York’s OL Holds Up Well Against Carolina
All appeared to be well after that rear-end chewing from Saleh.
The offensive line only allowed one sack on 30 total passing attempts, plus they gave both Wilson and Tim Boyle enough time to throw three touchdowns in the 27-0 preseason victory over the Panthers in Charlotte.
In the run game, the Jets’ rookie RB Israel Abanikanda averaged 4.7 yards per carry while the team racked up 141 rushing yards.
How much that effort carries over will now remain to be seen. But Saleh’s speech was a rare rant from the third-year head coach, but it was certainly an eye-opener for this unit.