Saleh has a ritual that he has maintained on gameday since his first coaching job
Before the New York Jets‘ 1 p.m. tilt against the Cleveland Browns, head coach Robert Saleh took to the stadium seats.
No, not as a spectator. Saleh doesn’t just sit and watch the empty stadium.
Rather, he runs up and down the stairs, all the way around the lower level.
It's tradition. pic.twitter.com/SPmEd0yFQK
— Jets Videos (@snyjets) September 18, 2022
Saleh has been getting in his pregame workout throughout his entire coaching career, dating back to his first job as a tight ends assistant at Michigan State.
“I was looking for something to do pregame when I was still young and in a lot better shape,” said Saleh. “I was trying to get a workout in, and there’s no workout equipment and I wanted something difficult. So, I started running stadiums in college, and I just started doing it in the NFL when I got here. So, it’s been over 20 years now.”
However, Saleh says that it’s easier than running after his kids. He and his wife, Sanaa, have seven children: five boys and two girls.
Certainly, the Browns will pose a stiffer challenge to Saleh mentally than running around their stands does physically. Cleveland comes in with an aggressive run-blocking scheme and a ferocious pass rush, headlined by former No. 1 overall pick Myles Garrett, who has feasted on the Jets in his career.
🏈Jets at Browns:
Myles Garrett is a Jet killer. Has 8 sacks in 4 games vs #Jets, most against single opponent in career & already most by ANY player in 1st 4 games vs Jets since sacks became official in 1982.
Lined up mostly at RDE in Wk 1. Buckle up, George Fant #NYJvsCLE
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) September 18, 2022
Still, Saleh’s defense showed guts in Week 1 against Lamar Jackson, limiting the Ravens to 63 rushing yards on 21 carries. However, Cleveland’s offensive line is superior to Baltimore’s injury-plagued one, led by guards Wyatt Teller and Joel Bitonio.
It remains to be seen whether Saleh’s crew can hold up against the feisty Browns. However, let no Jets player say that their head coach works them without working himself.
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So to continue the conversation. Okay, they won, I was as jubilant as anyone. But the first series for each team encapsulated my frustration. We got 3rd and 1 and tried to throw a 16-yard sideline pass. Maybe our guy was in bounds and maybe he wasn’t, but wouldn’t we be better off with a higher percentage 5-yard throw? They, on the other hand, strung together a series of short passes including two screens, high percentage throws, and moved the ball effortlessly steadily down the field
. No tight windows to throw into, no acrobatic catches required. They made it look easy. What we did yesterday was wonderful but it isn’t sustainable. The sustainable offense in the modern NFL is built on the seven-yard pass combined with screens and throwing to runners out of the backfield. of course, to do that, you must have a tight end who can catch the ball. That seems to be a problem for us. Our offense was better but still not good enough.
Barry
On one of these boards I stated last week that to offset an aggressive pass rush like Garrett/Clowney we need to use regular screens, quick (“jet”) screens and counters. We did none of those.
Not being able to run a classic screen has been a problem for us for years…since Curtis Martin.
Great win, one for the ages, but lots to improve.
They ran several misdirection plays in this game, including sweeps to Berrios, Moore, and Wilson and a pitch to Breece Hall. Even though Moore’s and Wilson’s resulted in losses of yardage, I believe that they kept the defense respecting the run and helped open holes. There was also a third-down quick pass to Tyler Conklin right over the aggressively blitzing defense. Although Garrett and Clowney did force pressure, the Jets’ line held up a lot better than expected, all things considered.
I think the play-calling was a net positive in this game, even if you can nitpick certain specific calls or the general push towards the pass. I haven’t seen the All-22 yet, but it is possible that the Browns were stacking the box and daring the Jets to pass, in which case throwing the ball when they were moving it pretty well that way makes sense.
Agreed, two sacks against those guys is a win (though I think Clowney is on the downside of his career).
The overall play calling was much better.
Maybe as the Oline gels it will be able to execute a classic screen, which w/ the shiftiness of our backs should be a killer play in our arsenal.
Clowney and Garrett together were monsters last year. Garrett was better with Clowney on the other side.
I do think they’ll be able to run screens.
In general, the Jets have a ton of YAC monsters whom they need to get in space: all four receivers plus the two backs.
I believe there may have been some shorter options on that play. Without access to the All-22 yet, it’s hard to see, but I think Ruckert snuck out wide open past the sticks and Flacco just missed him. Yes, Cleveland’s play-calling on the first drive left a lot to be desired in LaFleur’s. Still, I thought he did a good job after that first series.
The fact that Conklin has had a drop and fumble problem so far is not on LaFleur or Flacco, and, to be honest, it’s surprising. His career-high drop number in a single season was one and he had two career fumbles prior to 2022. (Also, note that David Njoku had a nasty wide-open drop and a penalty in this game.) I think Conklin will come around as the offense gets more comfortable. He was the QBs’ go-to target in the preseason and generally has soft hands.
If you want a textbook example of what a short-play offense can look like, watch the Jets’ final drive against Cleveland. I know they were playing off, but it was still an impressive drive.