Firing Robert Saleh was certainly a bold move for the New York Jets. But was it the right one?
In the national media, the consensus is that Saleh was a scapegoat. The Jets could not fire offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett due to Aaron Rodgers’ staunch loyalty to him, so the perception is that Saleh took the axe instead. Many even believe Rodgers facilitated Saleh’s dismissal, as Saleh was about to replace Hackett with Todd Downing as the Jets’ offensive play-caller.
Visit our New York Jets Podcasts page to discover the top football podcasts.
Owner Woody Johnson and Rodgers both vehemently denied those allegations. But at this point, the how doesn’t matter as much as the outcome.
Was Saleh a scapegoat, though? Is he merely taking the fall for the offense’s ineptitude when that was not even his primary department?
The most crucial question is whether replacing Saleh with Jeff Ulbrich will fix the core of what is wrong with the Jets right now.
On the most recent episode of The Score Boord podcast, I addressed these questions along with the national media narratives. From a journalistic perspective, it is quite interesting to view the overwhelming disparities between the perceptions and opinions of Jets X-Factor analysts and those of national voices.
These are some of the topics I discussed.
- Did Saleh deserve to be fired, or was he scapegoated?
- How much did he even have to do with the offense? Wasn’t the defense his purview?
- Was this the right time to make such a move?
- Does replacing Saleh with another defensive coach solve anything?
- What will happen with the offensive play-calling?
- How sincere were Rodgers’ comments about Saleh’s firing and possible offensive changes?
- On a separate note, Sauce Gardner’s criticism of my call for Breece Hall to be benched
You can check out the full episode wherever you get your podcasts.
