Mike Francesa has made it clear he was not terribly impressed with Robert Saleh’s first season as Jets head coach. And his mind has not changed after the opening game of his second year — a lackluster 24-9 loss to the Ravens.
“They need to show more of a maturity throughout the ranks, from the coaching staff right through every player on this team,” Francesa said on his BetRivers podcast. “There is still an immaturity that just runs through this team. They do have some talent. They have clearly upgraded their talent. But they are not ready to win against this type of team here.
“Because to do that, you’re going to have to make plays. You’re going to have to make consistent plays, you’re going to have to make plays when you need to make plays to keep drives alive. And to get the other team off the field. And they weren’t able to do those things when they needed to.”
The Jets’ defense played well in the first half against Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson, but broke down in the third quarter. The offense did nothing with Joe Flacco under center outside of rack up garbage time stats with the Ravens up three touchdowns. And the team as a whole was sloppy with drops, fumbles and penalties — a poor reflection on Saleh.
“They have players,” Francesa said. “But they need better play from the quarterback and they need better leadership and consistency from the coaching staff.”
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James Kratch can be reached at james.kratch@xlmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JamesKratch.
