The Jets are back in the loss column.
Just seven days after a thrilling 13-point comeback win over the Browns, the 1-1 Jets hosted the 0-2 Bengals at MetLife Stadium Sunday. A disaster ensued. Quarterback Joe Flacco showed his age just like he did in the season-opening loss to Baltimore. The secondary allowed three Joe Burrow touchdown passes, and the Jets dropped to 1-2 amid a 27-12 clunker with Zach Wilson’s return looming.
WFAN host and famed Jets fan Joe Benigno has already portrayed every emotion a football fan could possess in two weeks. During his weekly spot on WFAN’s “Tiki and Tierney” midday program Monday, the pain returned, with Benigno taking aim at the coaching staff this time around:
The first thing that aggravates the most, without a doubt, is this coaching staff. They stink. This coaching staff is a freaking disaster. Starting with [head coach] Robert Saleh, and we saw it again, there’s no accountability whatsoever. Dumb penalties that just continue to destroy this team. [Defensive end] John Franklin-Myers with the ridiculous roughing the passer penalty that winds up costing them a touchdown. By the way it’d be nice if [safety] Jordan Whitehead could wrap up [Bengals wide receiver Tyler] Boyd instead of letting him go 56 yards for a touchdown. The secondary stinks, too.
They’re not good enough to overcome and avoid [these issues]. And to me, it’s all on the coaching staff. And it starts with the head coach.
Maybe Saleh will be on the hot seat earlier than we anticipated?
The second-year head coach will definitely last the rest of the season. He’s not in Matt Rhule territory where a few more losses will cost him his job.
But are we going to guarantee he’ll be back in 2023? Say Wilson doesn’t improve after a lackluster rookie season and a knee injury suffered in August. Say the defense is, again, a disaster (the unit is already allowing 27 points per game through three weeks). Say the team has another four-to-five-win campaign and the organization extends its NFL-leading active playoff drought to 12 seasons.
This fanbase will be irate, especially after moves made over the last three offseasons have finally set this franchise up to contend in 2022. And so will ownership.
A staff change (and possible GM change — don’t forget, Joe Douglas is 14-38 with the Jets) could arrive as early as next January.
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