New pilot? Jets might be too damaged to land in the playoffs

On the heels of consecutive losses, New York Jets owner Woody Johnson shook the NFL landscape Tuesday by firing head coach Robert Saleh.

Saleh's tenure was largely defined by impressive defensive showings that could never fully overcome the burden of a consistently poor offensive product. In New York's consecutive losses to the Denver Broncos and Minnesota Vikings, the Jets allowed just 33 combined points but produced only three offensive touchdowns with four turnovers.

Let's dive into Johnson's decision to fire Saleh and what it means.

Why now?

League sources say the whispers about Saleh's job grew significantly louder following the team's 10-9 home loss to the Broncos in Week 4. Too often, NFL owners tend to make rash decisions after their teams are embarrassed. Johnson, as one league source described, was "fuming" after the Jets held rookie quarterback Bo Nix to 10 points and still lost.

Following the Jets' 23-17 loss to the Vikings on Sunday in London, Johnson decided he'd seen enough.

By making a major change just five games into the campaign, Johnson is hoping to salvage the season. The Jets haven't made the playoffs in 13 years, and ownership believes it has invested too many resources to not have a crack at the postseason this campaign.

At 2-3, this is the first time quarterback Aaron Rodgers is under .500 through five starts since 2012. For what it's worth, the Packers finished that season 11-5 and made the playoffs.

In a conference call with reporters Tuesday afternoon, Johnson said the decision to fire Saleh will result in "new energy and positivity that will lead to more wins starting now."

The AFC East remains wide-open. The Jets play the division-leading Buffalo Bills (3-2) on Monday with first place on the line.

But moving on from Saleh may not get to the root of the Jets' issues.

"Woody and (GM Joe Douglas) have a lot more than a Saleh problem on their hands," a league source said. "Usually, giving up on a coach this early signals a white flag on the season. But Woody is hoping an offense that can't regularly find the end zone is going to magically figure things out now with Saleh out of the building? I find that difficult to grasp."

Fair to Saleh?

Saleh, 45, posted a 20-36 record in three-plus seasons. Throughout his tenure, New York's defense thrived under the former San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator, while the offense mostly struggled. Last season was compromised when Rodgers tore his Achilles in Week 1 and missed the entire season.

Since Saleh's arrival, the Jets' defense has ranked first in EPA per play and third in play success rate. Over the past two seasons, the Jets have finished top-five in total yards allowed.

But offensively, the franchise was bogged down by the selection and development of quarterback Zach Wilson, the No. 2 overall pick in 2021. New York's offense was historically bad with Wilson under center, which played a major role in the team pursuing Rodgers. From Johnson to Douglas to Saleh, the entire franchise believed Rodgers was the missing piece.

With Rodgers sidelined last year, the Jets had a quarterback room that featured Wilson, Tim Boyle, and Trevor Siemian. The defense regularly balled out, but the Jets finished 7-10 and lost four games by one possession.

What about the offense?

With Rodgers back in the saddle, New York's offensive struggles have mostly lingered. Saleh's departure won't correct the unit's issues, which poses the question: Why is coordinator Nathaniel Hackett's job safe?

Hackett's relationship with Rodgers is the most obvious answer. The 10-time Pro Bowler produced back-to-back MVP seasons in 2020 and 2021 with Hackett as his OC in Green Bay.

Rodgers' fingerprints are all over what Johnson labeled Tuesday as "one of the best teams that has ever been assembled by the New York Jets." Rodgers advocated for the team to add former Packers teammates Randall Cobb and Allen Lazard last year, and he's currently pounding the table, as described by one league source, for the front office to acquire disgruntled Las Vegas Raiders receiver Davante Adams.

Apart from Lazard, Rodgers still lacks on-field chemistry with most of his other pass-catchers. Garrett Wilson leads the league in targets (56) but has only 33 catches for a 58.9% catch rate. Although he's second in the NFL in catches, he's the only receiver in the top 26 whose catch rate is under 60%. Lazard leads the Jets with four receiving touchdowns, but he also has the most drops (six) on the team, according to PFF. The team imagined veteran wideout Mike Williams would play a significant role, but he has only 10 catches on 14 targets.

One team source expressed caution about adding Adams, believing it could create even more chemistry issues for an already "fractured locker room."

In addition to the pass-game woes, New York's rushing offense ranks dead last in the NFL at just 80.4 yards per game. The Jets are one of only eight teams that currently averages fewer than 100 rushing yards per game. Operationally, the Jets have been a mess with 39 total penalties, the seventh-most in the NFL.

Given the defense's extended excellence, the offensive issues will continue to ripple through the rest of the roster and coaching staff until properly solved.

"I'm gonna be honest, people get tired of hearing the same (stuff)," All-Pro linebacker Quincy Williams told SNY after Sunday's loss. "People gotta take accountability from the top to the bottom. That's the main thing. That's all I gotta say for real ... People gotta start taking accountability ... I'm tired of saying the same thing every week."

Ulbrich quick hits, New York's future

Saleh is the first head coach the Jets have fired in the middle of the season in Johnson's 25-year tenure as team owner.

"This is a new day for the team, and it's a new day that's welcomed," Johnson told reporters Tuesday. "And as the team realizes what opportunity this is for them, I think they're going to go to a level we haven't seen in a while."

That's some level of optimism as the Jets turn the page to defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich as interim head coach. Ulbrich played 10 NFL seasons as a linebacker and special teamer with San Francisco from 2000-09. He previously served as Atlanta's defensive coordinator and linebackers coach before joining Saleh's staff in 2021.

The remainder of the season will be a coaching audition for Ulbrich, who served as a head coach at last season's Senior Bowl. If Ulbrich can get the team to the postseason, he could garner serious consideration for the full-time role. Last season, Antonio Pierce turned his interim stint with the Raiders into a head coaching job.

Given Ulbrich's heavy defensive background, it's likely going to take more than a midseason head-coaching switch to solve the team's issues.

Josh Tolentino is theScore's lead NFL writer.