Monday night may have been a continuous debacle for the New York Jets offense, but that doesn’t mean any changes are on the horizon.
Speaking to reporters Tuesday afternoon following his team’s 27-6 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, head coach Robert Saleh reaffirmed New York’s commitment to Zach Wilson, while also quelling any potential concern that a quarterback change may be coming.
“It’s lazy to just put it all on him,” Saleh explained. “He’s the tone setter in terms of the pacesetter about getting guys in and out of the huddle, the line of scrimmage…but at the same time, I’ve also been very adamant that it is a team sport. Everyone around him has to help him too. There’s only so many things that the quarterback has control over.”
Saleh later explained that there would be no changes to the offensive play-caller (Nathaniel Hackett) or the quarterback position. While asked about practice squad veteran Trevor Siemian, New York’s head coach was consistent that the big issues surrounding his wounded offense were more than just at quarterback.
His comments certainly had merit to a point in Monday’s loss. New York turned the ball over three different times on fumbles. While two belonged to the quarterback, the first game-changing play was when Garrett Wilson fumbled while running upfield on the second possession of the game. Allen Lazard certainly didn’t help things either. He was called for more penalties and drops than actual catches in the Jets’ loss.
Add in poor play-calls and bad execution along the offensive line, and there was plenty of fault from everyone within the organization.
“As you watch the game, as you go through it, a lot of good things, but a lot of inconsistency,” Saleh explained. “Especially from an execution standpoint in penalties, drop balls. It was just sloppy…there’s enough blame to go around to everybody.”
New York’s skill positions may not have played well, but the quarterback position will be highlighted the most. As improved as Wilson has been from a week-to-week standpoint, his struggles on Monday night were a big reason for the Jets’ in-game struggles. Wilson was sacked eight times – the majority a case of him holding the ball too long – and struggled to consistently find open players.
Saleh may have defended his quarterback from a media looking for offensive answers, but he didn’t sugarcoat the quarterback’s struggles either.
“He has a lot of things that he needs to improve on and I know he understands that, but at the same time, this is collective,” Saleh stated.
The Jets have a major offensive problem on their hands though regardless of the quarterback. They have yet to score a touchdown on a drive that started on their own side of the field since Week 5 and have yet to have a multi-play offensive touchdown drive start from their side since Week 4. Their 75-12 score differential in the first quarter is the worst in football, while their third-down and red-zone offense is reaching NFL history levels are bad.
So where do the Jets go from here? New York isn’t making any changes at quarterback or play-caller. New wrinkles have been implemented at times from last week, but there are serious questions surrounding whether Gang Green can produce at a high level offensively for the remainder of the year.
The message from the coaching staff?
Stay the course and keep pounding.
“It seems like insanity, but when you are backed in a corner you have to keep swinging, you have to keep trying to find ways to get better, you have to find ways to be more efficient,” Saleh concluded.
If the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again while expecting different results, the Jets are at a crossroads. The more consistent the struggles on offense become, the louder the noise for a quarterback change becomes.
Saleh and the Jets staff may believe that staying the course will fix their issues, but if major changes aren’t made now, there could be major changes waiting for this organization after the 2023 regular season.
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