Robert Saleh is an easy man to root for, but he has learned the hard way that this can be an unforgiving town where honeymoons can end abruptly, and ”All gas, no brake” saw him crashing this week on the wrong side of the intersection of Euphoria Road and Disaster Drive.
They were all but singing Glory, Glory Salehulah! when he arrived to replace Adam Gase — hailed as a breath of fresh air, a clenched fist of energy, an inspirational leader of men, a charismatic culture changer, a defensive guru and the right man at the right time for the Jets.
And he may yet prove to be.
No one should have anticipated anything more than last place in the division during a rebuilding year with a rookie quarterback and a rookie “HC of the NYJ,” so piling on Saleh right now, before we know for sure whether he is up to the job, is nothing more than poor form.
But boy, oh boy, could he use a win on Sunday over the Dolphins.
A wise philosopher named Michael Tyson once told us: “Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.”
So now, at the end of what must have felt like his personal Hell Week, Robert Saleh needs a Plan B.
It does not entail a pay-per-view bout against Rex Ryan, as much as everyone would pay top dollar for that. But the growing pains need to end sooner rather than later, and not just for Zach Wilson when he returns.
Saleh’s decision to start Joe Flacco against a blitz-crazed defense will either be judged as a stroke of genius or a panic move borne of desperation.
His gushing over Mike White and passionate defense of him on a Monday following his four-interception nightmare and thanks-for-the-fairy-tale benching on Wednesday made him look like the head cook at the Waffle House. Flacco? When did a veteran backup quarterback become such a priority all of a sudden?
Then there is the defense.
There is no defense for the defense, and that, of course, falls on him.
Yes, Saleh lost Carl Lawson and Marcus Maye, and even with all that youth and inexperience, there is no excuse for an outfit, and specifically a secondary, that has resembled the Keystone Kops.
Points allowed in their past four games: 54, 31, 45, 45. Gang Green alone could have won you your Over bet, for crying out loud. Which most Jets fans are doing these days.
Saleh needs to rediscover the motivational chops he used to upset the Titans following a 26-0 shellacking in Denver. Not to mention a game plan and in-game adjustments that won’t leave cornerbacks exposed and abandoned on an island not named for Darrelle Revis.
“I believe coaches and players are in this thing together,” Saleh said when he was introduced. “Players want two things from a coach. First, they want to know you care about their well-being. As a coach you make a personal investment in people. And two, can you help them make enough plays on Sundays for them to get paid as much as possible?”
It is time for Saleh to help them make enough plays for them to get paid as much as possible.
Can he get these players, especially his defensive players, to run through a brick wall for him for a change or at the very least resemble a professional outfit?
By the same token, it would be nice for his players who speak with reverence about Saleh’s electric meetings to uphold their end of the bargain.
This was C.J. Mosley before the start of the regular season: “He’s a person you want to be around. He has that energy that brings people closer, that makes you want to go the extra mile for him, for your teammates and for your families.”
Well, if they love him so much, let’s see them go the extra mile for Saleh, before people start thinking his first name had been changed to Embattled.
Will they have his back and fight for him?
Saleh was an eyewitness to the strength Kyle Shanahan exhibited when he lost his first nine games as the 49ers’ rookie head coach.
“Adversity will be the cement that creates and solidifies everything that you have built,” Saleh said in June.
By now, Saleh could plop the Great Wall of China (116 billion pounds, you could look it up) on his Jets cement and watch it hold.
See, the journey along the road to long-term success often isn’t “All gas, no brake.” Saleh must keep the pedal to the metal and drive to fix all that ails his reeling 2-7 team. His hiring drew universal praise and rave reviews from all around the league. This is not Rich Kotite or Ray Handley or Adam Gase. Not even close. And if you dare compare him to Rex Ryan, you know where he is.
“It’s like this is the world’s greatest honeymoon,” Saleh said over the offseason. What a shame it would be for him and for Jets fans if it ended up being one of the world’s shortest.
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