New York fired its coach five games into the season in an attempt to shake things up after a rocky start.
— In what turned out to be his final news conference as head coach of the New York Jets, Robert Saleh told reporters Monday morning, « I’m not panicked. Nobody in the building is panicked. »
He was wrong.
Twenty-four hours later, owner Woody Johnson entered the building and informed Saleh he was being terminated after a 2-3 start to the season — the first in-season, head-coaching move in Johnson’s 25 years of ownership.
Obvious question: Will this move — stunning and unprecedented — change anything?
Will replacing a defensive-minded coach with a defensive-minded interim (defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich) revitalize a team whose greatest failing is the offense?
Embattled offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett wasn’t fired with Saleh, according to a team source, but his status remains up in the air. It’s possible that he could be stripped of his playcalling responsibilities, with the job going to passing game coordinator Todd Downing. That will be Ulbrich’s decision. Hackett is, of course, best buddies with quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who wields considerable influence within the organization.
The decision to fire Saleh belonged to Johnson, a team source said, and the reason is because he wanted to try something to save the season before it got away from them, like so many others have. They haven’t made the playoffs in 13 years, the NFL’s longest active drought.
« This was not an easy decision, but we are not where we should be given our expectations, and I believe now is the best time for us to move in a different direction », Johnson said in a statement.
Johnson went on to say that Ulbrich and « the coaches on this staff can get the most out of our talented team and attain the goals we established this offseason. »
The 77-year-old owner is hoping for a little Las Vegas-like luck.
