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This statement by the head coach created a lot of buzz . . .
“In my opinion, 32 coaches stand in front of their teams every year, talk about winning a championship and then realistically there’s maybe six or eight teams that have an actual chance to do it, and I do think we are one of those teams,” Robert Saleh said earlier this week. “But none of it matters unless we take care of it today.”
This statement surprised former NFL GM Mike Lombardi, now an analyst with VSIN, and he was highly critical of Saleh for saying it.
The following on Lombardi’s thoughts on that quote:
“When Saleh made those comments that he’s one of the 6-8 teams, I think it was one of the most ridiculous things I’ve heard this off-season, considering the franchise he represents has only been in the playoffs 13 times since the Super Bowl in 1968, the franchise he represents hasn’t been to the playoffs since 2010, so it’s not like he’s working in a culture that understands championships.
“He has won two AFC East games in two years. All this could change, but to me, he’s getting himself ahead of his skis. Why are they one of eight teams, because they acquired Aaron Rodgers, because they acquired one player? They are that good of a team.
“They say the players have to improve. It’s important to get better production from the quarterback, it’s important to get better production from the left tackle, how about better production from the head coach? Are we sure he’s a really good head coach? Are we sure he’s grown into the job? Are we sure he’s ready to be one of those eight? It’s a little presumptuous.
“This is a guy who goes into a press conference without a prepared statement, without a prepared plan. He’s just winging it. In one sense, he’s talking about how they are one of the 6-8 best teams and then he says we need to just focus on today.
“There is no reason for you to talk about the Jets being a Super Bowl contending team when you haven’t made the playoffs since 2010, when you haven’t beaten any team twice in the AFC East, when you have been to the playoffs 13 times since 1968.
“His approach should be, ‘Look, we are trying to come together as a team, trying to incorporate Aaron Rodgers. We’ve got to build on a lot of things. We are nowhere near where we need to be. This is going to be a work in progress.’ That is what you talk about today. You don’t talk about today and then say you’re one of the best teams. I think he has won 11 games in two years.
“He has put the pressure on the players when the pressure should be on the head coach. He should take responsibility. It’s your job as a head coach to teach your team how to be a champion. It’s not your job as the head coach to assume they understand how to be a champion. Becoming a champion is an evolution.”
May 26, 2023
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