We can already identify the coach’s first crucible. Robert Saleh might have earned his NFL reputation on the other side of the ball. He might well be in the process of building a professional and representative defense for the Jets, in fact. But he is learning, quickly, that as a head coach he has a greater responsibility.
He has a broader mission.
So the first profound challenge of Saleh’s career as a head coach is to make sure the other parts of his team do not start looking for the exits when the most important part goes sideways.
Zach Wilson went sideways Sunday.
Actually, “sideways” might be the softest euphemism ever. He was bad enough that a MetLife white-out crowd that came dying to praise him wound up booing him. He was bad enough that there was a time Sunday when he had as many interceptions (4) as completions. He was bad enough that it sure seemed like he was seeing ghosts against the Patriots, even if he would actually formally insist he did not.
“I’ve got to do better,” Wilson said after his 19-for-33, 210-yard, four-pick performance, after the Pats had drubbed the Jets 25-6 in the MetLife opener for the home team.
It isn’t an easy job being a rookie quarterback. It may well be harder being the coach of a rookie quarterback, especially when you’re a novice and a newbie yourself. But that is Saleh’s mission. He kept Wilson in the game the whole way, said he never gave a thought to pulling him. This was despite Wilson’s game-long attempt to sabotage every good thing the Jets did — and they actually did some very good things.
The offensive line was much better, allowing four sacks after six in Carolina last week, most of those the result of Wilson holding the ball too long. The defense played well, even if it did allow a couple of big plays, the biggest a 26-yard TD run by Damien Harris in which no fewer than eight different Jets had a shot to tackle him.
Really, with even adequate quarterback play this would’ve been a three-point game in the fourth quarter. Now, the Jets being the Jets, that might well have been enough to also guarantee an 0-2 start. The other members of the team weren’t about to bury their new franchise quarterback yet, not on the record, but you have to believe something:
There were times they were at least thinking about it.
“This is what we signed up for,” Wilson said, and part of that is true.
But so was this insightful observation from Michael Carter, part of a stout running game Wilson should’ve relied on more, who gained 59 yards on 11 carries. Carter was asked if this is the kind of game you just expect once in a while from a rookie quarterback.
“He doesn’t have games like this, which is why they picked him No. 2,” Carter said — more with admiration than derision. “But sometimes you get hit hard. Sometimes you fumble. Sometimes you throw picks. And you have to fight back from that.”
The most generous of Wilson’s teammates was probably defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins, who had one of the Jets’ three sacks and actually compared Wilson to a young Drew Brees.
“You want to be that guy who’s making plays and makes the crowd go wild,” Rankins said. “He’ll be fine. He wanted to do some special things.”
But Rankins also had this to say, which may be the most astute thing a Jet has ever said about this hurting operation after only two games on the job: “To change a culture is not easy, especially for a culture that has been lost for a long time.”
That, of course, is Saleh’s primary challenge, same as it’s been the job of every Jets coach going back to Charley Winner, one that’s overwhelmed all but Bill Parcells with occasional spasms of prosperity from Walt Michaels, Joe Walton, Herm Edwards and Rex Ryan. Eventually, the culture swallowed them all, and drove Parcells away.
Now, the culture includes getting a full buy-in from the whole team that games like this, games when the rookie QB’s struggles counter their own advances, don’t allow for a torturous 18-week, 17-game stroll through the gallows.
“If we get after it like that we’ll win a lot of games,” Saleh insisted. But that wasn’t the most telling thing he said. This was: “Sometimes it’s OK to be boring.”
That message was intended for Wilson. The coach has to hope the quarterback understands. Because his teammates are patient for now. But if we’re still having this conversation come Halloween …
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