Woody Johnson shouldn’t fire Joe Douglas or Robert Saleh

[BP]

https://nypost.com/2023/01/05/woody-johnson-shouldnt-fire-joe-douglas-or-robert-saleh/

Don’t do it woody

Resist the urge to channel your inner George Steinbrenner and start firing people. Instead, imitate another George that used to work for the Yankees — George Costanza and do the opposite of what your instincts tell you to do.

By all accounts, Jets owner Woody Johnson is fuming with how this season has ended. Five straight losses will do that.

Johnson should be upset and that anger might only grow Sunday if the Jets lose to the Dolphins and end the year on a six-game skid. But when Johnson evaluates the 2022 Jets season and his front office and coaching staff, he needs to remove the emotion and ask himself: Is this team better than it was two years ago when Robert Saleh was hired? Is this team better than one year ago?

The answer to both of those questions is a resounding “Yes” and Johnson needs to see that.

General manager Joe Douglas and coach Robert Saleh have the Jets heading in the right direction. They have built a top defense. They have two young offensive skill players to build around in Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall. They have a giant hole at quarterback that Douglas has to answer for, but it should not mean he gets a pink slip.

Saleh has shown leadership throughout his two years here. He deftly handled the Elijah Moore trade demand this season and has reenergized the franchise. When Johnson sits him down for the season analysis, Saleh needs to explain how his team faded so badly down the stretch.

Then, there is offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur. He seems to be the man the bull’s-eye has landed on now. The Jets have scored just four touchdowns in five games and fans are calling for his head. On Thursday, LaFleur took the blame, repeating that the offensive problems start with him.

When asked why he is the right man for the job, LaFleur said: “I’m going to respectfully not answer that question. My words don’t matter there. I really mean that. I’m going to give everything I’ve got for these players and this organization. That’s all you can do.”

With the way the offense has performed, I understand the argument to get rid of LaFleur, but I don’t agree with it. LaFleur is not the main problem with this offense. He has gotten poor quarterback play for nearly the entire two years he has been here. When you watch the game film, receivers are open but Jets quarterbacks simply can’t hit them. When the quarterbacks have played well, LaFleur’s offense has moved the ball and scored points. It just has not happened frequently enough.
 

It is not just a quarterback issue. LaFleur’s offense also was dealt a massive blow in October when Hall and offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker were lost to season-ending injuries on back-to-back offensive plays in Denver. The Jets had found an offensive identity through their running game and that disappeared when they lost two of their best players.

There are certainly things LaFleur needs to improve on — sometimes he gets too pass happy, his red-zone play-calling and questionable deployment of his wide receivers early in the season — but remember he is in his second year as an offensive coordinator. Just like a young player, you have to give him time to grow. Give him a third season with a good quarterback and see what happens. If you want to add a veteran coach to the staff to help him, go for it.
 

The other element of this is: who do you think is coming here to replace LaFleur? Any coach with options is not coming to the Jets. Saleh is going to be entering a make-or-break year. The Jets don’t have a quarterback and won’t have one in January when someone needs to be hired. You think Frank Reich is signing up for that to rebuild his reputation?

It’s also time for the Jets to embrace stability for a change. The Jets have changed offensive coordinators more frequently then Spinal Tap replaced drummers. I’m still waiting for one to spontaneously combust. Since 2011, the Jets have had eight offensive coordinators. No one hired since then has lasted more than two years in the job.
 

The Jets decided to go young in 2021 and try to grow that way. They need to stick with that plan. Do you think learning a new offense is going to help young players?

The Jets need to fix the quarterback position this offseason and improve the offensive line. That needs to be where Johnson’s focus is right now, not which coach he should fire.
 

Woody, you may get the urge to send people packing on Monday.

Don’t do it.
 

  Lou Costello 

[BP]

Just now, BP said:

Saleh has shown leadership throughout his two years here

 

1 minute ago, BP said:

When asked why he is the right man for the job, LaFleur said: “I’m going to respectfully not answer that question. My words don’t matter there. I really mean that. I’m going to give everything I’ve got for these players and this organization. That’s all you can do.”

 

[BP]

[JetsFanatic]

There is no way Joe Douglas is being fired nor should he.

As for Saleh I doubt very much Woody would fire him, the only slight doubt I have is if Saleh is pressed to change the OC but refused to do so.

[Irish Jet]

16 minutes ago, JetsFanatic said:

There is no way Joe Douglas is being fired nor should he.

As for Saleh I doubt very much Woody would fire him, the only slight doubt I have is if Saleh is pressed to change the OC but refused to do so.

Douglas is even more responsible for this mess than Saleh. Who saddled the coach to the worst QB in the NFL? Who missed wildly on the OL despite investing a ton of capital into it?

If we lose badly on Sunday then the Jets should clean house. We will likely be high up enough in the draft to make a play for a QB, something we know the current staff will not do because of their desperation to win now.

We'll box ourselves out of the most likely avenue to a franchise QB and grossly overspend on Derek Carr all because their incompetence has put them on the hot seat. This is the sort of sh*t that sets a franchise back years. We'd be better pulling the trigger now. 

 

[JetsFanatic]

4 hours ago, Irish Jet said:

Douglas is even more responsible for this mess than Saleh. Who saddled the coach to the worst QB in the NFL? Who missed wildly on the OL despite investing a ton of capital into it?

If we lose badly on Sunday then the Jets should clean house. We will likely be high up enough in the draft to make a play for a QB, something we know the current staff will not do because of their desperation to win now.

We'll box ourselves out of the most likely avenue to a franchise QB and grossly overspend on Derek Carr all because their incompetence has put them on the hot seat. This is the sort of sh*t that sets a franchise back years. We'd be better pulling the trigger now. 

 

He gave us the best draft this team ever had in 2022. He tore down the garbage that Mac left him. He has not saddled us with bad contracts like his his predecessor did. There is definitely a ton more young talent on this team than when he took over.

It would be a huge mistake to fire him and start over yet again. 

[CanadienJetsFan]

If JD’s plan going forward is to buy a veteran QB, then there’s zero reason to keep Saleh. Only the signing of Garoppolo keeps Saleh and Lafleur at Florham park.

[heymangold]

if there are firings, they're all getting fired.  i don't see woody making the mistake of not aligning GM/HC again.  i could see lafluer being the scapegoat here.

[Biggs]

If Woody decideds to fire Saleh, Joe D should resign.  If Woody decideds to fire Lefleur, Saleh should resign.

Woody needs to fire Joe D or let Joe D deal with the HC who deals with his staff.

There's a way to do things that includes taking into consideration the chain of command.  If Woody decides to castrate either Saleh or JD they should walk immediately.   

[JiFtheOracle]

The idea that Woody is upset or angry or expects more is hilarious. He couldnt careless, as long as he's making money....and he is making plenty.

[Integrity28]

38 minutes ago, heymangold said:

if there are firings, they're all getting fired.  i don't see woody making the mistake of not aligning GM/HC again.  i could see lafluer being the scapegoat here.

I can 100% see Woody taking the half measure. I mean, we are consistently one of the worst teams in the league due to a long history of the owner taking half measure and beginning each new regime with arranged marriages. So, effectively the front office is built for blaming not fixing right from day one.

[Irish Jet]

35 minutes ago, JetsFanatic said:

He gave us the best draft this team ever had in 2022. He tore down the garbage that Mac left him. He has not saddled us with bad contracts like his to his predecessor did. There is definitely a ton more young talent on this team than when he took over.

It would be a huge mistake to fire him and start over yet again. 

Buddy if Atlanta selected Garrett Wilson we'd have taken Jermaine f*cking Johnson 10th overall. We drafted well but we got hugely fortunate that the draft fell how it did. Stingley going before Sauce was another madness. 

For all the garbage that he tore down our best player is still a Mac guyr. Robert Saleh's favourite Jets is also a Mac guy and all indications are that we're about to double down on that bad contract. 

He's had plenty of bad contracts also - Just because they haven't been as lasting as Mac's doesn't make the money any less wasted or the alternatives less damning. We're paying Duane Brown $11m per year to play significantly worse than Morgan Moses who's earning less than half of that in Baltimore. Debacle. 

This is the year the bad contracts will come, when the good will is gone and the desperation is in the air. Watch us make Carr or Garoppolo some of the highest paid QB's in the league to play at a borderline top 20 level. Hurrah. 

 

 

[Integrity28]

Just now, JiFields said:

The idea that Woody is upset or angry or expects more is hilarious. He couldnt careless, as long as he's making money....and he is making plenty.

This is also true. Woody doesn’t take initiative, he wouldn’t fire them based on his own view, he caves in to pressure and optics. There’s a reason Trump and Kraft shipped him off to Europe to play sycophant errand boy. He is spineless.

[BP]

4 minutes ago, Integrity28 said:

This is also true. Woody doesn’t take initiative, he wouldn’t fire them based on his own view, he caves in to pressure and optics. There’s a reason Trump and Kraft shipped him off to Europe to play sycophant errand boy. He is spineless.

Every GM he has hired in his 22 years of ownership are out of football after their tenure with the Jets. I think Bowles is the only head coach he’s had that’s not out of football after their Jets tenure. LMAO that should tell him something. Tannenbaum was probably the best gm we had in the last 20 years and woody fired him.

[Jet Nut]

4 hours ago, Irish Jet said:

We're paying Duane Brown $11m per year to play significantly worse than Morgan Moses who's earning less than half of that in Baltimore.

The same Morgan Moses who’s been a turnstile in Baltimore? 
Duane Brown who was signed because of injuries? 

Whos played his ass off with one arm.  This is what you’re complaining about, other than you can’t even give him credit for drafting GW and are dreaming up players he would have drafted if GW weren’t available and blaming him for your imaginary draft.  That’s a new one.

[GangGreened]

Nah. Don’t fire anyone. Don’t force any changes.

Fire them in 2024 if they can’t produce next year. Both of them.

[Ghost420]

1 hour ago, Irish Jet said:

Douglas is even more responsible for this mess than Saleh. Who saddled the coach to the worst QB in the NFL? Who missed wildly on the OL despite investing a ton of capital into it?

If we lose badly on Sunday then the Jets should clean house. We will likely be high up enough in the draft to make a play for a QB, something we know the current staff will not do because of their desperation to win now.

We'll box ourselves out of the most likely avenue to a franchise QB and grossly overspend on Derek Carr all because their incompetence has put them on the hot seat. This is the sort of sh*t that sets a franchise back years. We'd be better pulling the trigger now. 

 

Don't think there's any franchise qb where we will be picking this yr. Will Levis ain't it.

[Ghost420]

2 minutes ago, GangGreened said:

Nah. Don’t fire anyone. Don’t force any changes.

Fire them in 2024 if they can’t produce next year. Both of them.

The OC needs to go at the very least.

 

[Ron Rico]

2 hours ago, BP said:

.

[Irish Jet]

2 minutes ago, Ghost420 said:

Don't think there's any franchise qb where we will be picking this yr. Will Levis ain't it.

Who knows?

The internet hates him as a prospect almost as much as they hated Herbert and Allen. 

[GangGreened]

1 minute ago, Ghost420 said:

The OC needs to go at the very least.

 

I’d let Saleh decide that. I hate the idea of forcing coordinators on a HC. If Saleh can’t see it himself he’s no good.

[JetPotato]

This thread should be pinned so it can be easily found again in one year when all of these guys do get fired. 2023 is going to be another lost year.

[GangGreened]

1 minute ago, Irish Jet said:

Who knows?

The internet hates him as a prospect almost as much as they hated Herbert and Allen. 

At this point I feel like the Douglas should scout QBs hard and go with the one he likes the least. Maybe that will work for us.

[PFSIKH]

2 hours ago, BP said:

 

 

 

2 hours ago, BP said:

Quoting yourself if breaking the 4th wall right?

[Integrity28]

14 minutes ago, BP said:

Every GM he has hired in his 22 years of ownership are out of football after their tenure with the Jets. I think Bowles is the only head coach he’s had that’s not out of football after their Jets tenure. LMAO that should tell him something. Tannenbaum was probably the best gm we had in the last 20 years and woody fired him.

Agree on Tanny, but he got fired specifically because Rex threw him under the bus. Hence my other oint about blame culture and Woody acting on what he’s told to do, not what he thinks.

[jamesr]

If we had started 0-5 and went 7-4 down the stretch, the optics would be entirely different. Same end result, just a different perception of how we got there. Detroit and Jax are the darlings of the league right now because everyone has forgotten their poor starts - bears no relation to whether or not they start slow again next year.

Now - was it injuries that did us in, or a decline in coaching and / or team morale? Who knows. But how many times do you see the strong finish translate to zero the following year? (Hello Adam Gase and a 6-2 stretch run).

If it's felt there's a situation where stuff just isn't working - like MiLF not being "the guy" on offense - then sure, make that change. But cleaning house because we didn't quite make the playoffs after two abysmal years of results? That's throwing the baby out with the bath water in my book.

 

[Joe W. Namath]

Of course both are coming back.  Everyone is coming back.  We have the brightest young GM, HC, OC and DC in the league.  Multiple Super Bowls are coming our way under these guys.

Patience Jet fans.  We are headed in the right direction.

[Biggs]

1 minute ago, Joe W. Namath said:

Of course both are coming back.  Everyone is coming back.  We have the brightest young GM, HC, OC and DC in the league.  Multiple Super Bowls are coming our way under these guys.

Patience Jet fans.  We are headed in the right direction.

If the world is flat were going to fall off the edge.  If it's round the Jets are going in a circle. 

[BP]

18 minutes ago, PFSIKH said:

 

Quoting yourself if breaking the 4th wall right?

I’m not quoting myself, Mr. Pats Fan Stuck In Kansas Hell. I’m pulling them from louie Costellos article. How you been? Haven’t seen you in a while.

[Irish Jet]

6 minutes ago, Joe W. Namath said:

Of course both are coming back.  Everyone is coming back.  We have the brightest young GM, HC, OC and DC in the league.  Multiple Super Bowls are coming our way under these guys.

Patience Jet fans.  We are headed in the right direction.

"Superbowl 2023" - Joe W. Namath

#JoeliedJetsfansdied

[Sperm Edwards]

2 hours ago, BP said:

This article proves he was just as funny without straight-man Abbott setting him up.

Comedy gold.

[Ron Rico]

 

[BP]

4 minutes ago, Coquito said:

 

  “super fan” he is the team mascot, nothing else. @Maxman is the real super fan. He shows up and pays to see this sh*t show week after week and year after year and supplies us with this site and gets zero nominations for the prestigious super fan hof.

[The Crusher]

18 minutes ago, Joe W. Namath said:

Of course both are coming back.  Everyone is coming back.  We have the brightest young GM, HC, OC and DC in the league.  Multiple Super Bowls are coming our way under these guys.

Patience Jet fans.  We are headed in the right direction.

We lost our last 6 games. We scored 6 points last game. We basically deactivated our overall #2 drafted QB last 3rd of the season. Two of our receivers asked to be traded while we were still winning. 
 

Giants first year coach with a lesser roster has them in the playoffs.  

[JiFtheOracle]

36 minutes ago, Integrity28 said:

This is also true. Woody doesn’t take initiative, he wouldn’t fire them based on his own view, he caves in to pressure and optics. There’s a reason Trump and Kraft shipped him off to Europe to play sycophant errand boy. He is spineless.

This team hasnt made the playoffs in 12 years, they are arguably the worst franchise in all of sports and you havent heard a peep out of him in a decade, the idea he even slightly cares about this team success is just hysterical to me.  Truth is, he's probably sitting in his suite laughing at the suckers who pay for this dog sh*t product every week.