By Marvin Moore November 10, 2023
The New York Jets are in a three-way tie for ninth place in the ultra-competitive AFC with a mediocre 4-4 card. But it didn’t have to be this way. Anyone with an iota of football acumen knows that Zach Wilson does not give New York the “best” chance to make the playoffs. Unfortunately for Gang Green fans, everyone except Jets general manager Joe Douglas and head coach Robert Saleh understand that the Jets need a competent quarterback.
Don’t get me wrong. I still believe that Wilson has a chance to develop into a starting NFL signal-caller. However, the 24-year-old is a work in progress. He should be watching and learning from the sidelines instead of ruining the Jets’ playoff chances with on-the-job training. But I don’t blame Wilson. The buck begins and ends with Douglas and Saleh.
Wilson has tallied an 11-18 record since New York drafted him with the second overall pick two years ago. Last season, he was benched several times and replaced by Mike White, Joe Flacco, and Chris Streveler. While the former BYU standout has made strides this season, his time under center has still been a disaster.
The Jets offense has scored more than one touchdown in just one game this season. Nope, that’s not a misprint. Kicker Greg Zuerlein has attempted only six extra points in seven contests. New York ranks last in the NFL in converting third downs and scoring points in the red zone. The offense is not just bad. It’s extremely bad.
Douglas has won 20 of 66 games during his tenure with the Jets. To say he dropped the ball by not acquiring a starting quarterback after Aaron Rodgers went down in the season opener is an understatement. The Jets should be contenders for a playoff spot. Instead, they are pretenders with little chance of reaching the postseason.
The Minnesota Vikings opened the season with three straight losses before Kirk Cousins led the NFC North squad to wins in four out of five games. But the Vikings’ faint playoff hopes were derailed when Cousins suffered a season-ending injury. But unlike Douglas, Minnesota GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah sent the Arizona Cardinals a sixth-round pick for journeyman quarterback Josh Dobbs and a conditional seventh-round pick.
The trade paid off big-time for the Vikings as Dobbs accounted for three touchdowns in a 31–28 come-from-behind victory over the Atlanta Falcons. He also became the first quarterback in NFL history with consecutive three-touchdown games for different teams. Minnesota might not make the playoffs. But Dobbs gives the franchise a better chance than Wilson offers the Jets.
Saleh is also guilty of malfeasance. The former defensive coordinator should know that Wilson is not a playoff-caliber quarterback. The third-year coach has a 15-27 record and has tied his future to a youngster that he has demoted on several occasions. Regardless of whether Douglas decided to stand pat and ride or die with Wilson, Saleh should have grown a backbone. Now, both deserve the axe for their incompetence.
Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman did not pull any punches after watching the Jets fall to the Los Angeles Chargers this past Monday night.
“They’re great on defense, and I thought the defense was terrific again tonight,” said the three-time Super Bowl champion. “Is that a good football team we watched tonight?
“No. I think they’re a bad team with a great defense is what I think they are. I don’t know if they were a playoff team coming in. I didn’t see anything tonight that suggests they’re a playoff team.”
Sure, the Jets have endured a rash of injuries this season. But that is the nature of the game. My problem with Douglas and Saleh is the lack of adjustments made after the injuries. The undynamic duo have done nothing and deserve to be fired for guiding a legitimate Super Bowl contender into a dark abyss.
