Getty New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh reacting in the middle of an NFL game.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco and wide receiver Elijah Moore will live out the dream of the under-appreciated man on Thursday, when they get the chance to stick it to head coach Robert Saleh and the New York Jets.
Saleh supplied both Browns starters some bulletin board material this week when asked about the prospect of facing Flacco, who he never called about rejoining the Jets after three years together, and Moore, who he utilized sparingly before trading away to Cleveland.
The Jets coach offered the qualifiers that Flacco is “awesome” and that he has the “utmost respect” for him, before promptly comparing the quarterback to a sputtering, unattractive vehicle on its last legs.
#Jets HC Robert Saleh was asked about the success Joe Flacco (@JoeFlacco) has found with the #Browns this season:
‘I’ve said it before, he’s like a Ford pickup truck, you might not like it in the summer but in the winter months that son of a gun starts humming’ 🤣
🎥 @nyjets…
“I’ve said it before, he’s like a Ford pickup truck,” Saleh said of Flacco. “You might not like it in the summer, but in the winter months that son of a gun starts humming.”
Robert Saleh Doesn’t Regret Bailing on Joe Flacco, Despite QB’s Success with Browns
GettyQuarterback Joe Flacco of the Cleveland Browns spent the last three seasons as a backup with the New York Jets.
While Flacco is now the starter for what is almost guaranteed to be a playoff team in Cleveland, the Jets have fumbled through a parade of unsuccessful backup quarterbacks following a Week-1 Achilles tear suffered by Aaron Rodgers — New York’s latest purported savior who proved unable to deliver the hapless franchise to the promised land.
Those QBs include Zach Wilson, a former No. 2 overall pick made by Saleh in 2021 — his first season at the helm of the organization.
Despite that, Saleh told “Newsday” that he doesn’t regret parting with Flacco who has been a borderline elite signal-caller over four starts (3-1) in Cleveland.
“I don’t think I ever let myself go there,” Saleh said. “It’s just the decision we made in terms of the quarterback room and the way we developed it over the course of OTAs and training camp. It was just a decision we made.”
Reporters asked Flacco on Wednesday about Saleh’s choice not to ring him up before the season.
“Is what it is. Happy to be where I am. Lots of guys in that locker room I respect,” Flacco said, per Zac Jackson of The Athletic. “The only reason it crossed my mind is because people asked me, ‘Hey, are the Jets gonna call you?'”
Luckily for Flacco, the Jets didn’t call but the Browns did. The QB has thrown for 1,307 yards, 10 touchdowns and 7 interceptions (several of which weren’t his fault) across four starts in Cleveland, per Pro Football Reference. The former Super Bowl MVP is also a near lock to start his first playoff game since 2014 when he played for the Baltimore Ravens.
Robert Saleh Brushes Off Elijah Moore Questions Ahead of Revenge Game
GettyWide receiver Elijah Moore of the Cleveland Browns.
While Saleh was at least partially complimentary of Flacco — perhaps in an effort to mask what was clearly a coaching miscalculation on his part by letting the QB go in favor of players like Tim Boyle and Trevor Siemian — he brushed off questions about Moore the same way he brushed off the receiver during their years together in New York.
Saleh on why it didn’t work out with Elijah Moore: “Probably a conversation for another day.” #Jets
“Saleh on why it didn’t work out with Elijah Moore: ‘Probably a conversation for another day,'” Rich Cimini of ESPN posted to X on Wednesday.
Moore played two seasons in New York before the Jets traded him to Cleveland for a pick swap that flipped the Jets’ No. 74 pick for the Browns’ No. 42 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Moore has already set career-highs in Cleveland during his third professional season, amassing 54 catches for 579 yards across 15 games played, which includes 10 starts. The receiver’s one touchdown for the Browns this year is not a career high, though it does tie the scoring production he posted in 2022 with the Jets across 16 appearances.
Cleveland has valued and utilized Moore to a significantly greater degree than did New York, as Browns QBs have targeted the wideout 98 times in 2023. Jets QBs targeted Moore 77 times during his rookie campaign and 65 times last year.
The Browns, on the brink of clinching an AFC playoff spot, will host the Jets in Cleveland’s final home game of the season on Thursday Night Football at 8:15 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.