Getty New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh reacting in the middle of an NFL game.
The offensive line remains an issue for the New York Jets.
Head coach Robert Saleh confirmed that during a viral rant that was featured on the second episode of HBO’s “Hard Knocks” on Tuesday August 15.
“Offense, guys it was our first f****** opportunity to change the stink that has been in this organization for a very long time on the offensive side of the ball. You can have a Hall of Fame quarterback, you can have two $10 million dollar plus receivers, you can have a reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year, you can have all kinds of skill in the running back room, [but] none of it f****** matters until the big boys upfront change who the f*** we are,” Saleh said.
“We as coaches, we as an organization can’t want it more than you. I’m watching that tape all night last night trying to find something to show that we’re f****** changing and it didn’t show. That was our first opp. I’d love to say we got another practice, but you know what? It’s like Sunday, you don’t get Monday morning and go re-do. It’s getting your mind right to represent who the f*** you are every single f****** time that you’re on the f****** field.
We’ll fix footwork, we’ll fix all that s*** but you can’t fix s*** until we know that you’re giving everything you got. Making it f****** hurt, straining and fighting for everything you f****** got because we will go, as you go,” Saleh continued.
Saleh ended his rant by saying, “we proved last year that we’re a 7-10 football team with a really f****** defense and a mediocre offense. That’s about what we proved. Flip that f****** s***. We don’t get any more second chances.”
Jets-Carolina Panthers Joint Practice Root of Saleh’s Rant
The Jets had a joint practice scheduled with the Carolina Panthers ahead of the Saturday August 12 preseason game.
Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic said the offensive line had a “rough day” during that practice and the “Hard Knocks” cameras showed a frustrated Aaron Rodgers on multiple occasions sharing his displeasure.
A-Rod got sacked on a play and Saleh screamed, “f*****!” Rodgers added in, “can we f****** block anybody upfront?”
As Saleh was walking off the practice field he said, “God I just felt no juice from our guys. We’re missing something buddy, we’re missing something. We are not ready to play football.”
The next day Saleh gathered the roster together for a meeting at the team hotel in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
Saleh showed a lot of emotion about the offensive line, but his biggest criticism of the unit was their seeming lack of effort against the Panthers.
Rodgers’ Influence on Zach Wilson Was on Full Display on ‘Hard Knocks’
Zach Wilson and Rodgers have only been around each other for a handful of months, but the budding relationship is already bearing fruit.
During the Jets-Panthers preseason game, Wilson was able to draw the Panthers offsides with his cadence, a vintage Rodgers move, but the refs blew the play dead.
Wilson emphatically reacted on the field and Rodgers was on the sideline barking at the officials begging them to let the play go.
I noticed this during the game SO GLAD #HardKnocks gave it spotlight on the show. #Jets QB Zach Wilson attempted his best Aaron Rodgers impression drawing a #Panthers defender offsides which should have resulted in a free play but the refs inexplicably blew it dead. @espnbob,…
It was a small moment that a lot of people may have overlooked, but it just goes to show that Wilson has been learning a few things from the elder statesmen on the roster.