Robert Saleh is an NFL coach who does a little stand-up comedy on the side. When it comes to his Jets quarterbacks, Salih in the Catskills or the football classic “Who’s on First?” Regular by Abbott and Costello.
It’s Lou Costello, not Brian Costello, Paterson, New Jersey, but a 1940s jokester, a not-so-interesting writer from Jefferson, NJ, who asks Saleh if Mike White can foil his grand plan to get Zach Wilson back on the field. said. The coach laughed Monday and asked the writer if he was surprising him with the “backdoor hypothesis.”
Makes righteous roll yourself into a pretzel Avoiding the obvious public recognition that White might be the best bet in 2022, 2023, 2024, and more. He doesn’t even acknowledge that he’s open to the possibility that White is a better player than Wilson, regardless of their draft performances and pedigrees.
If nothing else, it provided some good comic relief after the incident Lost to the Vikings 27-22. As for Saleh’s full-time gig, nothing that happened Sunday in Minneapolis changed the fact that he’s doing a great job with his team in Year 2 of the program.
Let’s face it: most past Jets teams would have folded in the ridiculously tall building that houses the 9-2 team when they were down 17 points late in the first half. Instead, Saleh’s Jets showed fierce determination as they committed themselves to victory. How about Quincy Williams hitting TJ Hockenson?
Everything was fine except for the final score. The Jets fell to 7-5, 8-4 when they were inches and fingertips away, and if they miss the playoffs, it will haunt them for a while.
The atmosphere at U.S. Bank Stadium, Saleh said, was “as close to playoff football as you can get.” He reiterated that if the Jets continue to play with the gritty spirit they showed in the second half, they will be rewarded.
“I’m very confident in the growth we’ll get from that game,” he said.
Let’s see the growth in Buffalo on Sunday. Let’s see if the Jets apply the lessons they learned against the Vikings in their next game against the 9-3 Bills, the top seed in the AFC.
There are jets already beat Buffalo at home, with Wilson at quarterback. But if they can complete a season sweep of their division rivals in a game with key playoff implications for both sides, the Jets will do more than neutralize New England’s sweep of them.
They send a message to the rest of the league that they can be a dangerous contender in the postseason. They send the message that they can do almost anything, including a trip to the AFC Championship Game and (dare we say it).
The flip side, of course, is that if the Patriots beat the Cardinals, a second loss would put them in last place in the AFC East. But while Saleh praised Buffalo, calling Josh Allen “superman at quarterback,” the Jets have the talent and temperament to overcome this unfortunate scenario.
They have a kicker who can hit 60 yards and their defense remains among the best in the sport. On the other side of the ball is rookie Garrett Wilson an emerging superstarthe kind that can dominate a playoff game.
On an even bigger note, the Jets found a quarterback whose fearless approach and ability to bounce back from big hits inspires his teammates. Veteran offensive lineman Dwayne Brown talked about his fourth-down pass to Corey Davis after White was pancaked by Danielle Hunter. “A game like this shows me what he’s made of,” Brown said. “Never hesitate. The team recognizes it and everyone responds to it.”
Veteran guard Laken Tomlinson called White’s toughness “really unbelievable,” and Ian impressive order of assembly “Gives confidence to the guys around him.” The day before, Garrett Wilson offered the following: “I know I’m going to war for this kid. It has its own characteristics.”
Looks like the quarterback that could lead the Jets to their first road win over a winning team.
“I feel like people have respect,” Brown said. “I think people will understand that we are right and that we are a team to be reckoned with. … [A victory] adds to how people feel about us.”
It adds a ton.
“We’re going to play our style of football,” Tomlinson said, “and show the world what kind of team we are.”
Yes, the Jets should go ahead and do it. They need to win the game in Buffalo, sweep the Bills and prove that anything is possible for them in the Super Bowl.