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These are important words . . .
Robert Saleh, during a recent appearance on NFL Network, was asked about the Jets getting six nationally televised games.
“It’s an exciting time,” Saleh said. “It’s exciting. It’s not going to be monotonous with all the 1 p.m. starts we’re used to. Change is good. But again, we have to take it one game at a time.
“We acknowledge the fact that there’s a lot of excitement around the team, and the talk outside the building, what with what we’re capable of and all the expectations, which is fine. And we are capable of doing a lot of really cool things.
“We have to take care of the moment and we still got to take care of where we are at each moment, dominate the day to day and just find ways to get better every day. I know it’s a clichĂ©. We already knew who our opponents would be on the schedule [AFC East, AFC West, NFC East and fourth-place teams from NFC South and AFC North]. None of it matters.”
He nailed this answer.
Mike North and the schedulers in the NFL league office can put them on primetime six times, but what does it really mean?
It has nothing to do with the won-loss record.
You aren’t going to see in the division standings, the team record, and then another category next to it – National TV Appearances that you get a point for.
All we know right now is the Jets are a team that lost their last six games last year to finish 7-10 and out of the playoffs.
Yes, they have acquired Aaron Rodgers, one of the all-time great quarterbacks, but he has never played a game with them before. We can guess, like North and company did, the Jets will be much-improved this year, and a playoff contender.
But you can’t just roll the ball out and win because Rodgers is your QB.
We saw that isn’t the case last year with the 8-9 Green Bay Packers.
The Jets have a lot of work to do this spring and summer to put themselves in the position to be a good team.
Rodgers being in Florham Park for the Jets’ spring practices should help them a great deal. He wasn’t in Green Bay for the spring practices last year (aside from the mandatory veteran minicamp), and it might have impacted the results.
“Not surprisingly, the Packers started the 2022 season slowly, with Rodgers struggling to develop chemistry with his new receivers — and often appearing visibly frustrated by the rookies,” wrote Mike Silver for Ballys Sport. “It was almost worse that Rodgers seemed to turn it on down the stretch, leading Green Bay to four consecutive victories with its season on the line before losing to the Detroit Lions on the final Sunday of the regular season, a defeat that cost the Packers a playoff berth.
“Some of Rodgers’ bosses felt that the late run proved their point — that had the quarterback been so invested from the get-go, the season would have proceeded far differently.”
So you are seeing that investment this year with the Jets, which should help the Jets’ chances.
On defense, they have a lot to improve upon from last year, like run defense up the middle, along with linebacker/safety pass coverage.
So it’s important right now for the players and coaches to ignore the hype, and Saleh is doing a good job sending that message.
“If we don’t take care of today, tomorrow won’t matter,” Saleh said.
Saleh’s messaging after the Jets schedule was announced is another example of his growth as a coach entering Year Three.
May 17, 2023
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