This week’s episode of Hard Knocks included a look at the Jets’ joint practice with the Panthers last week and Jets head coach Robert Saleh’s response to how the team’s offensive line fared in that session.
Carolina’s defensive front got the better of the Jets during that session and cameras were in the team’s meeting room when Saleh dressed down the offensive line. Saleh said that the Jets “proved last year that we’re a 7-10 football team with a really fucking good defense and a mediocre offense” and that the addition of Aaron Rodgers and presence of other talented skill position players isn’t going to change that if the team’s linemen don’t do their part.
“Offense, it was our first fucking opportunity to change the stink that’s been in this organization for a very long time on the offensive side of the ball,” Saleh said. “You can have a Hall of Fame quarterback. You can have two $10 million-plus receivers. You can have a reigning offensive rookie of the year. You can have all kinds of skill in the running back room. None of it fucking matters until the big boys up front change who the fuck we are. We as coaches, we as an organization can’t want it more than you.”
It’s not the first time that the need for better line play has come up with the Jets this offseason and it will remain a major question mark until the unit shows they can perform consistently well in the regular season. Saleh’s vitriol from last week makes it clear how urgent it is that the group makes that change.