There wasn’t really much point in the Jets discussing the X’s and O’s of Sunday’s 11-6 loss to Miami, as beyond the fact that the minute the game ended the season was over regardless, it was the same story as the last few weeks: defense played very well, offense did next to nothing, and the only winners were those who believe in moral victories.
Of course, there are none, and in the end, all head coach Robert Saleh wanted to do was look ahead, and take pride in how his guys fought to the bitter end.
“It speaks a lot to the fact that we’ve got the right guys,” Saleh said of the Jets’ fight Sunday. “Unfortunate the way it ended with us not making the playoffs, but we asked the guys to fight, and they all fought all the way to the end. Give credit to Miami, but we gave them a run.”
Here’s the problem with the fight, though: the Jets didn’t score an offensive touchdown over the final three weeks of the season, games they needed to win to make the playoffs, and they didn’t win a game once the calendar turned to December.
A harsh introduction for a team that was 7-4 after Thanksgiving weekend, their playoff destiny in their hands until they let it slip away week by week.
They’ll learn from it, though, and that’s what Saleh chooses to focus on as he enters an offseason of uncertainty.
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“We’re going to be in these position again, I know we are. Last year, when we were out of it with four weeks left, we kind of simulated a playoff run in December football, and this year we got to live it,” the head coach said. “Didn’t go our way, but next year we’ll be here again, and our challenge will be to finish – not just be satisfied to be in it, but finish. We had opportunities, and it didn’t work out, but next year we’ll be here and it will be about finishing.”
There is progress for sure, as the Jets went from 4-13 to 7-10 in Year 2 of the Saleh era. This one, too, had perhaps even more turmoil and bumps and bruises from the learning curve than 2021, and as the head coach said, coming through it can only make them stronger.
“I know what kind of team we have. I get it about the outside noise, the disappointment of a six-game losing streak, but the silver lining is we have an unbelievable core, and I’m really excited for this offseason,” Saleh said. “We’re going to get this opportunity again, and we have to go finish. We have a good team, and we know 7-4 wasn’t a mirage. We have a championship-caliber defense, a bunch of young guys who will get healthy, and I know we’ll get the quarterback right. When that happens, we’ll be here, and it will be about finishing.”
Joe Flacco has been with the Jets for most of the Saleh era, and was the unfortunate lame-duck who made the final start at quarterback on Sunday. But he, too, echoes Saleh’s notions.
“I think we have the pieces in place, it just didn’t show this year,” Flacco said. “You build a team to win in December and January, and it won’t always be pretty as you do, but the first step is getting your defense to become elite, and I think we’ve seen that this year. When we make a couple adjustments on offense and turn the corner, you’ll see a team that can win late in the year. We have the foundation to do it. It’s tough to look for positives right now, but that’s the reality of it.”
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One thing Flacco can see is a similarity to his time in Baltimore and the Ravens’ rise as a comparison for this team.
“Only one team wins the Super Bowl and it’s more disappointing the later you lose, but the fortunate thing for the guys here is that they an opportunity to build something special when they get it done,” Flacco said. “In Baltimore, we had a core group of veterans when I got there that this team didn’t have until maybe this year. Different team and different circumstances, but there are a lot of good guys in that locker room.”
And it’s not just the guys in the locker room, but the guys coaching them, too.
“Like I said, good teams can sustain their success through the playoffs and get better late; we’re building that here, and it starts with defense,” Flacco said. “Our defense turned the corner and became one of the best in the league, and that’s just the beginning. There’s little things we need to clean up on offense to make the turn ourselves, but if you want a team that’s built to win in December and January, we have the right foundation here. It won’t always be pretty, but those are the type of games you have to win, and I think we have the right guys, the right schemes, and the right coaches.”
Right now, though, all Saleh or anyone can say is sorry, as in sorry it didn’t end the way everyone wanted, and sorry you’ll have to wait until next year.
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“I say sorry to everybody: Woody (Johnson), the front office, coaches, players, and fans. I know it’s been a long ride of not being in the playoffs and it was in our hands,” Saleh said, “but at the same time, I know we’ve come a long way over two years, and I’m excited over what we have ahead of us. When the dust settles, we’ll be really excited about what we have to offer and kicking off this offseason the right way.”
That begins on the calendar Monday, but it will begin in earnest a little later this month, once the immediacy of the season ending wears off, players leave the facility, and the brass begins their offseason evaluations with an eye towards the 2023 season.
And, Saleh hopes, perhaps everyone can get a little mental break, put 2022 in the rearview, and attack the offseason – the same way he’ll be able to.
“This one will be on my mind for a little bit, but I have seven kids and a beautiful wife at home, so they let me forget pretty quick.”
Follow Lou DiPietro on Twitter: @LouDiPietroWFAN
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