Former Jets star rips head coach

Regarding Robert Saleh and the New York Jets, Damien Woody has always kept it a buck.

Armed with one of the more talented rosters in the National Football League and a Hall of Fame quarterback with something to prove, Gang Green is destined for a Super Bowl or bust type season. And while it didn’t get off to the hottest of starts, the Jets seemed to find a rhythm and show the world why they’ve put up with Aaron Rodgers’ demands since March 2023.

Sunday’s 10-9 loss to the Denver Broncos, however, showed the world that not much has changed.

Under Saleh, the Jets are still a sloppy, undisciplined mess, committing pre-snap penalty after pre-snap penalty in front of a home crowd packed to the brim.

Instead, the home crowd at MetLife Stadium was forced to watch Rodgers not throw for a passing touchdown for only the fifth time in his illustrious career, and the Jets lost to a team that saw its quarterback throw for 60 (!) yards.

Same as it ever was.

And that’s precisely why Woody blew a gasket on Monday’s Get Up .

The former Jets and New England Patriots offensive lineman is tired of hearing Saleh’s excuses and came to Rodgers’ defense.

“You go out there, and you commit 13 penalties —- 13! — five pre-snap, ten offensive penalties,” Woody said Monday morning. “You on the one-yard line on multiple downs, and you didn’t put in your 240-pound rookie running back (Braelon Allen) from the one damn yard line! I mean, what the hell is going on, Robert? And I’m talking Robert Saleh, the head football coach of the New York Jets.

“This team looks sloppy; they look inept. I mean, what are we doing here? This was supposed to be a game where clearly the Jets were supposed to win this game — and your team can’t stay on damn onside? This is clearly on coaching. And Aaron Rodgers was freaking right. The cadence has always been like a weapon for him. How many times through Aaron Rodgers’ career have we seen him use the cadence, draw teams offside, and then all of a sudden, a big play happens? We’ve seen that time and time again with Aaron Rodgers.

“And then you’re gonna come out in the postgame and say, ‘Oh, because our guys can’t stay onsides, maybe we shouldn’t use it.’ I can’t even use the word I want to use right now — B.S. Figure it out! Aaron Rodgers is absolutely, absolutely right. Maybe if some guys had some discipline and stayed their behinds onsides, maybe Aaron Rodgers could use that weapon to his advantage.

“I’m so sick of the Jets being undisciplined as a team, and it’s been that way since Robert Saleh has been there and showed up yesterday against a team starting a freaking rookie quarterback. It’s unacceptable. It’s a bad freaking loss. And I put that strictly on the head coach.”

Woody cuts right to the core of what’s been a growing frustration around the team.

It’s not just about the loss to Denver — it’s about the same old issues rearing their ugly heads for a team that should be past them by now. After all, this is a squad with Super Bowl aspirations, armed with a Hall of Fame quarterback and one of the most talented rosters in the league.

But what did we see on Sunday?

The Jets were undisciplined, sloppy, and frankly, looked unprepared, which has been a theme under Saleh’s tenure. Penalties like that don’t come from a lack of talent but from a lack of focus and discipline. That’s why Woody points the finger directly at Saleh. This isn’t about Xs and Os; it’s about culture. If your team can’t line up properly or jump offsides repeatedly, that’s not just a bad game; it’s a reflection of what’s happening on the practice field and in the locker room.

Woody also stood up for Rodgers here, and rightfully so.

The cadence has been one of Rodgers’ signature moves, something that has worked for him time and time again in his career. The fact that Saleh downplayed that weapon after the game because “his guys can’t stay onside” says a lot more than it probably should. It’s essentially admitting the team isn’t disciplined enough to take advantage of what their quarterback does best.

For Woody, that’s a coaching failure, and it’s hard to argue against it.

The bottom line is that this was supposed to be a different year for the Jets. They’ve invested heavily in this team, and losses like this, where the mistakes are self-inflicted, are the kind of things that hold good teams back. Many fans share Woody’s frustration, and it’s a wake-up call that Saleh and his staff need to clean things up fast if they want to keep their playoff hopes alive.

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