‘Robert Saleh is on the clock’ Stephen A. Smith rages after his former team San Francisco ran all over New York Jets

STEPHEN A. Smith has hit out at New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh after their defeat at the San Francisco 49ers.

The Jets were never really in the hunt in the opening Monday Night Football game of the season, as the 49ers ran out 32-19 winners.

Getty

Getty

And Smith has been holding no prisoners as the inquest continues, with the First Take presenter focusing on the man who was the defensive coordinator with the 49ers before taking the Jets job.

“Robert Saleh is on the clock,” Smith said.

“I mean, I think his job should be in jeopardy.

“I’m not saying this after one game. Did you see that stat, one in 14 in primetime games?

“Defensively, we ain’t supposed to have any questions.”

The Jets have been talked about in many circles as having a team good enough to make the playoffs, and potentially go all the way to the Super Bowl.

But this was clearly not the way to start, even given the obvious quality of the 49ers, and Saleh’s team will be desperate to bounce back in style when they face the Tennessee Titans on Sunday afternoon.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers played his first full game since the 2022 season, having suffered a devastating Achilles injury just four plays into his first game for the Jets last year.

Despite feeling good about being healthy again, Rodgers was not willing to use his injury as an excuse for the season starting in downbeat fashion.

“That’s an excuse, for sure,” he said. “I’m not gonna use that. I don’t think we should.

“We expect greatness when we step on the field. There were moments for sure, moments that felt really good, but not sustained.”

“We were just bad on first and second down for a lot of the game.

“A lot to correct, but overall I feel good about our guys. I thought protection was really good tonight.”

Saleh felt that his team did not provide Rodgers with a platform to play at his best.

“We never gave Aaron a chance to get into rhythm,” he said.

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“We had 49 plays on offense. You go 12 plays and from there you’re just not seeing the field as much as you want.

“But all of it will come together. For a first game for Aaron and the offense, there’s going to be some good things we can take away from it.”

It was the ideal start to another defining season for the 49ers and their coach Kyle Shanahan.

The 49ers will be again aiming to win the Super Bowl after two agonising near misses.

Shanahan’s team lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2020 Super Bowl in Miami and this year’s game in Las Vegas.