The New York Jets are nearing the end of a particularly challenging season. A notable low point occurred in Week 17, during a nationally televised matchup against the Cleveland Browns. The Jets suffered a decisive 37-20 defeat in Ohio, largely at the hands of ex-Jets player Joe Flacco, who delivered an exceptional performance with four touchdowns.
Adding to the spectacle, the aftermath of the game involved a somewhat uncomfortable interaction between Jets’ Head Coach Robert Saleh and Rich Cimini, a reporter covering the Jets for ESPN.
Cimini inquired about the visibly unsettled state of Saleh, whose response suggested confusion: ‘Uh … I’m not quite sure on the question, Rich.’ This encounter highlighted the tense atmosphere following the Jets’ abysmal 37-20 defeat at the hands of the Browns that Thursday.
Joe Flacco, once a Jets’ quarterback himself from 2020 to 2022, was instrumental in the Browns’ victory. Showcasing his skills, he expertly navigated the game, accumulating 309 yards and contributing three touchdown passes against his one-time teammates, thereby inflicting a substantial part of the damaging defeat experienced by the Jets.
This game saw Trevor Siemian as the starting quarterback for the Jets. Despite throwing for 261 yards and a touchdown, the game wasn’t exactly in his favor. A vital moment came in the first quarter when Siemian inadvertently tossed a pick-six, greatly contributing to an early 20-7 lead for the Browns, foreshadowing the Jets’ inevitable loss.
Robert Saleh has been at the helm of coaching the Jets since 2021. Prior to the final game in Week 18 against the Patriots in Foxborough, Massachusetts, his record stood at 17 wins and 33 losses, indicating the hardship experienced during his tenure.
Under Saleh’s leadership, the Jets found themselves at the bottom of the AFC East in his first two seasons. This pattern of relative underperformance seems set to continue into the current year. Regardless of an unlikely Patriots upset of the Bills this coming weekend in Buffalo, the Jets are poised to finish in third place.
