Woody Johnson needed a convenient scapegoat, and he didn't have to look far to find Robert Saleh, the 20-36 former head coach of the Jets.
After five games, the owner came to the conclusion that the offense was so dysfunctional that even Aaron Rodgers, the team's savior, couldn't overcome it.
As Josh Allen and the Bills marched into MetLife Stadium on Monday night, Jets interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich said Aaron Rodgers, Johnson and general manager Joe Douglas and Saleh asked Joe. They needed Aaron Rodgers, who they were confident they would get. Namaste and overcome.
Ulbrich needed Rodgers to find a way to make everything work by replacing Nathaniel Hackett with new playcaller Todd Downing.
Ulbrich needed better protection for Rodgers and needed Breece Hall to come out of the Football Witness Protection Program.
More than anything, Rodgers needed to look unblinking at Allen and end the night tied for first place in the AFC East.
The way Johnson talked about his roster the day he beat Saleh, you would have thought Adam Gase could lead the Jets to their first playoff berth since the 2010 season.
In reality, Saleh was just one of many underachievers.
Jets players waxed poetic about accountability and holding on to their guns in the wake of Johnson's impulsive decisions that rocked the franchise.
“I think this puts a spotlight on us,” Rogers said.
It's mostly about him.
Especially when it comes to him.
Rodgers was one of the better Jets who felt guilty about losing his job to Saleh. And the owner would have to be pretty naive to go out of his way to tell everyone that this was his decision and his alone. I couldn't believe Rogers was blind to it. Don't pull the rug out from under Coach Rodgers, the man who built New York's legacy and went with him to the Super Bowl, and leave him in the dark — wait for it –.
Ulbrich's defensive players like him and have always played for him.
But Ulbrich couldn't afford to have Rodgers throw three interceptions like he did against London or not be able to get his team into the end zone against the Broncos.
Ulbrich couldn't afford to see Rodgers resemble a quarterback a month and a half after his 41st birthday.
Elite head coaches always make a difference in any sport.
But ask Andy Reid about Patrick Mahomes. Just ask Sean McDermott about Allen. Ask John Harbaugh about Lamar Jackson. Ask Zac Taylor about Joe Burrow.
Hall had to regain his swagger to prevent Rodgers from attempting 54 passes and losing. Downing needed to deploy him as a weapon in the passing game. WR Mike Williams needed to be a more important factor so that Rodgers wouldn't feel the need to force Garrett Wilson into 22 targets again. Downing needed to become a more creative and unpredictable play-caller than Hackett.
Sixteen months ago, I asked Ulbrich on the phone how Rodgers had kept him going.
“Oh my god, in so many ways,” Ulbrich said. “Most obviously, if he shows up to practice, if we're off by an inch, we're going to pay for it. He's going to promote everyone on this defense, because there's probably no moment where he can divulge his details to me without being exploited. I think that's the biggest influence. I can't wait to have more conversations with him about what he sees and why he makes certain decisions and how he sees the game. In terms of a football player's brain, he's the best I've ever met. A skill set to really understand you and then take advantage of what he sees. I've never seen anything like this in terms of his ability to… It's just a deadly combination.”
This is the Aaron Rodgers he needed, and will need, for the Jeff Ulbrich era to begin better than the end of the Robert Saleh era.
