Sep 25, 2021 at 04:59 PM
Ethan Greenberg
Team Reporter
After an 0-2 start and a four-turnover game against the Patriots in Week 2, Jets head coach Robert Saleh is eager for another chance, on Sunday against the Broncos in Denver.
"I think we all are," he said. "I know I am. Call it a biased look of the film, I felt like we played a really good brand of football, we just turned it over four times. In the history of football, you'll never win. I think I speak for the entire organization when I say we're 'chomping' at the bit to get back on the football field and try to showcase who we are."
The numbers back up Saleh's statement. The Jets outgained the Patriots in most offensive categories including total yards (336 to 260). Defensively, the Green & White held New England to 25% on third down and QB Mac Jones threw for fewer than 200 yards. Saleh said he'll know the identity of his team when adversity hits. After two losses, Saleh is happy with the way his team has responded throughout the week.
"You're establishing who you are and right now, these guys are showing resolve," he said. "They're showing to be able to bounce back and take coaching and to be engaged and to ask questions. That hasn't stopped. You're seeing a group of men who have shown no signs of quit and we shouldn't. It's the first two games of the year, but the deeper we get, the more the identity will show itself and our style and the way we respond to negative things."
Saleh's Mother Knows Best
Robert Saleh has been the Jets head coach for only two regular-season games and as is usually the case in good or bad times, everyone has an opinion.
So why should the coach's mother be any different? Answer: Apparently she isn't from what Saleh said this week.
"She'll probably kill me, God bless my mother," Saleh said. "Broken English, doesn't even know how many yards it takes to get a first down and she was coaching me up on what we should tell our receivers."
Saleh's parents are immigrants from Lebanon.
The tidbit of motherly advice drew laughter from the assembled reporters at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center.
Saleh continued: "So, everybody's got an opinion but, you know what, I had an opinion, too. You take it with a grain of salt but, I'm not afraid to absorb all the information because you never know what you might find. All of it's worth something.
"I was a little upset at the time so, I'm not sure I took it all in, even though I should've. I'm pretty sure it was something about the, I don't even remember."
Reporters followed up on Friday, asking if his mother had been in contact, to which Saleh said: "First off, I want to say sorry, ma. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. She's the best. She's always been my biggest fan, but she's a concerned mom like every other mother in the world, so, well warranted."