The Jets are Jets-ing again…
plus an elimination game in the WNBA, and the Dodgers and Padres prepare to brawl.
Jets Hopes Grounded
What Happened: Following a loss to the Vikings in London, the Jets said cheerio to head coach Robert Saleh on Tuesday, firing him after a 2-3 start.
What’s the logic behind letting go of your head coach five games into the season? The hope is that it provides a spark, waking up an underperforming team before its too late. But there is little to be optimistic about regarding a team that started the season with Super Bowl aspirations and has (inadvertently or not) raised the white flag one week into October.
Why It Matters: Early odds on Super Bowl LIX had the Jets in a tier just below the favorites, but a contender nonetheless at +2000. With a Hall of Fame quarterback under center, their ceiling seemed higher than other teams that hadn’t made deep playoff runs recently.
It’s not too early to say that pinning title hopes on a 40-year old quarterback coming off an Achilles tear was a mistake. And that’s how the obituary will read on Saleh’s time as the HC of the NYJ: “Relying on [insert QB name] was a mistake.”
Saleh’s teams fielded strong defenses whose performances were wasted by inept offenses. Gang Green tried the draft and develop route at the QB position (Zach Wilson), the established vet stopgap (Rodgers), and everything in between. None of it worked.
With 12 games to play and the Jets just one game behind Buffalo in the standings, surely owner Woody Johnson still aspires for a playoff run. But with defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich taking over for Saleh (no experience as a head coach) and Nathaniel Hackett (one of the worst HCs in NFL history himself) pretending to run the offense, there’s no reason to believe this team is anything but dead in the water.
What We’re Watching Today
Phillies at Mets (5:08 PM ET) – The Mets fell short in Game 2 but again displayed their flair for comebacks, tying the game in the top of the 9th before falling in the bottom frame. The Phillies have gotten excellent work from their starting pitchers, but have been failed by their bullpen through two games.
Dodgers at Padres (9:08 PM ET) – So L.A.’s manager accused a Padres superstar of intentionally throwing a baseball at him? And you thought tensions between these two rivals were already hitting high temps…
Sun at Lynx (8:00 PM ET) – A winner-take-all Game 5 with a trip to the WNBA Finals on the line in this one. The first four games of the series have been tightly contested, with only one being decided by double-digits. Napheesa Collier of Minnesota has been the best player in the series, and now the Lynx have the home-court advantage.
The Look Ahead
Walker Buehler STRIKEOUTS – We know, we know. Buehler of 2024 isn’t the same pitcher anymore. But even so, a strikeout line of 2.5 seems pretty low for a guy who has thrived for the Dodgers in some big postseason spots in the past. The L.A. righty also quietly turned in an encouraging September, so between his improved form and his knack for delivering under the brightest of lights, we feel comfortable backing him in this spot.
