 He's the head coach of the New York Jets. He's Robert Salah, and he's nice enough to join us here on the Michael K show Brought to you by slowmansandinfinity.com coach Don LaGrecche and Dan Grasso. How are you today? How you guys doing? I've been better. I mean obviously the rain stinks What happened yesterday for jet fans stinks 13 straight years of missing the playoffs I mean that's not all on you. You've only been here three years, but I'm sure you better than anybody can just feel What it's like for jet fans today another year in which you're thinking about next season Yeah, no, it's a it's disappointing. We still got three games left to finish this thing strong and And propel ourselves in the next year, but but yeah, it's yesterday was disappointing So who is your quarterback gonna be coming up on on this weekend against the Washington commanders? You know, I'm I'll be honest. I'm not I have no idea Zach's working through the concussion protocol obviously Trevor Simeon's healthy ready to go and Then we we got ripped in the as a third So we're we're trying to figure out who will be available for us and we'll know more by Wednesday You didn't mention Aaron Rodgers. Yeah, the decision has to be made by Wednesday What what is your anticipation of what Wednesday's gonna bring and will you have another option at quarterback come next weekend? You know, there's still a lot of things that like like I said, it's until I until we get the clearance from the from the doctors My assumption is that he's in rehab I'm really not having any conversations with anyone until that so that doctors know it's my desk. So there We're working as if he's just in rehab Robert yesterday after the game Alan Lazard, you know made some comments to the media and he said that he felt They were outschemed and out-efforted now when you hear a player talk like that after a game like that Do you just think that that's immediate after math of the game? And that's the emotion talking or do you put some stock to one in one of your players says something like that? You're it's always a little bit of both. There's always the emotion of the game and You know, you're you're you're angry in the moment and you make comments in the moment that you may or may not want But at the same time it's warranted When you lose 30 to nothing everybody everybody stinks and Obviously starting starting with me and all the way down. We just we didn't coach it well enough. We didn't play it well enough We didn't execute well enough and It just it wasn't good enough anywhere. So I mean that's what's so frustrating coach is that we talked it up on Friday You know both the Jets and the Giants alive coming off great wins and you know the thing against the Houston, Texas It happened coach you beat the Houston Texans you almost beat the Kansas City Chiefs You beat the Buffalo Bills these things actually happened, but yet no consistency no follow-up Why has it been so almost impossible coach for this team to be able to put a string together of decent football? You know, I've got I've got a longer list of things but you know, obviously regardless of what it is We've got to be better and I've got to be better and but you know, it's An answer that we're all searching for Coach yesterday after the game, I know when you were meeting with the media You made the comments about not being able to do a good enough job up front The offensive line had a rough day of it yesterday anybody that watched the game Is Dwayne Brown healthy enough to go out there and give you some snaps I know that he's active and I know that he's not a hundred percent But you know when you have the line struggling to the extent that it did would Dwayne be able to provide any sort of a lift in that regard I talked with Dwayne Douda daily He's fighting his tail off just to give us what he can give us when he doesn't even have to so I have a genuine appreciation for him and And look if he's dressing on game day, he's giving us what he can and if he can give us more I know he'll always communicate and give us that opportunity to do so but Right now, I know he's giving us everything he's got coach I want to double back to something you said a couple of times during this interview and that you need to do Better can you give us examples on what you feel you need to do better as a head coach? You know just like I said, there's a lot of things that from a head coaching standpoint from scheduling to messaging to checking crossing teeth and dot and eyes with regards to scheme and play design and all that stuff on in all three phases and And obviously when things aren't going good, you're always going to look inward first And so I'm always going to look at myself first. That's a that's a given and to make sure that we're we're going through our coaches protocol with regards to to the to the teaching of concepts to Making sure that like I said schedules and play counts and practice reps and Messaging is all on point. So anytime you're you're not winning And you're not getting the results on the on the process that you're using You're always going to look inward to see what in the process you can change to help you get the results that you want Coach you guys have obviously been one of the better defensive units in the last couple of years And you know this has been something that's been brought up along the way this season in regards to your scheme And I know that the corners don't travel and you've had a lot of success But in hindsight, you know when Tyree kills not in that game yesterday for the dolphins And then you know that Jalen waddle is their number one weapon Was there any thought of maybe finding a way to double him and maybe see if you can switch sauce over to him Even though DJ Reed is very good in his own right, but he ended up being the guy who hurt you the most offensively Was there any chalk of maybe changing things up a little bit there? We did in the second half to change up some of our coverages, but But we you know, it's not stubbornness, you know, it's Usually teams who match players are playing man coverage There's very few teams that match players and then play zone a lot to ask out of a player There are teams that do that. It's just not part of our philosophy and again It's not being stubborn. It's it's trying to put yourself in a player's shoes to put them in to be successful We've got a ton of faith in DJ. I think DJ is one of the better corners in football and And so I'll still always put DJ up against anybody and You know, it's and and I know DJ expects to win But but at the same time we we could have done things better in the first half as a defensive staff and from a from a schematic standpoint and felt like we did make the necessary adjustments in the second half they scored six points just it still wasn't good enough, but It's it's definitely something that we need to be better at All right, so you said there's still reason obviously to play because you want to get better. You said you want to finish strong What what would that look like to us Robert? I mean because you've got you've got a winnable game against the commanders who are struggling this year Cleveland My god, I can't even explain what Joe Flacco is doing right now and Cleveland I just I'm just shocked 212 yards, you know in the fourth quarter and then the last game against New England So other than just wins and losses, you know, what what will it look like for the average fan that that you're moving in the right direction You know just just guys going out there and fighting, you know We're on the results or in that business though if we win it guys didn't quit if you lose it, you know it's whatever the narrative is for that day, but The way we approach the week, there's gonna be a lot of things that you guys don't see The way we approach meetings the way approach Practice the way we communicate with one another the way we interact with one another You know just seeing a complete buy-in from everybody That's that's really what we're looking for and and obviously we'll take it to game day and put out our best performance possible Because at the end of the day the the idea that I've never subscribed to the idea that players quit, you know They understand that when they when they step inside on the field and they're and their their play is being videotaped So they're in game day and they're being taped. That is their resume and And so if a player crosses the white and they put their hand in the dirt and they get ready to play football I promise you they are playing their absolute tails off Sometimes it just doesn't work out the way they wanted to but I promise you they're playing their tails off Do you and um, but but overall not to cut you off But overall just just the way we go about our business over the next three weeks So we'll speak. Do you do you feel like you're you're coaching for your job the next three weeks? No, I'm like I said, you know, I've said it before I'm just trying to coach to find a way to beat the Washington commanders It's been kind of a running theme all year with the personal foul penalties With the quarterbacks and talking about the opposing quarterbacks versus your own quarterbacks And it just doesn't seem like the Jets are getting the benefit of the doubt with those calls And in yesterday Zach ends up getting injured leaving the game and on that play where he fumbles the ball Look like Bradley Chubb, you know put his full body weight on top of Zach Which is against the rules now in the NFL and then there was even a play later on in the first half to where Some defender made a glancing blow and it got Zach in the helmet where in some cases they're gonna throw a flag on that play Did you guys get any follow-up from the NFL on either one of those two calls yesterday? I? We've sent all those in we usually don't get communication until Thursday All right, so just to reboot the quarterback situation you say so if Zach clears protocol He's your starting quarterback against the commanders correct and You said you don't you won't know until he's cleared what the Aaron Rodgers situation is I know you don't deal in hypotheticals. We've dealt with each other long enough for me to be able to know that but Wednesday You're gonna get whether he's cleared or not. So what what is the your anticipation if he's ready to go What does that conversation look like Aaron Rodgers moving forward if he is cleared by the doctors to be able to play? You know, I I'll tell you this but and it's I don't think I'm really saying any secrets anyone I know Aaron has been fighting his tail off to get back. He wants to play He's willing to play even if he's not even a hundred percent and and he is he is fighting like mad to get onto the football field and And like I said when we get that doctors not we'll have that discussion But but I do know so I will speak for him and that his desire to play is High But Robert along those lines and again, it's a hypothetical possibly But do you think that Aaron at this stage of not playing football for three months and your most mobile and elusive? Quarterback couldn't finish the game yesterday. Can Aaron go out there and protect himself behind this offensive line right now? Shoot is is a whole family. I'm sure he'd be able to figure it out. I'm just I'm gonna give it a shot What do you want to say? Do you want to see him play this year? look, you know what it's I Think it's extremely unfortunate with everything that transpired and we can deal with hypotheticals We can deal about the future. We can deal with what could have been but but honestly Whoever's available on Sunday or really Wednesday is who we're gonna coach our tails off for and And we're gonna do everything we can to try to win a football game. Good luck coach. We'll talk to you next week Thank you. Thanks coach. All right. That's Robert Sala. I mean, he's just not gonna answer You know, but it's there to be answered. He just won't do it You know Wednesday, we're gonna get definitive word on whether he is active to play or done Or is it a situation like I brought up, you know, for example like with Dwayne Brown They activated Dwayne Brown, but he's still not starting. He comes in every so often So do you activate Rogers and then he's just kind of a right? But then that's when that's why I asked him you've come Wednesday You may find out you have another alternative and he said well, we'll find out when when that day comes So, you know, he doesn't want to answer it doesn't want to deal in the hypothetical But the hypothetical is gonna become reality. He may be cleared to play on Wednesday. Don't have to start him But he'll either be inactive or active for the rest of the season So it'll then become who's decision Woody's decision Aaron's decision Joe solace Salas Robert Salas decision. I mean somebody Joe Douglas throw out anybody they're gonna have to decide and He continues to kick the answer down the down the road He's gonna have to answer it come Wednesday But you know what the problem is done with three games left in the season and given all the other problems that they have on That side of the ball are any of these options including Aaron Rodgers a really perfect option. No the remainder of 2023 And that's the problem and that's the problem. That's why I asked him What's best for the Jets? What does he want to see happen because I could I could get I don't know if anything is good for the Jets to Have Aaron Rodgers start other than maybe just making the game this weekend a little bit more interesting But does it help it doesn't help Aaron to go out there and possibly get hurt with a dysfunctional offensive line in a meaningless game The only thing it helps is Aaron Rodgers and everything he's done to get back on the field And I think that's probably worth something to him, but for the Jets Just just to get out of dodge, maybe evaluate Wilson The little bit more maybe get something down on film where you could possibly trade him or make a decision down the road That's what's best for the Jets Well from a box office standpoint, too, and I know it's only one game But look it's Christmas Eve on Sunday You're gonna have two teams both eliminated from playoff contention If you are even a fringe football fan or a fringe jet fan and you're thinking about maybe going to that game on Sunday If you find out Aaron Rodgers is the starting quarterback versus let's say Trevor Simeon or anybody else Will you be maybe a little bit more inclined to trek out to MetLife Stadium and go to the game? That's what's scary because I'm sure Woody Johnson would say yeah, I want him to start Let's make this meaningless game with 20,000 people in the building something meaningful with 80,000 people and getting attention But I don't know if Robert Salo wants that I'm not gonna lie to you. I mean going to do We do Sunday, of course, it'll be more exciting having Aaron Rodgers playing However, if I take a step back from what's good for me and my job, do I think that it's the best decision long-term for the Jets? I don't know, but that's not my call. No, but the thing is and we can't figure it out Whose call ultimately will it be? Is it Robert's call? Is it Joe's call? Is it Woody's call? Is it Aaron's call? I mean everything's a collective with the Jets, right? But let's be honest They all sit down in a room. He's cleared the play Wednesday What are they gonna do?