Former NY Jets head coach may have predicted Robert Saleh's fate before Week 5 loss

Former NY Jets head coach Eric Mangini knows Woody Johnson very well. The ex-NFL coach spent years working under Johnson as a member of the Jets' organization. Perhaps that's why he was able to predict now fellow former Jets head coach Robert Saleh's fate.

On an episode of FS1's First Things First last week, Mangini called the Jets' Week 5 game against the Minnesota Vikings a "must-win" for Saleh and his team. Mangini knew that if Saleh failed to come away with the win there might be ramifications.

"I think Woody will be pissed off," Mangini remarked prior to Sunday's game. But why that game in particular? Was it the Sam Darnold revenge aspect? Was it because he didn't want to see his team lose another "primetime" game?

Not exactly. Mangini believed Johnson desperately wanted to win on Sunday because the game was in London. As many might recall, Johnson served as the United Kingdom Ambassador for four years under former president Donald Trump.

He has significant ties to London and didn't want to be embarrassed in front of his friends. Perhaps Mangini was on to something.

"This is a must-win. And here's why, Woody Johnson, the 66th Ambassador to the UK. All of his buddies are going to be over there and after the game when he's eating tea and crumpets, he's going to be wanting to talk about his team and how successful they are. Not only that, you've got the former first-round draft pick playing against you and playing really well, and you've got a 40-year-old quarterback."

Eric Mangini

Woody Johnson may have fired Robert Saleh out of purse embarrassment

Johnson is someone who really cares about public perception. He listens to fans. He reads all the headlines. He has a steady pulse on public opinion, constantly gauging the temperature of the fanbase and adjusting his decisions to align with their expectations.

This makes him highly responsive but also susceptible to the swings of media narratives and fan frustrations. Saleh's perception was at an all-time low following Sunday's loss to the Vikings. That didn't sit well with Johnson.

It's also very possible Mangini's hypothesis is accurate here. Johnson didn't want to lose in front of his billionaire buddies. It was more than just a game to him — it was a public spectacle that left Johnson's team faltering on one of his most cherished stages. It humiliated him.

Combine that with his admiration for Jeff Ulbrich and his diminishing patience and it's not hard to see why he made the decision to fire Saleh on Tuesday. The timing may seem weird to many, but Johnson's brain operates on a different wavelength.

He cares just as much about being embarrassed and public opinion as he does winning football games. Not only were the Jets not winning under Saleh, but they were embarrassing him.

Sunday's loss to the Vikings was the final straw for Saleh. Mangini saw it coming. Unfortunately for Saleh, he didn't have that same foresight.

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