NY Jets' defensive meltdown is further proof Robert Saleh firing was a mistake

The NY Jets made the shocking decision to fire former head coach Robert Saleh after just five games because team owner Woody Johnson wanted to provide a spark. Instead, he just made everything worse.

The Jets have lost three of their four games under interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich, and while the offense has been better since the promotion of Todd Downing, the defense has fallen apart with Saleh out of the picture.

That much is on full display in the team's current Week 10 game against the Arizona Cardinals. The Jets' defense was torched in the first half of Sunday's game as the team trails 24-6 entering the second half.

Talent, coaching, and effort have all been issues for a Jets defense that was embarrassed in every possible way in the first half against the Cardinals.

NY Jets' defense has been a disaster since Robert Saleh was fired

The Cardinals had four possessions in the first half of Sunday's game. They scored on each possession, including three consecutive 70-yard touchdown drives to begin the day.

This was only the second time this century that the Jets' defense allowed a 70+ yard touchdown drive on each of their opponent's first three possessions. It hasn't happened since the 2015 season.

The Jets allowed 239 yards of offense in the first half, including 57 yards after contact as the team's tackling woes have continued. In reality, the Jets have been out-played and out-coached on the defensive side of the ball.

It's become abundantly clear that the decision to abruptly fire Saleh following the team's 2-3 start has been an abject failure. This isn't to say that the firing was unwarranted. The Jets likely aren't a playoff team with Saleh as their head coach anyway.

But the Jets' defensive coaching and game-planning has taken a major step back since Saleh's departure. Not only did Saleh have a significant influence on the team's week-to-week game-planning, but Ulbrich is very clearly overworked with additional responsibilities.

The Jets' defense is an embarrassment, and while Saleh might not have been the solution, it's clear he wasn't the problem.

More NY Jets news and analysis: