Robert Saleh continues to embarrass himself with blind defense of Zach Wilson
By Justin Fried
![NY Jets, Robert Saleh NY Jets, Robert Saleh](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_5948,h_3345,x_0,y_336/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/GettyImages/mmsport/30/01henr4nsdxtrahahmmh.jpg)
NY Jets head coach Robert Saleh spoke to reporters on Tuesday following his team's offensive meltdown the night before, and in typical Saleh fashion, he shielded quarterback Zach Wilson of any blame.
Saleh told reporters that the Jets have no plans to make a change at quarterback or even promote Trevor Siemian from the practice squad this week. Instead, Saleh once again reiterated the same tired tropes that he continues to repeat.
Saleh said that it was "lazy" to place the blame on Wilson, insisting that there were a lot of things for Wilson to build off of from his performance on Monday night against the Los Angeles Chargers.
This is, of course, despite the fact that the Jets managed just six points on 49 pass attempts from their quarterback against the worst pass defense in the NFL.
Saleh is right — Wilson is not the only problem with this Jets offense (far from it). But he is a significant problem, and Saleh continues to refuse to acknowledge that.
Robert Saleh's legacy is on the line with his unfounded Zach Wilson blame absolvement
This isn't the first time that Saleh has blindly defended his quarterback at the expense of everyone else on the roster. The Jets' coach absolved Wilson of any blame following his horrific performance against the New England Patriots in Week 3.
The result was an unhappy locker room and an overarching theme that Saleh had become a "Zach Wilson apologist." Saleh walked back some of his comments the next day, insisting that Wilson deserved some blame for his team's struggles.
The damage was done, however. Saleh faced another opportunity to place equal blame on Wilson following Monday night's game, and he once again opted not to. After all, why criticize Wilson when he can place blame on everyone around Wilson?
Saleh insists that the Jets will not be considering a quarterback change because the blame is not all on Wilson. That is true. The offensive line is an injury-riddled mess, the play-calling is a disaster, and their skill position group is flat-out bad.
But it's Saleh's rationale here that makes no sense. Randall Cobb wasn't the only reason the Jets' offense was bad. The Jets still benched him. Why isn't the same logic being applied to Wilson?
Even the staunchest of Wilson supporters can probably agree that Wilson is a current issue with the Jets' offense. He's not good. He's not a backup-caliber quarterback. He's statistically one of the worst quarterbacks in modern NFL history. That part's just a fact.
Wilson may not be the only issue in an inept Jets offense, but he is clearly a serious problem. Yet, Saleh and the Jets continue to shield him from criticism while the entire NFL world laughs at them.
The Jets have become a joke. Saleh's persistent defense of Wilson despite his annual struggles has become a running gag around the league. Everyone is laughing at the Jets.
And in all honesty, they have every right to laugh. This is embarrassing.
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