Things are looking much more glum around the NY Jets than they had been prior to their Monday Night Football debut against the San Francisco 49ers. Robert Saleh's team was ripped apart by Jordan Mason and the 49ers offense, as their much-hyped defensive line was overpowered for most of the game.
While there were some nice plays on the offensive side of the ball, the Jets' inability to slow down the 49ers made it impossible for them to get the ball and control the clock. The Jets lost 32-19, but that scoreline doesn't tell the whole story due to Tyrod Taylor's garbage-time touchdown.
Even with the Jets being reminded they are not a Super Bowl-worthy team at the moment, the always-positive Saleh is not willing to throw dirt on the season just yet. Even though the Jets won on Monday Night against the Buffalo Bills last year, Saleh likes this start much better.
Saleh correctly claimed the Jets are in a much better spot at 0-1 this year than they were at 1-0 last year. With the season in tatters after Rodgers' injury in 2023, the Jets are still very much in position to bounce back after a very sobering first week of the season.
Robert Saleh feels good about NY Jets despite 0-1 start
While an elite team like San Francisco beat the Jets down, New York should be the favorites in their next four games. The Titans and Patriots are next on the docket, followed by matchups against Sam Darnold's Vikings and Bo Nix's Broncos before another Monday game against the Buffalo Bills.
The biggest factor in the Jets' success this season is Rodgers. While the box score numbers looked ordinary, he uncorked a few classic Rodgers throws and graded out well in terms of both accuracy and EPA per play, given the situation. His interception was a tipped ball.
In some ways, the fact the defense was the big issue could be encouraging. With the Jets having an elite defense over the last two years, there's reason to believe this game was a hiccup against a great team rather than a sign of something more concerning.
The Jets will still be a viable postseason threat as long as Rodgers is the starting quarterback. Even after starting off the year with a loss, Saleh knows the Jets have the opportunity to start piling up the wins in short order if they get in a groove.