Titans fans are learning what Jets fans already knew about Robert Saleh

While former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh was in town, he established himself as a defensive mastermind. However, he has a few very annoying traits, one of which was his commitment to a defensive line rotation that swapped in as many as 10 different linemen and limited snaps for his best players.

Saleh, who was recently hired to be the head coach of the Tennessee Titans, needed to be peer-pressured into letting Quinnen Williams get turned loose, and it appears as though he might need to be reminded of that when he divulged his plan for Jeffrey Simmons. It sounds like Saleh hasn't learned his lesson.

Saleh is reportedly going to reduce Simmons' snaps after years of lining up more than 80% of plays over the last few seasons with Tennessee. Even though Saleh has beefed up his defensive line with John Franklin-Myers in free agency and Keldric Faulk in the NFL Draft, he needs to be reminded about the flaws in his rotation philosophy.

Titans fans will learn about former Jets coach Robert Saleh's defensive line rotation

Saleh's scheme can be impregnable when he has the right players, but there are some problems baked into this philosophy that burned the Jets on many occasions. Saleh's handling of the defensive line was perhaps the biggest reason his defense showed some cracks.

Saleh's style is very aggressive and tiring for defensive linemen. While they get upfield quickly, that can lead to struggles defending the run, which is what sunk them in 2024.

Having Williams on the field for a plurality of snaps took this team up a notch, but Saleh had to almost be bullied into changing his rotation to accommodate him.

Saleh trusts his defensive line to get pressure without blitzing, which puts pressure on his cornerbacks. When you have Sauce Gardner playing like an All-Pro, those concerns can be mitigated.

Unless Cor'Dale Flott suddenly has a major leap forward, the Titans may not have the secondary to overcome a defensive line rotation that takes the best players off the field.

The Titans might be pointed in the right direction, but Jets fans were in this exact nigh-euphoric state when they brought Saleh in. Slowly, the flaws that tarnished his time in New York will start to pop up, and it will test how patient Titans fans will be.

That first sight of Simmons on the bench for half the game will get some fans steaming.

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