The finger-pointing has begun in earnest in the wake of Tuesday morning’s surprise firing of Jets coach Robert Saleh. And ESPN’s Shannon Sharpe knows exactly who he is pointing his finger at.
Saleh was fired Tuesday morning in a move that blindsided the media and most fans.
True, the Jets are off to a disappointing 2-3 start. However, they’re only one game out of first place, with a game against division-leading Buffalo on Monday night. Sharpe, who found out about Saleh’s firing while live and on-air, laid the blame for the former Jets coach’s demise squarely at Rodgers’s feet.
“Saleh didn’t lose this team,” Sharpe said on First Take. “Aaron Rodgers undercut this man by not coming to minicamp. We heard the mumbles saying how that looked because it was mandatory.
“The moment Aaron Rodgers did that, Robert Saleh had no control over the team because the guys would be saying, ‘This guy is supposed to be our leader; this is the guy we’re supposed to count on.”‘
Rodgers created a buzz over the summer when he skipped a mandatory minicamp in June.
“Boy, this is a bad look on Aaron Rodgers,” Sharpe continued. “He doesn’t realize how bad this looks. Can you imagine Tom Brady later in his career getting the coach fired? Can you imagine Peyton Manning later in his career having a coach fired on his watch?”
Later in the morning, Sharpe blasted First Take co-host Dan Orlovsky for not pointing out Rodgers’ bad play (three interceptions against the Vikings) and its effect on New York’s record.
Sharpe’s point is not without merit.
Rodgers’ completion percentage is barely above 60 percent; he’s averaging a paltry 218 yards per game and only has an anemic 81.6 QBR. Specifically, on Sunday, Rodgers threw two interceptions in the first quarter against Minnesota for the first time in his career and had three picks in the game, which the Jets only lost by one score.
That means Rodgers has every bit of Saleh’s culpability in that loss. In fact, given how bad Rodgers was in the game (QBR: 42.7, completion percentage: 53.7, and the three picks), you could argue he’s completely culpable, and Saleh’s defense was the only reason it was close.
Ever since Week 1, when they gave up 32 points to the 49ers, Saleh’s defense has only yielded 52 points. That’s 52 points in four games, and yet the Jets are only 2-2 over that span. That shows the problem is clearly not on defense, and Saleh is a defensive coach.
Sharpe is right. This is on Aaron Rodgers.
