TMQ: Shoot the Balloon!

NFL coach-firing season begins early. It’s a shoot-the-balloon strategy.

Last year when the U.S. Air Force intercepted a Chinese spy balloon, Saturday Night Live had Bowen Yang dressed as the balloon, being interviewed by a fake newscaster. (That may be redundant.) “If you’re worried about China getting your data, turn off Siri,” Yang said. “But no, it’s always shoot the balloon.”

Shoot the balloon should enter the lexicon and mean: appear to take dramatic action while avoiding the underlying problem. Much of what happens in Washington D.C. is shooting the balloon. The Jets just shot the balloon by firing Robert Saleh.

Saleh joined Matt Rhule of Carolina, 2022, and Jay Gruden, Washington, 2019, as head coaches given the heave-ho only five games into a season. The vaudeville quick hook comes to the NFL!

Photo courtesy New York Post.

Because Saleh was the first Muslim head coach in the NFL, there have been conspiracy theories. But Islam is a religion, not an ethnic identity, and corporations usually tread lightly around religion (as they should). At any rate, probably the NFL was hoping a Muslim head coach would succeed.

Saleh did not. Which raises the question: if he’s bad at being a head coach, how come it took till Week Five of his fourth season for Jersey/B to notice?

Saleh was 18-33 with the Jets going into this season, had openly mismanaged second-overall choice Zach Wilson, whom the Jets offloaded to Denver for pennies on the dollar in draft-capital terms.

It’s been obvious for some time Saleh, who was a fine defensive coordinator at Santa Clara, is not cut out for head coaching.

Many’s the NFL coordinator who was good running an offense or defense, inadequate in the top spot. It’s not a personal failing – being the boss is harder than may seem. Saleh’s struggles have been well-known around the NFL, reflected in the poor W-L record. Why did Jersey/B CEO Woody Johnson dither?

After Saleh was fired, offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett was demoted. Did Hackett suddenly forget how to call plays? Hadn’t the Jets organization long known about his problems?

Luck is a big factor in sports, but over time, water seeks its level. Mike McCarthy was fired in Green Bay after lots of regular season wins followed by letdowns in the playoffs. Now at Dallas, McCarthy has lots of regular season Cowboys wins, followed by letdowns in the playoffs.

Of course had Saleh been fired and Hackett demoted before the current season began, the Jets might still have opened flat.

The only example TMQ can think of in which a midseason coach firing led to happiness was Baltimore offensive coordinator Cam “Cam” Cameron, fired midseason 2012. The Ravens went on to win the Super Bowl. Generally, midseason firings just leave fans disenchanted with someone new.

So why was Saleh fired now, rather than before or after the offseason? To shift blame.