Woody Johnson was beaming.
Because the Jets proprietor stood within the bowels of MetLife Stadium exterior the staff’s locker room, shortly after his gamers and coaches surprised the closely favored Payments 20-17 on Sunday, he wore the look of a proud father.
“High 5,” Johnson mentioned breathlessly. “That was prime 5 of all time for me.”
Within the 22 years since Johnson purchased the staff, there haven’t been a complete lot of “prime” something moments.
Woody and his brother Christopher, each of whom have endured their justifiable share of criticism, are deserving of the moments which have been unfolding on this unlikely 6-3 season, which is in a bye-week breather.
For house owners who’ve gotten so many issues fallacious over time — their swing-and-miss decisions for head coaches (Todd Bowles and Adam Gase) and common managers (John Idzik and Mike Maccagnan) being on the prime of that record — there’s mounting proof that the Johnsons have gotten it fairly proper with head coach Robert Saleh and common supervisor Joe Douglas.
There's, in fact, much more work to be finished earlier than this Jets staff breaks its 12-year drought with no playoff berth. Nobody is extra cognizant of that than Saleh.
However Saleh is steadily proving himself to be made from the proper stuff as a head coach who possesses the proper mixture as a players-first coach who’s humble sufficient to know he doesn’t have all of the solutions and but robust sufficient to have a conviction together with his plan.
Saleh shouldn't be a credit score monger. He’s fast to dole out reward to these round him when issues are going nicely, deflecting it from himself. After the win Sunday, for instance, he spoke of being joyful concerning the staff’s begin and sudden burst into relevance for the folks within the group who’ve endured a lot shedding earlier than his arrival.
Saleh praised his teaching workers — notably defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, whose unit did to Josh Allen and the prolific Buffalo offense what no different staff had finished this season. He, too, acknowledged offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, who did a masterful job of reining in second-year quarterback Zach Wilson per week after he’d carelessly thrown three game-turning interceptions to the New England protection.
Saleh combines an innate potential of bonding with folks and making them consider even within the attempting occasions, with not immersing himself too deeply into one space of the staff whereas shortchanging different areas.
Former Jets head coach Rex Ryan was once all about his protection and he typically thumped his chest telling you the way good his defenses have been.
Gase, the pinnacle coach who preceded Saleh, was so consumed together with his offense that he had little thought what his defensive coordinator, Gregg Williams, was calling on the opposite facet of the ball (see: cover-zero blitz towards the Raiders in 2020).
Bowles, who coached the Jets earlier than Gase, was somebody whom the gamers within the locker room walked throughout, benefiting from his passive nature (see Mo Wilkerson’s and Sheldon Richardson’s repeated insubordination).
Saleh is a correct CEO of the complete operation, delegator, however one who’s concerned in all aspects. He, too, is an effective entrance man for the group, dealing with himself professionally in entrance of the media and followers, an space that was not a powerful swimsuit for Bowles or Gase.
Veteran linebacker C.J. Mosley mentioned that what units Saleh aside from different coaches he has performed for is “the way in which he’s in a position to preserve everyone collectively, preserve everyone on the identical web page.’’
“He actually involves work each day with the mindset to get higher,’’ Mosley mentioned.
Mosley referenced Saleh’s “all fuel, no brake’’ saying and his “60 %’’ Navy SEAL mantra and mentioned: “That’s the way in which he lives, that’s what he preaches each day, and we’re shopping for into it, we consider it. All that provides up on the soccer discipline.’’
It provides as much as Woody and Christopher Johnson lastly getting the recipe proper and reaping the deserved advantages of a satisfying meal.
“Once you speak to Woody and Christopher, they’re very supportive, to begin with … and also you simply really feel how a lot each win and loss [is] and the way necessary it's to them,’’ Saleh mentioned. “It’s superior after we win as a result of they’re happier than anybody. That is their child. That is their staff. You may see it of their faces. And after we lose, you possibly can really feel that additionally.
“So, profitable clearly for them and understanding what this group has been by means of, there’s nothing greater than any of us wish to do is to carry a winner to this group for our followers, for them, our households.’’
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