Robert Saleh on D.J. Reed's comments: Don't set limitations
Head Coach Robert Saleh, New York Jets football speaks at their practice facility in Florham Park on Thursday, September 7, 2023. Credit: Ed Murray/Ed Murray
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Robert Saleh didn’t have a problem with D.J. Reed saying the Jets’ defense could be as dominant as the 1985 Chicago Bears or 2013 Seattle Seahawks. Saleh’s advice to Reed: Next time don’t put limits on things.
“I think when you compare yourself to something — which would be the one thing that I would tell D.J. not to do — is you cap yourself,” Saleh said Thursday. “Why do we got to be 'The Legion of Boom?' Why can’t you be more?”
Saleh also defended Reed. The Jets coach said Reed just answered a question and his full quote, which included what they have to do to be as good as those teams, wasn’t always presented.
“I do think we have a paraphrase problem,” Saleh said.
The Jets have been the most-hyped NFL team since acquiring Aaron Rodgers. They are expected to have a target on their backs to begin and Reed’s words will only add more fuel to other teams’ fires. Saleh said he’s not concerned about that.
“I don’t think a team looking at another team having confidence in itself as a rallying cry,” Saleh said. “If they are, they probably already lost. That’s just my opinion. A team is supposed to have confidence in itself. If that’s something you need to rally your troops around, you guys are struggling to get motivated.”
Saleh also addressed an impassioned speech from a team meeting that appeared on the finale of "Hard Knocks."
Saleh, who is 11-22 in two seasons with the Jets, said when his team loses or isn’t as good, he hates hearing other coaches tell him that his guys "played hard."
Saleh brought up the 49ers of the 1980s, the '90s Cowboys and most recently the Patriots as teams that were hated. The Jets might be hated right now, but it’s not because of what they’ve done on the field. It’s all the attention they’re receiving and how confidently they’re speaking.
“I look at it if you can’t keep our names out your mouth that must mean we’re doing something good,” Saleh said. “Now with that said we haven’t done anything. We still got to win football games.”
Injury report
Breece Hall (knee), Mekhi Becton (knee) and Duane Brown (shoulder) were limited in practice on the first injury report of the season. They’re all coming back from season-ending surgeries last year and are expected to good to go against the Bills Monday night.
Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.
