Jets coach Robert Saleh to team: Stay hungry during bye week
Jets head coach Robert Saleh looks on against the Bills at MetLife Stadium on Sunday. Credit: Jim McIsaac
Robert Saleh challenged his players to stay away from alcohol and fast food during their bye week and urged them to continue working on their bodies.
The Jets (6-3) have a chance to reach the playoffs, and Saleh doesn’t want any of his players to jeopardize that by putting a few days of fun ahead of football.
Saleh called this week “a breather” and told his players, “Don’t just go home and sit on the beach and have a cocktail and relax.” He stressed that they need to work out, eat right and return as focused, healthy and committed as they’ve been for the first nine games.
“I’ve seen players, we talked about it today, that went into a bye week and absolutely destroyed their entire season,” Saleh said, “because they went to a beach and drank beer and ate nachos for an entire week and came back 10 pounds heavier and destroyed their entire back half of the season.
“Just challenge everybody to attack this bye week, keep the main thing the main thing with their bodies, pay attention to it, don’t waste days and come back ready to roll on Monday.”
Rankins sidelined
The Jets suffered a big loss on their defensive line. Starting tackle Sheldon Rankins suffered an elbow injury in Sunday’s win over Buffalo that could keep him out several weeks. Saleh, who said Rankins is “week-to-week,” would not confirm an ESPN report that said he dislocated his elbow and will miss four to six weeks.
Saleh said the Jets hope to avoid injured reserve with Rankins and want to see how he’s feeling after the week off. “As far as IR is concerned,” Saleh said, “we’re not going to even look at that until we get back from the bye week, just to see how he responds to this week.”
Rankins has 25 tackles, three for loss, two sacks and a forced fumble while playing 53% of the defensive snaps.
Tackles Solomon Thomas and Nathan Shepherd should see an increase in snaps. John Franklin-Myers and rookie Micheal Clemons also could slide inside a little more. The Jets also could elevate Tanzel Smart from their practice squad.
Two-minute drill
The Jets are at least three games above .500 at their bye for the first time since the 2010 season, when they finished 11-5 and lost to the Steelers in the AFC Championship Game.
Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.
