The New York Jets' loss is the Green Bay Packers' gain. Head coach Matt LaFleur understands how talented Robert Saleh is, not only because he is a close friend and has worked with him, but because the Packers' offense has struggled against Saleh's defenses in the past.
LaFleur has brought Saleh to Green Bay as an advisor to the offense, not the defense. It's a smart move from the Packers' head coach, who wants Saleh's defensive perspective to help on the other side of the ball.
It will help quarterback Jordan Love, who was asked about Saleh's arrival when he met with reporters on Wednesday.
"The goal is to have the best minds and the best coaches, everything, so having a guy like Saleh around definitely helps," said Love. "Having a defensive mind, talking offense and helping us with things that he might be able to see, some of our scheme stuff, things the defenses might be looking for, it helps."
LaFleur is one of the best offensive minds in the game, but Saleh provides a different perspective and can add insight into how a defensive coordinator may attack the Packers' system.
"I think it just helps with understanding what the defense is looking at," said Love. "You can pick up pointers that defensive coaches, defensive minds see that offensive guys might not think about. I think that's the main thing that helps."
Robert Saleh can help Packers' offense reach an even higher level
LaFleur's offense has unlocked some great defenses, but Saleh had his way in previous matchups. Under LaFleur, the Packers have only beaten a Saleh-led defense once, a 34-17 win over the San Francisco 49ers in 2020, but they scored a combined 38 points in three games, all losses, to the 49ers and New York Jets.
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Ironically, it was Aaron Rodgers playing at quarterback in those games, who would eventually play under Saleh in New York.
Even if unintended, Saleh's arrival in Green Bay could give him the ultimate revenge on New York. He was surprisingly, and quite harshly, fired after the Jets' loss to the Minnesota Vikings in London. They have lost both games in the post-Saleh era, while the defense has regressed by allowing an average of 30 points in those contests. So, Saleh wasn't the problem after all? Shocker.
Imagine Saleh got fired from the Jets, joined LaFleur's staff in Green Bay, and then won a Super Bowl with Rodgers' former team.
Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Saleh hasn't even committed to taking on a full-time role, as LaFleur said the situation is "fluid."
But we're delighted to see him here. Saleh is an incredible defensive coach with plenty of experience against LaFleur's offense. He also worked under Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco and knows how this system works.
He can provide clues to LaFleur, Love, and the Packers' offense on how defenses attack them and how they can overcome it.