"Go Fuck Yourself…You Suck" - Elijah Moore's Blowup At Mike LaFleur Captures How Much Of A Mess The Jets' Offense Was In 2022
I will say that Elijah Moore and Mike LaFleur eventually patched up their relationship as the New York Jets' doomed 2022 campaign wore on, but when you fly off the handle at your offensive coordinator like this? Well, maybe it's no surprise LaFleur was let go after all in spite of his longstanding close ties to head coach Robert Saleh.
LaFleur basically tried to shoehorn his Kyle Shanahan-style offense into Zach Wilson's cranium. That visual makes little sense but is striking enough to keep in. Rather appropriate as a matter of fact, because the reality is LaFleur and Wilson could never get on the same page. Wilson was overwhelmed by the mental side of the NFL game. It was clear he was thinking too much and flat-out choking every single Sunday.
So you want more context about the profane Moore-to-LaFleur exchange? The excellent feature by The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt provides just that. TLDR: Moore and other Jets wide receivers were frustrated by how simplified the passing game had become once Wilson was in the lineup. The play-caller told Wilson to run if his first and second reads weren't there.
...Not to say Wilson is a bad athlete by any means, but was LaFleur living in denial amid a parallel, imagined timeline where New York drafted Justin Fields second overall? Because that would maybe work. Otherwise, yikes.
Both Moore and Denzel Mims are former second-round picks who've demanded trades in the hopes of better utilizing their receiving talents on superior teams with better quarterbacks. Alas, the Jets have clung to both.
Entering the offseason, New York has Mike White and Joe Flacco hitting free agency. My assumption is they'll re-sign White to a modest deal unless some team likes him enough to be a stopgap starter. White certainly is the belle of the ball in the locker room.
We'll know more about the type of QB Gang Green covets once Saleh brings aboard a new OC. They've already interviewed Nathaniel Hackett of all people. Hackett's hypothetical hiring would be for the sole purpose of luring Aaron Rodgers to the team. I can't fathom another reason.
My two cents? Saleh will want a similar West Coast system so it's not a total overhaul for the incumbent offensive players. That should lead them to either Jimmy Garoppolo or Derek Carr, who've both had immense success in those types of offenses. Jimmy G has obvious connections to Saleh from San Francisco, too.
Whomever is starting under center for the Jets in 2023, you can bet Moore and the rest of the Jets receivers will be relieved it ain't Zach Wilson. They might even get a QB who can execute a semi-complex passing attack to fully capitalize on their skill sets, and a play-caller who'll truly play to their collective strengths. It is the Jets, however, so we'll see.
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