Aaron Glenn has repeatedly said this season that these are not the “same old Jets.”
It is time for the Jets to prove precisely that.
A month into the NFL season, the Jets are one of three teams that are winless entering Week 5. At times this season, the Jets have looked unprepared, poorly coached, and flat-out undisciplined, committing several pre-snap and personal foul penalties.
Doesn’t that sound familiar? If it does, it should because the Jets were very similar last year when they led the league in penalties and finished with a 5-12 record.
“The thing that I think most people look at and try to focus on is the why, and you do have to address the way, and we do that quite a bit,” Glenn said. “But the shift that we go to is the how, like how do we fix these things, and we talked about that today, we’ve talked about that on several occasions, and our players believe in that.
“To me, I think the frustration will be there, but the confidence and the belief is going to be there because now we have answers and solutions to how we’re going to get better. Does that mean we are going to get better right now? No, but you see it. You see it, and you see small glimpses of it, and that gives players the belief.”
The Jets weren’t expected to contend for a playoff spot, but there were reasons for optimism entering the 2025 season. They were returning eight starters on a defense that finished third in yards allowed last season. The Jets also feature an improved offensive line and a strong running game led by Breece Hall and Justin Fields.
But so far, the Jets haven’t been able to finish games. They had a chance to defeat the Steelers, but a muffed punt return by Xavier Gipson and a 60-yard field goal by Chris Boswell ended all hopes of a Week 1 victory. The Jets also had chances against the Buccaneers and Dolphins to secure a win, but turnovers and mistakes plagued them.
Their defense, which finished in the top five each of the previous three seasons, has also been nonexistent. The Jets rank 20th in yards (330.3) and are tied for 29th in points allowed (30).
Dating back to spring OTAs and training camp, Glenn emphasized discipline and aggressiveness. During his introductory press conference, Glenn told fans and reporters to ‘put your seatbelts on and get ready for the ride.” He also said at the combine that the goal is to “win now.”
But the ride is having trouble just getting started after a 0-4 record. Only one team, the 1992 Chargers, has recovered from a 0-4 start to make the playoffs.
Glenn understands that turning around the Jets would not be an easy fix. After all, they have the longest postseason drought in North American sports (14 years). Glenn and the Jets’ general manager, Darren Mougey, deserve time to mold the team with their vision.
But players like Hall, Sauce Gardner, and Garrett Wilson have seen this story before. They have been part of the Jets program for four years and registered a losing record each season they have been in the league. The Jets must start to secure some wins beginning on Sunday against the Cowboys to ensure that their players remain committed to the overall message.
One reason for hope is that the Jets have lost three of their four games by six points or less. The Cowboys also feature a defense that’s dead last in yards (420.5) and 31st in points allowed.
“There’s a lot of good stuff on that tape,” Jets offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand said about the team’s 0-4 start. “There is a lot of good things on that tape from all the different positions.
“Then we say, just like we have been talking about, we got to eliminate the turnovers, we got to eliminate the penalties. If we eliminate that, and we’re moving the ball. We’re moving ball and all of a sudden, we got penalties. So, we eliminate that and we’re going to be just fine. We’re going to be just fine. There’s a lot of stuff on the tape that you got to like.”
Jets fans are not known for their patience due to the franchise’s history of struggles. Glenn hopes to avoid becoming the first Jets coach to begin his career with a 0-5 record.
While it is unlikely the Jets will make the playoffs in 2025, their remaining 13 games are favorable. They will play just three teams that made the playoffs last season. Also, the Jets have just two opponents on their schedule who are currently over .500 [Jaguars and Bills].
Glenn was the defensive coordinator for the Lions when they started 0-10-1 in his and coach Dan Campbell’s first season in Detroit in 2021. They also started 1-6 in 2022 before the team finished 9-8, which helped propel them to the NFC Championship the following season and a 15-2 record in 2024.
If a “breakthrough” is going to happen like Glenn expects it to, the Jets will need to begin getting takeaways and stop committing bonehead penalties. They are the only team that has registered a takeaway this season and are 10th in the league in penalties.
“I see it in phases, throughout games on Sunday each week,” Wilson said. “It’s been, we’ve shown the glimpses. It’s about being consistent.
“It’s about you know, doing when it’s needed the most, down a stretch. Third down. First drive, first drive of the game, stuff like that. So, I’ve seen it in glimpses throughout the season, you know, here and there, and now it’s about being consistent with doing it when it matters most.”
