In September, before his first game as Jets coach, Aaron Glenn was asked how he defined a successful season.
“I want to be a team that fans can look at and say we’re proud of this team,” Glenn said. “And if they say that, I'll be happy. I'll be happy because thanks to that I know the victories will come.”
Six games into his tenure, Jets fans are not proud of their team. The fans are angry, stunned and overwhelmed by the team's 0-6 record.
The Gang Green are the only team in the NFL without a win, and the Jets appear to be going backwards. They have not played extra football in any games this season.
The Jets' defense, which was one of the best in the league the previous three seasons, has been one of the worst this year. Their offense was inconsistent, and turnovers and penalties plagued the Jets.
Glenn came to the Jets promising to clean up the spots that had caused them to lose close games. Sunday's 13-11 loss. for the Broncos in London was a microcosm of what was wrong with the Jets.
They have a defender Justin Fieldswho keeps the ball in the pocket much longer than he should. They also didn't run many of Fields' scheduled runs against the Broncos, which is surprising because one of his strengths is his ability to scramble.
Glenn said Fields took a step back after completing just 9 of 17 passes for 46 yards and being sacked nine times.
“We had some kind of hesitation so he could get the ball out quickly enough,” Glenn said of Fields. “They did a pretty good job because they sent two guys on the edge to the defensive end and to the quarterback, which is where a lot of your running game comes from, so the thing is you just don’t want to hit a brick wall when you talk about the quarterback’s run game.
“There were some things they did pretty well to try to stop us from doing some of the things we like to do with the quarterback.”
The problem was not only Fields' mediocre fielding this season, but also Glenn's coaching. He all but gave up late in the first half, letting the final 30 seconds of the clock tick without making a play. Glenn said he didn't want to give the Broncos a chance to get the ball back before halftime because it was 4th-and-1 at their 47-yard line.
The Jets were down 10-6 at that point and might have been in field goal position before halftime. Broncos coach Sean Payton was even confused by what Glenn and the Jets were doing.
“We were waiting for a Hail Mary or something like that,” Payton said after the game. “And then the clock just ran out, that’s all.
“It was a little surprising. It's unusual.”
The day after the defeat, Glenn said he wished he had played the end of the first half differently.
“When we were going to score the ball and somebody else said, 'No, that's not it, it's fourth down,'” Glenn said. And at that point, man, if we tried to run the play, I thought that's where the real confusion came from.
“But you know, to be honest with you, I wish I could have moved the time back five seconds and just said a Hail Mary, to be honest with you. But at that point, I didn't want any confusion.”
The Jets weren't expected to make the playoffs in 2025. Especially after they finished 5-12 last season and released Aaron Rodgers, Davante Adams and C.J. Mosley in the offseason. But few expected them to lose in mid-October.
When he took the Jets job in January, Glenn told players and fans to “fasten your seat belts and get ready to ride.” The problem is that the ride appears to be out of commission before the season's midway point.
Some Jets fans were excited when Glenn became head coach. Those same fans have been against him for six games now, with some calling for his sacking.
Glenn preached patience, citing his time with the Lions as defensive coordinator under coach Dan Campbell. Detroit started 2021, Glenn and Campbell's first season there, 0-8 before finishing 3-13-1. The Lions also started the 2022 season 1-6 and finished that year 9-8.
It's only been six games, so it's premature to talk about Glenn being fired after just one season. However, consistent improvement is needed to give fans hope for the future.
At this point, the only hope for Jets fans is getting the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. There are 11 games left, but Jets fans are losing hope by the minute.
“You’re going to have to get through these times,” Glenn said. “You have to figure out exactly how you're going to ultimately win games and continue to move forward in that direction. I'm not giving up on that. I went through it in Detroit. I went through it in New Orleans and, look, I'm just not like that.”
“I'm not going to walk away from it at all. And I understand what it looks like on the outside. The thing is, I told you guys and I told the fans, dudes, don't let go of the rope. I know what we're doing is trying to build a strong foundation so we can consistently try to win. Thanks to everyone.”
