Why Aaron Glenn is encouraged by the Jets' progress

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Perhaps the strongest endorsement for New York Jets coach Aaron Glenn came more than a year ago, delivered by his previous boss.

"If he can't [turn them around]," Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell said at the 2025 NFL spring meetings in Orlando, Florida, "nobody can."

Despite a firestorm of criticism in the aftermath of their 20-17 overtime loss to the Green Bay Packers, Glenn has the Jets looking like a competitive team so far in his second season. It's overshadowed by a handful of questionable coaching decisions from the fourth-quarter collapse Sunday, but he is encouraged by the progress and insisted they won't allow the crushing loss to define their season.

Glenn can prevent that from happening by beating the next opponent, which happens to be -- drum roll, please -- Campbell and the Lions. It's a delicious storyline, but Glenn, who served as Campbell's defensive coordinator from 2021 to 2024, can't let that distract him. His primary job is to refocus his team after blowing a 10-point lead.

"It's my responsibility to get our guys to be able to close the door," Glenn said. "I take that, and it's something I will never run from."

There are some positives to build on, which should make it easier to move past the Green Bay debacle. In two games, the Jets already have run more plays with a lead (68) than they did the entire 2025 season (66). They dominated the Tennessee Titans in the opener, never trailing, and they were only one timely play away from burying the Packers.

The Jets have their best total yardage margin (plus-258) through two games since 1982, currently the third-best margin in the NFL. The defense, with Glenn calling the plays, is ranked No. 1 in yards allowed (197 per game). They have surrendered only 30 points, including 20 in the fourth quarter and overtime -- perhaps a troubling trend.

Defensive tackle Harrison Phillips said they will make "a conscious effort this week to step up the intensity" in the latter portion of practice, hoping there's a carryover to the game.

The Jets allowed the Packers to score on three of their last four possessions. Before that, they held Green Bay's vertical passing attack in check, though some of that could be attributed to Jordan Love's reliance on short passing because of a spate of offensive line injuries.

The takeaway-starved defense, which has gone a record 19 consecutive games without an interception, recorded its first takeaway of the season -- a fumble recovery. There could've been more, but they recovered only one of five fumbles by the Packers.

Glenn took that as a positive, saying, "We're attacking the football. We're punching the football out, and I do know this: Those things are going to come around for us."

Offensively, the Jets haven't put up big numbers (40 points), but they're getting consistent quarterback play -- something that didn't happen last season. Geno Smith, who threw an NFL-high 17 interceptions last season for the Las Vegas Raiders, has yet to commit a turnover. Ditto, the entire offense -- the first time since 1971 they've had no giveaways through the first two games.

"I still think we have a really good team, a team of high potential and we just went into a shootout with a [2025] playoff team," running back Breece Hall said after Sunday's game. "So I think we have everything we need."

It wasn't exactly a shootout, but there's no doubt the Jets have been better than last season on offense. Smith already has more passing yards in his first two starts (462) than Justin Fields recorded in his last four (460) from last season. They're still lacking explosive plays, so it might behoove offensive coordinator Frank Reich to get wide receiver Garrett Wilson more involved. Wilson was targeted only seven times Sunday, just twice after his third-quarter touchdown.

"Absolutely, that's a point of emphasis every time we go out: try to make sure we get him the ball, and we have to continue to do that," Glenn said. "There are guys on this team -- Breece, [Mason Taylor], [Kenyon Sadiq], especially Garrett -- that we have to make sure that we get those guys involved."