Aaron Glenn looks different now than he did when he was running the Lions’ defense, but the challenge he’s about to face in Week 3 looks awfully familiar.
Back in November of 2024, after Detroit’s comeback win over the Houston Texans, Glenn had one performance stuck in his head. It wasn’t a defender. It was Jared Goff, the quarterback who kept the Lions steady when the game got tight.
Glenn told reporters, "He didn’t blink and that’s the one thing that showed up more than anything is the leadership - the toughness, the ability to take a team on his back and go win a game was outstanding to see.”
That version of Goff is still around. Nearly two years later, he’s the same composed leader Glenn admired then, and by this point he might be even better - sharper with the ball, more seasoned, and more comfortable steering the offense.
Glenn, meanwhile, has taken a different path. Now the head coach of the New York Jets, he’s moved away from the heavy man-coverage identity that defined his time in Detroit and built a more varied defensive system in New York. Even with the changes, the Jets still don’t look equipped to slow down Goff and the Lions.
In Detroit, Glenn’s defense leaned hard into man coverage and forced quarterbacks into tight-window throws. During Glenn’s final season with the Lions in 2024, they used man coverage more than any other team in the league, finishing at 44.2%.
That’s not the version of Glenn the Jets are playing now. New York’s man coverage rate fell to 33% in 2025 and is down to 23.9% in 2026, putting the team around the middle of the league. Glenn has taken over defensive play-calling this season, and the result is a scheme that mixes man and zone, with more pre-snap disguise than Lions fans would remember.
The approach has paid off early. Through two weeks, the Jets have been a top-ten defense by EPA per play, offensive success rate, yards allowed, and points allowed.
But Goff has the kind of game that can unravel that sort of defense. He’s not just good against one coverage type or another; his pre-snap feel, anticipation, and accuracy make him a problem no matter what a defense tries to show.
He also enters the matchup with a clean stat line that tells you exactly how well he’s seeing the field: Goff is the only quarterback this season with at least six passing touchdowns and no interceptions.
That mix of efficiency and aggression is what makes him such a tough answer for Glenn’s defense. He’s willing to chase explosive plays, but he isn’t handing the ball over. Against a Jets unit built on disguises and changing pictures, Goff’s ability to read it all and deliver on time is the edge.
Glenn’s early run in New York has been encouraging, but for one Sunday, it has to take a back seat to Goff and the Lions.
In Other News...
Lions Fans Are Losing Faith But Still See One Immediate Chance
A rough Week 2 has clearly taken some shine off the Lions early-season buzz, at least in the eyes of the fan base. In the latest SB Nation Reacts survey sponsored by FanDuel Sportsbook, confidence in the direction of the organization slipped from the previous week, and fewer than half of respondents said they still felt good about where things are headed.
Even so, the mood is not close to panic just yet, because Detroit has an immediate chance to steady itself in Week 3 against the New York Jets. Fans may be cooling on the bigger picture after the loss, but the upcoming matchup still looks like the kind of spot where the Lions can quickly remind everyone why optimism had been running so high a week ago. [Read more 🡒]
Amon-Ra St. Brown's Bills Fallout Just Got More Complicated
The aftermath of the Lions Week 2 loss in Buffalo has extended well beyond the final whistle, with Amon-Ra St. Brown among the players hit by the NFL for postgame discipline tied to celebration-related penalties. St. Brown was fined $59,704 for multiple unsportsmanlike conduct infractions, adding another layer to a night that already left Detroit with plenty to sort through.
He was not alone in feeling the leagues reach, either. Five other Lions players also drew fines for a range of violations, including Jameson Williams, Jahmyr Gibbs, Penei Sewell, Tyler Lacy and Devin White, pushing Detroits total in Week 2 past $120,000. For a team still trying to settle in after a tough loss, the financial hit is a reminder that the fallout in Buffalo reached well beyond the scoreboard. [Read more 🡒]
Three Underused Lions Could Decide More Than Fans Expect Vs Jets
Through two games of the 2026 season, the Lions have gotten only modest early returns from a few players who may still matter plenty as the year unfolds. Kerry Wonnum, Jalen McCreary and TeSlaa have all been around the action without making much of a dent yet, but that can change quickly in a league where roles expand fast and one strong Sunday can alter a rotation.
Week 3 against the Jets gives Detroit a chance to see whether that quiet start was just a slow opening or the beginning of something more limited. Each of those players is in position for more playing time and a bigger statistical footprint, and for a team trying to stack wins early, even the lesser-used pieces can end up shaping how far the depth chart reaches. [Read more 🡒]