The Lions are back at Ford Field in Week 3, and the betting market isn’t wasting much time making a statement. FanDuel Sportsbook opened Detroit as a 7.5-point favorite over the Jets.
It’s a quick return to town for Aaron Glenn, who left his job as the Lions’ defensive coordinator in 2025 to take over as head coach of the Jets, the franchise that drafted him in 1994. His first season in charge went sideways early, with New York stumbling to an 0-7 start before finishing 3-14.
Glenn spent the offseason shaking up the staff around him. The Jets fired offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand and defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, then brought in former head coach Frank Reich as offensive coordinator and Brian Duker as defensive coordinator.
Duker had worked under Glenn in Detroit from 2021-23. New York also reworked several other coaching roles to fit the new setup.
The roster got a major facelift too. The Jets gave running back Breece Hall a contract extension, traded quarterback Justin Fields and added Geno Smith, safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat.
In free agency, they brought in projected starters Dylan Parham, Joseph Ossai, Demario Davis, David Onyemata and David Belton. Then came the draft haul: three first-round picks turned into EDGE David Bailey, tight end Kenyon Sadiq and wide receiver Omar Cooper, while corner D’Angelo Ponds went in the second round and defensive tackle Darrell Jackson followed in the fourth.
For a moment, it looked like all that work was going to click right away. The Jets rolled past the Titans 23-10 in Tennessee in Week 1.
A week later, they got dragged into a defensive grind with the Packers that opened up after halftime and needed overtime. Glenn made the surprising call to take the ball first in overtime, but the offense went three-and-out, and Green Bay quickly seized the short field and ended it with a field goal.
Detroit comes in with its offense scoring in bunches, even as the defense has struggled. The Jets’ defense has the look of a unit that could at least make things uncomfortable for the Lions, but the opening line suggests oddsmakers still expect Detroit to have the upper hand.
In Other News...
Lions Secondary Issues Are Forcing Detroit To Act Fast
The Lions are trying to stabilize a secondary that has been hit hard early, and that urgency showed up this week at the Allen Park Performance Center. Detroit has allowed 71 points through the first two games, a rough start that has put even more pressure on a defensive back group already dealing with injuries, including safety Avonte Maddox.
Among the players getting workouts are veterans Jordan Fuller and Jalen Mills, both of whom bring NFL experience and familiarity with the league grind. Mills also has a prior connection to Detroit after being claimed off waivers by the Lions in 2025, and the teams decision to bring in that kind of depth suggests it is moving quickly to find answers before the schedule creates even more problems. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Suddenly Have A Secondary Issue They May Need To Solve Fast
When the Lions get back from their break, the defensive backfield will be worth watching closely. Detroit plans to work out a group of defensive backs, including Jordan Fuller and Jalen Mills, as it continues to sort through both health questions and performance concerns in the secondary. Avonte Maddoxs foot injury is part of the picture, and the team has already been forced to keep an eye on a unit that has needed help at times.
There is at least a path toward relief if the timing breaks right. Safeties Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph remain on the Physically Unable to Perform list, but both may be nearing a return to practice, which could help stabilize a group that has been thinned out. Until then, the Lions may need these workouts to do more than just add bodies, because the back end of the defense has become a spot they may have to solve quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Badly Need Cade Mays Back For This Brutal Stretch
Jared Goff has already spent too much of the early season dealing with heat in the pocket, and it has put a spotlight on a Detroit offensive line that has not looked nearly as steady as the Lions need it to be. The issue becomes even bigger with the schedule turning toward a pair of division tests against the Packers and Vikings, both of whom can make life miserable for a quarterback when they get to the front of the pocket.
Cade Mays absence has been part of that problem, with the starting center still working back from a wrist injury that has kept him sidelined. The bye week offers the Lions a natural reset, and there is at least a chance he could be back by mid-October, which would give Detroit a much-needed reinforcement right when the trenches figures to matter most. [Read more 🡒]