The Jets found a new low in a 28-25 loss to a previously winless Dolphins team, and the fallout lands right back on Aaron Glenn. This was the kind of game a coach in his spot simply cannot let slip away, especially with a defense that had already been exposed by a team averaging 14 points per game coming into the matchup. Instead, New York came out of it looking like a team that has once again drifted into the familiar mess of a bad season.
That’s what makes this loss sting so hard: there is talent here, but the coaching and the situational football keep dragging everything down. It’s the lowest point of the Glenn era so far, and the Jets are staring at the same kind of slide that has defined too many painful seasons before this one.
Glenn’s grip on the job feels shaky after this showing. The Jets have only really seemed to hold a schematic or coaching edge in Week 1, and that was against Robert Saleh.
Bobby Slowik is not a Ben Johnson or Josh McDaniels-level offensive mind, but he had Glenn and the Jets looking lost for most of the game. Almost a year and a half into his Jets career, Glenn has become the kind of coach who seems to be getting outmaneuvered on a weekly basis.
There were individual failures layered into the larger collapse. Harrison Phillips looks done.
With T'Vondre Sweat injured, Phillips needed to step up, but instead he played more like someone who shouldn’t be out there at all. Darrell Jackson Jr. hasn’t exactly been lighting it up, but the difference when he’s on the field is obvious enough.
If the market is there, the Jets should be exploring a trade for Phillips before the deadline.
Garrett Wilson’s usage is going to be a talking point again, and this time the complaints have plenty of fuel. He entered the fourth quarter with just one catch for seven yards and finished with two catches for 26 yards against a Dolphins secondary that was there to be taken.
Frank Reich wants to spread the ball around, and New York does have weapons worth involving, but Wilson cannot be left this quiet. No wonder he was barking at Geno Smith on the sideline after an up-and-down day from the quarterback.
One of the few bright spots for the Jets offense was Omar Cooper Jr., who is suddenly forcing his way into the conversation as the team’s No. 2 receiving threat. After appearing in just one drive in Week 1, he went off for 103 yards and a touchdown on the road against the New England Patriots.
He followed that up with 115 yards and another score, with most of the damage coming on two deep chunk plays. Adonai Mitchell may have already lost the WR2 spot after being Wally Pipp'd by Cooper, who has started his second season hotter than anyone could have expected.
There’s also reason to worry about D’Angelo Ponds. Rookie growing pains are expected, but Ponds looked like a target, committed a penalty in the red zone, and kept showing up in Malik Willis’ crosshairs after Jarvis Brownlee Jr. was made a healthy scratch. He needs to prove his physical limitations won’t keep him from settling into the league.
And while the blame starts with Glenn, Frank Reich doesn’t get off cleanly either. Even with two red-zone touchdowns, this was still another reminder of the issues that have followed him all season long. A Jason Sanders missed field goal and a red-zone interception from Geno Smith wiped out more scoring chances, but the broader problems were still there.
In Other News...
Jets Still Have A Breece Hall Problem They Can't Solve
Breece Halls long wait back onto the field is likely to stretch at least another week, leaving the Jets to keep navigating without one of their most important offensive playmakers. Hall has missed the last three games with a quad strain, and he still has not been a full participant in practice, which has made his status for Week 7 difficult to read even as the team continues to monitor his progress closely.
For a Jets offense that has already had to adjust on the fly, the bigger concern is how long it may take before Hall is truly ready to go. The current signs point to a return in Week 8 as the more realistic target, giving New York another round of uncertainty in the backfield while it waits for clearer momentum from a player it badly needs back in the mix. [Read more 🡒]
Garrett Wilson Sideline Tension Revives A Bigger Jets Problem
After the Jets loss to the Dolphins, a sideline exchange between Garrett Wilson and Geno Smith drew attention because it reflected a familiar problem for a passing game that still struggles to find its rhythm. Wilsons frustration appeared to stem from how little he was involved, and the moment landed as part of a larger concern for a team trying to build consistency on offense.
Aaron Glenn addressed the issue after the game, acknowledging the team did not do enough to get Wilson involved. Later reports suggested Wilson and Smith talked it through in a calm way, with the receiver framing the irritation as part of the groups overall performance rather than a personal rift. Even so, the clip was a reminder that the Jets biggest questions on offense are still hovering just beneath the surface. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Finally Get Adonai Mitchell Back With One Strange Mystery Lingering
Adonai Mitchell is finally set to rejoin the Jets lineup Sunday against the Dolphins after missing four games with a finger injury suffered in practice. His return gives New York another needed option on offense and comes at a good time, with Omar Cooper Jr. also back from injury and the unit getting healthier at the same time.
Mitchell spoke with reporters this week but kept the details of the injury close to the vest, offering little beyond the fact that it sidelined him for a month. Even with the immediate concern now focused on getting him back on the field, there is still a small mystery hanging around how it all happened and what the next steps might have been. [Read more 🡒]