The New York Jets left Detroit with a 31-24 loss in Week 3, but the conversation around them has been bigger than the final score. After climbing back from multiple touchdowns down in the fourth quarter and getting a chance to tie or win at the end of regulation, they walked away with another label they’ve heard before: “moral victory.”
That’s the kind of phrase the Jets have collected plenty of over the years, and it’s hard to treat it as meaningful when the record still sits at 1-2. The roster does look better than the 2026 version.
The passing game has more punch, the defense is steadier in certain spots, and the team appears more organized from week to week. But the real question is whether that improvement belongs to Aaron Glenn, or whether it’s simply the result of having a better roster - especially at quarterback.
There’s a familiar pattern here, too. At this point last year, Glenn and the Jets were getting similar praise after close early-season losses to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Miami Dolphins.
Back then, plenty of people were saying the team was close. Now, the optimism feels a little stronger because the team looks more competent overall.
Still, 1-2 is 1-2, and the Jets eventually have to show they can close out games under Glenn.
That matters because “competitive” only gets you so far. A team can keep games tight and still be nowhere near where it needs to be.
One-score losses don’t automatically mean a team is on the verge of turning the corner, especially in a league where close games are everywhere. Just last week, 12 of the NFL’s 16 games were decided by one score.
Being in the game proves you’re not terrible. For a franchise that has gone through 15 straight non-playoff seasons and followed that with a 3-14 year full of blowouts, that may feel like progress. But it’s not the standard Jets fans have been waiting for.
The real separator is what happens in those tight moments. Good coaches don’t just keep games close; they finish them. That’s the line between a staff that can build something lasting and one that fades out before it ever gets there.
Glenn has shown some promise as a defensive play-caller, though even that comes with a caveat because the Jets faced two soft opponents in Weeks 1 and 2. But he’s not being evaluated as a coordinator. He’s being judged as the head coach.
And that’s where the bigger picture starts to matter. The Jets need to figure out in 2026 whether Glenn is the right head coach to bring back for a third season and trust with three first-round picks. So far, the question remains open: is Glenn helping lift the team, or is the roster’s upgrade doing most of the work?
The tape from Jets-Lions offers some answers on that front, along with a look at which players are starting to look like long-term pieces and which parts of the roster are still causing problems.
In Other News...
Jets Enter Bears Game With Aaron Glenn Facing A Major Problem
Aaron Glenns first few weeks on the job have already featured the kind of injury churn that can test a new coaching staff, and the Week 4 trip to face the Chicago Bears brings another round of roster uncertainty. The Jets ruled out wide receiver Adonai Mitchell, running back Breece Hall, guard Dylan Parham, tight end Mason Taylor and linebacker Francisco Mauigoa, trimming depth on both sides of the ball as they try to keep the season moving in the right direction.
Hall and Parham were already expected to miss after the previous game, but Mitchell and Taylor had been in limbo for much of the week, leaving Glenn to sort through a lineup that keeps shifting late in the process. Edge rusher Kingsley Enagbare is also dealing with a knee injury and remains limited in practice, adding another question mark to a defense that can least afford to be thin going into a matchup with the Bears. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Fans May Not Be Done Hearing About Tom Brady Yet
Tom Bradys name keeps finding its way back into the conversation, even after his retirement following the 2022 season. In a recent interview, Lars Anderson, author of a Brady biography, suggested the seven-time Super Bowl winner may look back on the way his career ended and feel some regret, raising the kind of speculation that never really dies when Brady is involved.
For Jets fans, it is the sort of chatter that brings an old rival back into the frame, at least hypothetically, because any comeback discussion would immediately invite thoughts about scheduling and what it could mean for New York. Brady has not responded to the comments, and there is no real sign of a return, but the very fact the possibility is being floated is enough to keep the topic alive a little longer. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Defense Gets A Needed Boost At The Perfect Time
Minkah Fitzpatrick is set to rejoin the Jets for their Week 4 matchup with the Bears after missing time with a groin injury, giving New York a defensive presence it has been missing. He was a full participant in practice and said he is ready to go, a welcome development for a unit that has been looking for more takeaways lately.
Fitzpatricks return comes at a timely moment for a Jets defense that has had trouble creating interceptions, and his ability to track the ball could help change that. Against Chicago, the Jets will be counting on him not just to fill a spot, but to lift a secondary that needs a jolt. [Read more 🡒]