Aaron Glenn pored over the video of the New York Jets’ latest loss and something jumped off the screen.
And it got a big thumbs-down from the coach, still looking for his first victory.
鈥淒isappointed in how we played yesterday,鈥 Glenn said during a video call Monday. 鈥淚 thought Buffalo beat us with our brand of football.鈥
Josh Allen and on Sunday, a game in which Glenn’s squad never really challenged the five-time defending AFC East champs. A week after an impressive performance in a loss to Pittsburgh, New York’s offense slogged through four quarters of mostly ineffectiveness while Buffalo controlled the clock with efficiency and a solid running game 鈥 taking a page right from the Jets’ playbook.
鈥淛ust like last week, I don鈥檛 want to sit here and say that I鈥檓 discouraged,鈥 Glenn said. 鈥淚 hate the way that we played yesterday. But I know what type of players we have and type of coaching staff we have. And we鈥檙e gonna do everything we can to try to fix these problems and move forward.鈥
It might have to be without quarterback Justin Fields this week, though.
Fields is after being injured early in the fourth quarter against the Bills. If he’s unavailable at Tampa Bay on Sunday, Tyrod Taylor will get the start against the Buccaneers.
鈥淲e have to look at that both ways,鈥 Glenn said. 鈥淚f Justin can鈥檛 play, then Tyrod will be the guy. We have to make sure we build a plan that鈥檚 suitable for him.鈥
With the Jets at 0-2, Glenn understands fans are already getting anxious. He certainly knows how it works in the Big Apple spotlight, having played eight of his 15 NFL seasons in New York.
鈥淚 know this is an instant coffee league,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 know from the media to the fans, everybody expects this, when you just start, 鈥極K, we鈥檙e going to the Super Bowl.鈥 But we鈥檝e all played Legos before. And we all know that, man, you have to make sure everything is aligned and you keep stacking it day by day by day. And to me, that鈥檚 how I look at it.”
Glenn has regularly cited the progression of teams on which he was an assistant, such as New Orleans and Detroit, and is preaching patience as the Jets head into Week 3.
鈥淚 understand the outside noise and I鈥檓 not affected by outside noise because I know exactly what we鈥檙e trying to build here,鈥 Glenn said. “And I wish it was instant coffee, but it鈥檚 not. These things take time and my confidence or the coaches’ confidence or the players’ confidence is not going to be shaken and we鈥檙e going to continue the things we’ve got to do to build this.鈥
What鈥檚 working
The punt team. It’s usually not a good sign when the punter is getting kudos, but Austin McNamara has done a solid job in his first two NFL games. He averaged 48.6 yards on seven punts against Buffalo, with five of them inside the Bills 21. The defense couldn’t take advantage, though, allowing two touchdowns and one field goal in those five situations.
What needs help
The passing game. It was clear the Jets were going to rely mostly on their running game entering the season. But Fields was able to do produce in the passing game, too, last week against the Steelers when he threw for 218 yards and a touchdown. Before he was injured Sunday, Fields was just 3 of 11 for 27 yards and couldn’t get anything going consistently through the air once the Bills shut down the Jets’ ground game.
Stock up
DT Jowon Briggs. He was one of the Jets’ few bright spots against the Bills with five tackles, his first career sack, two quarterback hits, a tackle for loss and a forced fumble. Briggs, a seventh-round pick last year by Cleveland out of the University of Cincinnati, was acquired from the Browns last month along with a 2026 seventh-rounder for a 2026 sixth-rounder.
Stock down
DT Micheal Clemons. Mental mistakes have marked the 2022 fourth-rounder’s NFL career and Sunday was more of the same. With the Bills facing third-and-19 on their opening drive, Allen’s pass fell incomplete 鈥 but Clemons slammed into the quarterback and was called for roughing the passer. It prolonged the 12-play drive that ended with Buffalo scoring a touchdown.
鈥淚t can’t happen,鈥 Glenn said.
Injuries
Edge rusher Jermaine Johnson (ankle) safety Tony Adams (groin) and nickel cornerback Michael Carter II (shoulder) were all still being evaluated. Wide receiver Josh Reynolds and running back/kick returner Kene Nwangwu missed the game with hamstring injuries.
Key number
0 for 11 鈥 The Jets were unable to convert on any of their third-down opportunities, something that plagued them under the previous regime the past few seasons.
What鈥檚 next
The Jets will travel to Tampa Bay, where they’ll take on Todd Bowles, their former coach, while looking to give Glenn his first head coaching victory.
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