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Aaron Glenn was asked today if he’s considering any lineup changes.
“I say this every week, is you earn your keep. You earn your keep, so I think everyone is always, we’re always looking at that,” Glenn said. “Like, who gives us the best chance to win? That does not mean that we’re just having wholesale changes week in and week out, but I do expect the players to earn their keep during the week.”
Some might consider this answer a little perplexing, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
The Jets’ defense has been bad all year, in all five games.
Have there been any lineup changes?
Perhaps there was one that I might have missed, but I’m not aware of any.
You could make an argument that several players aren’t “earning their keep,” but they continue to roll with them.
Glenn said they aren’t going to make “whole changes week in and week out,” and that is fair, but forget about “wholesale,” how about any?
Yesterday, we talked about the Jets’ significant issues in their defensive end rotation with one guy who should be a situational rusher, two guys who should be on the practice squad, and another guy who is miscast in their scheme, so why haven’t they added anybody?
Why, during Jermaine Johnson’s absence, haven’t they added a defensive end?
Johnson is about to miss his third game, and they continue to roll with a rotation that isn’t working.
Now, I understand that you aren’t going to find a Joe Klecko on the street now, but why not bring back Rashad Weaver or Kingley Jonathan, who were in camp this summer, or know the system. Not putting either in Canton, but they need to do something. This defensive end situation is a crisis of Biblical proportions for this defense. Believe me, I’m not embellishing. To not do anything here, and keep rolling with what they have, status quo, is bizarre.
So, as we sit here right now, some might argue that Glenn’s statement that “I say this every week, is you earn your keep,” is just window dressing until further notice.
Don’t take that as a shot at Glenn, just the reality of the fact that we haven’t seen any tangible lineup changes on defense, that is perhaps the worst in the NFL . . .
Late in the first half, Dallas RB Javonte Williams had a 66-yard run to the Jets’ one-yard line. Dallas scored on the next play on a pass to tight end Jake Ferguson.
Glenn was asked about this play on Sunday, with a reporter claiming there was a “lack of fire” on defense on this play. I don’t totally get the question because this Jets defense plays hard, but often lacks discipline and also has a talent deficiency due to some dubious personnel decisions on that side of the ball.
“No, I didn’t. I didn’t. If you go back and look at that play, I think he was hit in the backfield by Tyler (Baron) and we missed the tackle. Then we had two guys who actually converged and hit him, and he ended up slithering through and making the long run,” Glenn said.
I don’t get Glenn’s defense of this play. Is he saying that Baron was there and didn’t make the tackle, but that somehow means they played it right?
Baron also had a missed tackle on a third-and-one run by Williams early in the quarter when he could have stopped the runner in the backfield.
Would that be another situation where they played it right, but just didn’t make the tackle?
Tackling is a big deal in this sport, and the Jets aren’t doing it particularly well right now.
Maybe Baron needs to get stronger? I don’t know, but remember, Baron was okay in college, but not a standout, so why would you be playing him so much as a rookie, even with an injury?
Maybe there is a need for some self-scouting in scouting . . .
There was media progress from the Sunday Glenn Presser to Monday’s.
No player names were included in any questions after the game, just soft philosophical questions. Well, on Monday, there was one name mentioned during the press conference – Sauce Gardner.
So some baby steps.
If you think the Jets are a tough team to play for because of the New York media, you need to reassess that perception.
October 6, 2025
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