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This is what you would call a double-edged sword.
Recently, Jets QB Geno Smith said, “I truly believe in Coach (Aaron) Glenn. I think he’s a special coach. I’ve seen him. I played against him. I know what his defense has to offer, and so I know he’s going to be great on that side.”
A lot to unpack here.
Obviously, it remains to be seen if Glenn is “a special coach.”
And don’t for one second view that as an attack on Glenn. It’s just calling balls and strikes. His first year as Jets coach, the team went 3-14.
So clearly he’s got some things to prove before he’s called “a special coach.”
But Smith saying this is not a big deal. That is just player-speak. It is what it is. That is the kind of thing you’d expect a player to say about his coach.
Let’s move past that and get into two other aspects of the quote that I consider the double-edged sword.
“I’ve seen him. I played against him. I know what his defense has to offer, and so I know he’s going to be great on that side.”
Two of the best games of Geno Smith’s career came against the Detroit Lions when Glenn was the defensive coordinator.
In September of 2023, Smith led the Seattle Seahawks to a 37-31 win over the Lions. The game went to overtime, and Smith led the Seahawks on a TD drive to end the game in the extra session, connecting with WR Tyler Lockett on a TD pass.
“We had been moving the ball really well all game,” said Smith, who was 32 of 41 for 328 yards with two TD throws to Lockett. “We had a lot of confidence that we could go down the field and get that touchdown.”
What made Smith’s performance extra-impressive was that he was playing this game with both starting offensive tackles, Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas.
Then, in October of 2024, in a Seahawks 42-29 loss to the Lions, Smith was 38-56 for 395 yards.
“We were forced to chuck it around in the second half and I thought [Smith] was poised,” Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said. “It was a loud environment, Lions fans did a great job, but operation-wise, I thought we were clean, I thought [Smith] was poised, thought he was accurate. I thought he played a heck of a game.”
Despite a poor defensive performance, Smith kept the Seahawks in striking distance until the end.
So, after seeing Smith up close in these two games and what he did to his defense, you’d have to think this influenced Glenn’s decision to sign Smith.
Smith was outstanding in these two games, playing on a very high level.
However, considering these two performances, some might consider it player-speak once again when Smith said, “I played against him. I know what his defense has to offer, and so I know he’s going to be great on that side.”
Well, clearly, any Jets fans who saw these two games have to be excited to some level. to have this guy as their QB this year.
But the other side of the coin is: why was Glenn’s Lions defense so bad in these two games?
Glenn is going to be running the Jets’ defense this year with the assistance of new DC Brian Duker.
So there are two ways of looking at those two Seahawks-Lions games.
Very impressive passing games by the Jets’ new QB.
But also, the Jets’ defense, now playing the scheme that Smith picked apart, must not allow games like that to happen in 2026.
April 3, 2026
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