Jets Defensive Coordinator Aaron Glenn Faces Former Team in Detroit
Glenn, who helped build the Lions' current contender status, looks for redemption with the Jets after a Week 2 coaching criticism.
New York Jets defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn will face his former team, the Detroit Lions, on Sunday. The matchup offers Glenn an opportunity to prove the rebuilding blueprint he helped establish with the Lions is transferable to his current role with the Jets.
During his first season with the Jets, Glenn frequently referenced the 2021 Lions team, which finished 3-13 under head coach Dan Campbell and Glenn as defensive coordinator, as an example of how a team could eventually turn its fortunes around. That Lions team finished the 2022 season with a 9-8 record and contended for a playoff spot, laying the groundwork for their current status as annual NFC contenders.
The upcoming game in Detroit takes on added significance for Glenn and the Jets. After an offseason of optimism and a Week 1 performance that suggested potential, the Jets suffered a late collapse in Week 2, leading to criticism of the coaching staff's game management. A victory against the Lions would provide redemption for that loss and serve as a measuring stick for Glenn's tenure with the Jets to date.
In Week 1, the Jets appeared to be a respectable football team. In Week 2, they were a single late collapse away from securing a 2-0 start to the season. Sunday's game presents Glenn with a chance to demonstrate that the "Same Old Jets" are evolving and that his strategies can yield different results, particularly against the franchise he played a key role in building.