In a 27-24 walk-off win over the Atlanta Falcons, New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn wasn’t concerned about the team’s lackluster run defense.
Despite giving up over 150 yards rushing to Bijan Robinson, Glenn pointed to previous performances against the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens as a reason to disregard the poor showing.
After Sunday’s 34-10 blowout loss to the Miami Dolphins, though, those same run defense struggles reared their ugly heads.
Unlike the prior week, Glenn had a much different thought to describe those issues.
Jets’ run defense breaks down again
In a clash between AFC East rivals, the Dolphins ran 41 times for 239 yards and three scores. They averaged over five yards per carry in the cold temperatures at MetLife Stadium.
Unlike his past answers on the subject, Glenn was far more direct when detailing what went wrong with that same run defense.
“It’s B.S.,” he said. “You can’t give up 240 yards rushing. It’s that simple. You can’t give it up. So you have to fix it.”
Glenn later took ownership of the team’s struggles on defense, saying he “didn’t have the team ready to play.” He also declined the notion that the struggles were due to a lack of effort.
One of the significant ways Miami was able to gash New York on the ground was their use of pre- and post-snap motion. The Dolphins use movement as much as any other team in the league to confuse defenses and put them in the wrong spots.
That is precisely what happened on Sunday.
For Jets fans, it was hard to watch. For Glenn and his coaching staff, it was a reminder of how far the team has to go.
Glenn takes ownership
Before Sunday’s divisional blowout, the Jets were showing incremental improvements across the board as an organization. The offense had started to move effectively, the defense was making strides, and the special teams groups were the best in football.
That is what made Sunday’s performance such a disappointment. It was a clear step back for the entire team.
Instead of pointing to key reasons why his roster looked overmatched on Sunday, Glenn pointed the finger directly at himself.
“I didn’t have these guys ready to play, and that was obvious by the way that we went out there and played,” he said. “I have to take a look at myself, take a look at the staff, take a look at the players, and come back next week.”
In a way, with the trade deadline sales of key stars like cornerback Sauce Gardner and defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, the organization would be excused for putting on performances as they did on Sunday, especially against the run.
For the second straight week, the Jets were overwhelmed on the ground.
And unlike the week prior, New York’s head coach isn’t willing to chalk it up to the matchup.
The group must play better.
