During his four seasons as the Detroit Lions’ defensive coordinator, New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn established a reputation for his aggressiveness, especially as a blitzer.

Now in his first season as the Jets’ defensive play-caller, he had a perfect opportunity to do just that against a young QB in Cam Ward, who struggled mightily against pressure during his rookie season.

Well, it’s safe to say that Glenn pounced on the opportunity not only to pressure Ward, but make a statement in his first game as the Jets’ defensive play-caller.

Glenn’s high blitz rate vs. Ward

In Week 1 (before Monday Night Football), Glenn ranked third among defensive play-callers in blitz rate (46.2%), behind just Dan Quinn’s 50.9% and Brian Flores’ absurd 82.1% mark.

Ward was blitzed by the Jets on 18 of his 39 dropbacks, according to Pro Football Focus. Throughout those 18 dropbacks, he attempted 14 passes, which were good for nine completions, 57 yards (4.1 yards per attempt), and zero touchdowns or interceptions. He also took a sack.

Those numbers are excellent for the Jets’ defense, with Ward generating barely over four yards per attempt, but the bigger takeaway was how Glenn contained Ward.

He was aggressive without being reckless. The Jets consistently sent extra rushers, but Glenn picked his spots well and didn’t allow Tennesse to punish him for the aggressiveness.

In fact, the Tennessee Titans didn’t have a single play of 15-plus yards all game. They were also held to just 55 total offensive yards in the first half, despite Glenn blitzing on nearly half of Ward’s dropbacks.

Of course, none of that is possible without strong coverage on the back end, particularly stout play from the squad’s cornerback room.

The Jets’ secondary gave Glenn the freedom to be aggressive. When the Jets sent extra rushers, the coverage behind them held up well, forcing Ward to either get the ball out underneath or wait long enough for the pressure to arrive and be forced into a sack, throwaway, or scramble.

That’s probably the most encouraging element from Glenn’s debut as Gang Green’s defensive play caller. Everybody knew the aggressiveness was coming. He built that reputation across four years in Detroit, and against a young QB who struggled under pressure as a rookie, this was an obvious matchup to lean into his bread and butter.

But there’s a difference between blitzing just to blitz and doing it in an efficient way that does not leave you exposed to big plays. Glenn did an outstanding job of that against Tennessee on Sunday.

For once, it felt like the Jets were consistently winning in the trenches, generating 27 pressures and three sacks against the Titans’ OL. Winning starts up front, and the Jets won that battle on both sides, playing a huge role in their 23-10 win.

Much tougher quarterbacks and offenses are ahead, so we’ll see how Glenn’s approach evolves as teams get more tape on his defense. Glenn has plenty of play-calling experience, but this was the first game of him leading the Jets’ defense, meaning Tennessee didn’t have any tape to prepare for.

Nevertheless, his first game was a strong start.