Aaron Glenn finally unleashed his Jets superpower against the Browns

The 2025 New York Jets' defense was not a good unit. It was largely devoid of talent, but it also lacked the kind of tactical leadership that can maximize whatever the roster puts forth. It led Aaron Glenn to decide a change was needed, announcing during the offseason that he'd be taking over defensive playcalling.

Glenn called it his superpower. It sounded like a bold boast, though it was his prowess as a defensive coordinator that allowed the former defensive back to earn a head coaching job to begin with. There were moments this season when it seemed like his influence on the defense was making all the difference.

However, after strong showings in the first two weeks, New York's defense faltered. Gang Green gave up 31 points to the Detroit Lions in Week 3, and followed that up by surrendering 23 points to the Chicago Bears. Between the two games, the team allowed a whopping 873 yards.

Glenn and the defense were in need of a bounce back against the Cleveland Browns, and boy did they deliver. New York tallied eight sacks, held Cleveland to just 198 total yards, and allowed a defensive success rate of 24.6%.

That was the club's second-best mark over the last decade. Holding the Browns to a 22% success rate in the passing game was the second-lowest success rate in a game this season.

Aaron Glenn is maximizing the New York Jets' defensive roster

There's a benefit to a head coach watching what his players do well in practice, using their strengths to formulate the game plan, and then putting the finishing touches on it with the playcalling on game day.

We're seeing that in action. Glenn realized that his defensive line was having trouble getting home with just four rushers, and he also understood that he had a secondary that had the skills to excel in man coverage.

As a result, he dialed up a ton of blitzes in Week 5 (52.3%) and put his corners on an island by running man coverage 40.9% of the time. That combo unlocked the pass rush, leading to an 18.2% sack rate that is the highest mark in the league so far this season.

It doesn't hurt that he got a studly performance from his prized first-round pick, David Bailey, who racked up three sacks in the affair. Still, the head coach's play calling helped unlock Bailey, with one of his blitzes confusing Cleveland's offensive line to the point where the Texas Tech product was left unblocked, leading to a sack of Deshaun Watson.

We've also seen Glenn (and his staff) do an excellent job coaching up the defensive backs, as both Azareye'h Thomas and Dane Belton are playing like stars.

It was clear since last year, when Glenn helped turn Brandon Stephens' career around, that he has a special talent when it comes to coaching up corners and safeties, but now that he's also calling the plays, it's unlocking another level of synergy for the defense.

Now, as good as the defense has been for the most part, the team as a whole still needs help, and Glenn, as the head coach, needs to fix several issues. At times, his game management has been questionable, and the team's overall discipline has been an issue, as it is one of the most penalized clubs in the league.

Glenn, the head coach, still has a lot of work to do, but Glenn, the play caller, is clicking on all cylinders. If he can bridge that gap between the two hats he wears, the Jets will begin taking off.

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