Aaron Glenn’s Jets just did what 225 previous NFL teams couldn’t

The New York Jets did something on Sunday that literally no team in modern NFL history had ever done. In their 27–20 win over the Cleveland Browns, Aaron Glenn’s group pulled off the impossible with a victory that defied logic, math, and decades of precedent.

ESPN's Rich Cimini revealed after the game, per ESPN Research, that teams were 225–0 since 1950 when holding opponents to 175 yards or fewer and not committing a turnover. The Browns became the first to lose under those conditions.

And the way it happened only made the accomplishment more absurd. Justin Fields threw for just 54 yards, 42 of which came on a Breece Hall screen pass. The offense totaled fewer than 150. The Jets scored twice on special teams and relied on sheer chaos and discipline to close it out.

Yet somehow, Glenn’s team — days removed from trading two franchise cornerstones — found a way to win a game every number said they should’ve lost.

Aaron Glenn and the Jets found a way to win despite horrific QB play

It was far from a pretty game for the Jets, but it did feel important. Many were quick to write off the Jets after trading Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams, but they've now won two straight, and this one might be the clearest sign yet that Glenn has already changed the team’s DNA.

Past Jets teams would’ve unraveled in a game like this. They were 2-8 coming out of their bye week over the last decade and 0-155 following an emotional win (don’t fact-check that one). But this team fought, clawed, and manufactured its own chaos.

Special teams carried the day. Kene Nwangwu opened the scoring with a kick return touchdown. Isaiah Williams followed with a 74-yard punt return score.

And when the offense finally needed a spark, Tanner Engstrand dialed up a perfectly timed screen to Breece Hall for a 42-yard touchdown. The defense, led by Will McDonald’s four sacks, kept the Browns in check most of the afternoon.

There was no business winning this game — not with a broken passing attack and an offense that barely functioned. But that’s exactly what made it more impressive. The Jets won out of resilience, attention to detail, and complete buy-in on the part of the players.

The Jets came out of their bye, ignored the noise, and won a football game no one thought they could. That doesn't mean everything is perfect in Florham Park. It doesn't mean this Jets team is close to contending or that all of the team's early-season transgressions are forgiven.

But it is a sign of progress. It is a reason for fans to believe that this organization is headed in the right direction. And that alone should be a source of optimism for a long-suffering fan base.