Aaron Glenn makes telling admission after embarrassing Jets Week 2 defeat

For all the goodwill the New York Jets built in a Week 1 loss, it disappeared within a quarter in a painstakingly rough 30-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills that revealed too much of what this team was guilty of in 2024: penalties, poor discipline, and turnovers.

It seemed like a Robert Saleh problem back then, but it has seemingly carried over to the 2025 squad, which could be an indicator of something else.

New head coach Aaron Glenn has been building a culture of accountability, making that clear with the harsh cut of wide receiver/kickoff returner Xavier Gipson after a fumbled kickoff led to a Steelers game-clinching touchdown. It was a strong sign of how he plans to handle his players, and it appears that standard applies to himself as well.

After the loss to Buffalo in Week 2, Glenn told reporters, “Apparently, I didn’t have the guys ready to play. It’s not okay to lose like that.”

Aaron Glenn shows the buck stops with him

The rookie head coach’s admission may be startling, and it’s certainly not what fans want to hear after years of blunderous, often disastrous losses. Sunday's game featured lows across the board, from arguably Justin Fields' worst start of his career to numerous defensive mishaps.

But it’s an authentic moment, and a firm stance on accountability that’s ultimately a positive.

In any sport, the buck stops with the head coach. A team can make its leader look like a genius by playing at an elite level, or like a failure by piling up mistakes, even if the coach is making the right moves.

Glenn was hailed as a hero in Week 1 for turning the Jets around. Just a week later, things changed, as Week 2 showed how quickly fortunes change in football, and now the blame is partially falling on him for the team’s play.

Maybe Glenn could have done more to prepare the Jets for the Bills, but it’s hard to fault him entirely when the team looked flat across the board, and an offense led by Fields’ 3-of-11 passing for 27 yards and two fumbles never found a rhythm.

The job might be even harder for Glenn after Fields took a hard hit late and was checked for a concussion. If the journeyman quarterback misses time, preparation intensifies with a new starter, though veteran backup Tyrod Taylor has the experience to steady things.

Glenn must address the early-season discipline issues that have carried over from last year. While still early and fixable, New York has to avoid a repeat of what happened Sunday.

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