Jets locker room erupts for Aaron Glenn after statement win

It was an emotional Sunday afternoon in Cincinnati for the New York Jets. What began as a day with heavy hearts turned into a moment of elation. It might have taken nearly half the season, but the Jets are finally in the win column, and they did it in thrilling fashion.

In what has been a season many would like to forget, Aaron Glenn's control of the locker room has been a topic of much conversation. Past regimes failed to get much more talented rosters to buy in.

While Glenn seemed to have control early, following the quick-triggered release of Xavier Gipson, the continued losing and lack of basic execution had the players on edge.

The writing seemed to be on the wall. Whatever talent was still left in Green and White would turn into a group of malcontents with frustration building into an explosive powder keg, which threatened to take Glenn down after just one year. But the reaction to the team's first win proves that was never true.

The Jets' jubilant celebration of Aaron Glenn proves he hasn't lost the locker room

Glenn was candid when he said this was going to be a process once he took the helm. His mission was to put a product on the field that, while it might not win much, would show growth and give fans a reason to be proud.

To that end, there were some hard-fought losses, like Week 1 against the Steelers, where even though the Jets went down, you could see the fight. There were the debacles, too, though.

Losses to Buffalo, Miami, and Dallas all brought many questions to the forefront. Chief among them was whether or not the Jets were going down the same well-trodden path that has doomed the franchise since the 2010 AFC Championship Game loss.

To Glenn's credit, he didn't listen to the noise. He still preached his culture of accountability and made bold moves like benching defensive captain and signal caller Jamien Sherwood.

Until Sunday, they felt hollow. Almost as if he was simply going through the motions and doing what logic would dictate should be done, but without any chance of receiving the desired effect.

While there was a lot that went into the 39-38 come-from-behind victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, it wasn't really the win that mattered. It was all about the reaction.

It seems silly to say a 1-7 team should be celebrating anything, but that's exactly what happened in the locker room after the clock hit zero. Christopher Johnson awarded Glenn the game ball, while defensive tackle Harrison Phillips hoisted his head coach with much enthusiasm.

Glenn was at the heart of the celebration and was being celebrated. Given the recent narrative, it's a shock, but one that brings to light that our initial assessment was wrong. Glenn hasn't lost his players. So while there's a lot that needs to be cleaned up from game planning, in-game adjustments, and more, there's a simple truth that should come to light.

Glenn hasn't lost the locker room. If anything, he has it in the palm of his hand. The true issue, aside from rookie coach growing pains, is that this simply isn't a very good football team. But at least now, it has some momentum.