A brand new regime and totally different vibes encompass the Jets as a brand new season begins.
Two years in the past, the Jets made a daring transfer to accumulate future Corridor of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers from the Inexperienced Bay Packers.
There have been excessive expectations and a whole lot of build-up with Rodgers on the roster. The NFL even gave the Jets 11 prime-time video games the final two seasons.
However all Gang Inexperienced needed to present for the earlier two years was a dismal 12-22 report, and each their coach, Robert Saleh, and normal supervisor, Joe Douglas, have been fired.
Now, first-year coach Aaron Glenn and normal supervisor Darren Mougey will attempt to do what Saleh and Douglas couldn’t: Flip the Jets from a perennial shedding crew into contenders.
Glenn has skilled this turnaround firsthand at a number of stops. When he was a participant with the Jets from 1994 to 2001, Glenn witnessed the crew go from a 1-15 season to a 12-4 report and a recreation away from the Tremendous Bowl in simply two seasons.
“You’ve got to be built for New York,” Glenn’s former teammate Ray Mickens mentioned. “You’ve got to be built for this. And No. 1, obviously, we know that A.G.’s built for it, and I think that he’s looking for players that are built to play here.”
The primary tough determination Glenn made after he was employed in January was releasing Rodgers after two disappointing seasons.
“He’s going to draw a hard line in the sand on a lot of things,” Mickens mentioned. “And sometimes veteran players — and it’s OK, you know, you could be a Hall of Famer or whatever — if you’re not willing to do this and if you’re not willing to do this, then you know what, you’ve got to move on.”
When Glenn was the defensive coordinator of the Lions, the crew improved from 3-13-1 in 2021 to 12-5 in 2023 and 15-2 final season. Now, Glenn will try and do the identical with the franchise that drafted him.
Glenn has not coached an everyday recreation for the Jets, however he has already received over his gamers after altering the crew’s tradition throughout the offseason and coaching camp. One of many many facets Glenn wished to vary with the Jets was their degree of physicality and mentality.
In contrast to the final two years by which the Jets relied closely on their passing assault, Glenn believes video games are received within the trenches. Gang Inexperienced is predicted to be a run-heavy offense with the athletic potential of quarterback Justin Fields main the best way.
A 12 months in the past, the Jets have been second-to-last in dashing yards and final in dashing makes an attempt. In addition they had points stopping the run after being seventeenth in that space.
Some may say at present’s NFL is a passing league. However don’t inform Glenn that after the Philadelphia Eagles, who have been first twenty ninth in passing and second in dashing, received the Tremendous Bowl.
“Who says this is a passing league?” Glenn requested a reporter who requested about his concern about with the ability to throw the ball down the sphere. “The team that won the Super Bowl, what were they in passing? 29th. What were they in running?”
In contrast to most fashionable coaching camps, the place many groups don’t observe reside tackling, Glenn believes the one means to enhance in that space is to observe it. That’s why the Jets, on the crew’s first day in full pads, carried out one-on-one tackling drills.
Reside tackling is rare in at present’s NFL panorama due to the worry of harm. Many gamers hadn’t practiced one-on-one tackling since they have been in highschool or faculty.
Who is aware of if this may translate into wins for the Jets, however the gamers have actually purchased into Glenn’s message.
“I’ve been coached by one of the greatest coaches of all time [Nick Saban],” Quinnen Williams mentioned. “I kind of know how it looks and how it feels when it comes down to being around people who can take me and a team to the highest level. And [Glenn] has every aspect in him. The way he carries himself, I know he is going to be one of the greatest coaches in the league.”
CAN FIELDS BE THE LONG-TERM ANSWER AT QB?
Glenn’s tradition change isn’t the one factor new with the Jets. Fields hopes to revive his profession after signing a two-year, $40 million contract in March to exchange Rodgers.
Very similar to his profession up up to now, Fields had an uneven coaching camp with the Jets. He typically held onto the ball too lengthy and has been hesitant to throw it downfield.
In his protection, Fields is studying his fourth offense in 5 seasons after stints with the Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Steelers. He was chosen by the Bears eleventh general within the 2021 NFL Draft. Nonetheless, after three disappointing seasons with the Bears, they traded the previous Ohio State star to Pittsburgh. Chicago then drafted Caleb Williams.
Now Fields and Rodgers have completed their very own rendition of the film “Trading Places.” Contemplating that is his third crew in three seasons, this might be Fields’ remaining alternative to show he generally is a beginning quarterback within the NFL.
“Definitely something that I want to prove to myself,” Fields mentioned within the spring. “I feel my expectations for myself are larger than anyone else to be sincere with you, so one thing to show for myself and once more.
“I think I’ve been improving each year I’ve been in the league. So, I look to do the same this year, to be honest with you. I think my expectations for myself are higher than you guys, it’s higher than all of the people in this building.”
Fields, 26, was strong throughout his preseason opener after finishing 3-of-4 passes for 42 yards. However in two collection throughout his remaining tune-up for the common season, Fields completed with extra dashing yards (5) than passing yards (4).
It additionally doesn’t assist that the Jets lack a sound No. 2 choice reverse Garrett Wilson, with whom Fields has chemistry courting again to their time as teammates at Ohio State. Josh Reynolds, Tyler Johnson, Allen Lazard and Xavier Gipson are the opposite receivers on the Jets roster.
However Glenn stays assured within the Jets’ passing assault.
“You have so many people that want to talk about a small amount of plays that these guys get to go out there and play,” Glenn mentioned. “Then every part is falling down as a result of we throw six passes, after which I imply he’s Johnny Unitas when he throws 4 passes. It bothers me, and I giggle at it fairly a bit, however the factor is, I perceive it as a result of that’s the noise that occurs on the surface that our guys can’t actually take heed to.
“Listen, we go out here and we practice our ass off every day to be who we are going to be, and that’s where my confidence lies, in what we do on the grass here. And listen, preseason means a lot, it does, but for the most part, we concentrate on what we do on the grass because you get a ton of reps in that aspect.”
