The Aaron Glenn era has begun.
Aaron Glenn's preseason debut offers three New York Jets takeaways originally appeared on The Sporting News
First impressions matter, and through the first months of New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn's tenure in East Rutherford, he's passed every test.
Glenn has promised to turn the franchise around and to build a new culture. His offseason acquisition gave credence to those intentions, bringing in quarterback Justin Fields as a buy-low candidate with a lot to prove. Him and general manager Darren Mougey prioritized the trenches, were responsible in free agency, and quickly rid themselves of Aaron Rodgers and the extracurriculars that came with the veteran.
In short, they've taken steps to earn the fanbase's trust. None of it matters until there is game action to back Glenn's early intentions. On Saturday, New York visited the Green Bay Packers for their preseason opener and came away with a 30-10 win.
It may not have counted, but for Jets fans looking for any reason to believe in a turnaround, it was a successful evening.
Aaron Glenn's impact is immediate
New York didn't take long to distance itself from the Robert Saleh era. Comments at training camp set the tone and Saturday revealed how different last season's coaching staff was from the new regime.
This stood out most in the penalty department. The Jets committed 10 penalties, which Glenn admitted was a glaring imperfection from the win. However, there was a clear difference between Glenn's sideline reaction to penalties based in aggressiveness, like corner Sauce Gardner's pass interference, and displays of recklessness. When Michael Clemons earned an early unnecessary roughness penalty, Glenn was quick to reprimand him.
"Everything we did in the game was our brand of football," Glenn said, via SNY. "The only thing that wasn't is the amount of penalties we had -- some of them were undisciplined penalties, so we have to clean those up."
Glenn was steadfast that undisciplined teams don't win games during training camp. How he goes about addressing that fault could define New York's competitiveness.
The Jets' backfield is complicated
Apart from the New York faithful, those tuning into the August festivities may have been focusing on the backfield, where fantasy football managers are searching for value.
MORE: Game balls from Jets' 30-10 romp over Packers in preseason in Week 1
Breece Hall is the incumbent starter and the most talented of the bunch, but after an underwhelming 2024 campaign, there's room for others to take some touches. Braelon Allen figures to be a complementary piece to the offense, and he looked the part at Lambeau. Yet, Isaiah Adams has refused to get written out of the team's plans.
Watch Jets RB Isaiah Davis (No. 32) on Justin Fields' touchdown run 👀
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As a strong pass protector, Adams has a route to passing-down snaps. His heady play on Fields' rushing touchdown earned him praise and, potentially, playing time. The Jets should run the ball well in 2025, but all three backs are in play. Allen played 15 snaps compared to Adams' 13, and both saw six snaps on pass plays. With few true competitions across the starting lineup, the backfield is something to watch in the final preseason contests.
New York's new additions looked good
The preseason is fertile ground for overreactions. The Jets' season could have ended on Saturday, at least in the eyes of a fanbase grown used to disappointment.
If Fields or first-round right tackle Armand Membou struggled mightily against the Packers, the sky might already be falling in East Rutherford. Instead, both played well and created an air of confidence.
Fields operated the quick game well, processed the field adequately, and reminded everyone just how dangerous he can be. That task will be tougher against non-vanilla defenses, but avoiding disaster is important. Fields did that comfortably.
Membou, meanwhile, showed out in pass protection. Playing with the starters, he flashed against Lukas Van Ness and Kenny Clark -- no small task for a rookie. He passed the test with flying colors. With the potential to face Abdul Carter and Brian Burns (should both teams play their starters) in the Snoopy Bowl, Membou has set the bar high and raised the floor of the offensive line.
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