The Jets go back on the road at 1–1, and the team waiting for them has the look of a shootout. Sunday in Detroit is the third date on the Jets’ 2026 schedule, and it pits the NFL’s top-ranked defense against an offense averaging 31 points a game.
The Jets play the Detroit Lions on Sunday, September 27 at 1:00 p.m. ET at Ford Field, carried on FOX. Both teams are 1–1. New York brings the league’s No. 1 total defense; Detroit ranks 31st on that side of the ball.
When and where do the Jets play the Lions in Week 3?
Sunday, September 27 at 1:00 p.m. ET at Ford Field in Detroit. FOX has the broadcast with Kenny Albert on play-by-play, Jonathan Vilma as analyst and Jennifer Hale on the sideline, per the club’s official broadcast listing. The radio call is on Q104.3 in the New York metro area with Bob Wischusen and Anthony Becht, and on SiriusXM channel 262.
Why does this game matter so much to Aaron Glenn?
Because he built the defense on the other sideline. Aaron Glenn spent 2021 through 2024 as Detroit’s defensive coordinator under head coach Dan Campbell, and Sunday is the first time he faces Campbell as a head coach. Campbell was blunt about what he expects from a staff that knows his tendencies, saying his team is in for a “knockout, 60-minute brawl” rather than a trap game.
The relationship goes back to Texas A&M, where both played, and continued through a shared stint with the Cowboys and five seasons on the same New Orleans staff. When Campbell got the Detroit job, Glenn was his first hire.
How good is the Jets defense heading into Detroit?
By the numbers, it is the best in football right now. Through two weeks the Jets lead the NFL in total defense at 197 yards allowed per game, and they have held each of their first two opponents under 200 yards — the first time that has happened in franchise history, per the club. They also rank second against the run, second against the pass and seventh in scoring defense.
The supporting detail is just as strong. The Jets are second in yards allowed per pass play, second in opponents’ third-down conversion rate after holding Green Bay to 1-of-9, and first in the league in time-of-possession differential at 36:48 to 23:12. They have surrendered exactly one play of 20 or more yards across two games, a 20-yard Jordan Love completion to Christian Watson.
The Week 2 defensive line also found the football. Andre Cisco and David Bailey forced fumbles on back-to-back second-quarter plays, Jowon Briggs added a strip sack and Kingsley Enagbare knocked the ball loose in the fourth quarter, with Harrison Phillips recovering the only one the Jets came away with.
What makes the Lions dangerous, and where are they vulnerable?
They score in bunches and they give it right back. Detroit is averaging 31 points per game behind quarterback Jared Goff, running back Jahmyr Gibbs, receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and tight end Sam LaPorta. The defense is the problem: the Lions are allowing 35.5 points and 457.5 yards per game, rank 31st in total defense and have given up 10 passing touchdowns already.
Detroit is coming off a 41–31 loss to Buffalo in Week 2, so the Jets arrive against a team that has not been able to get stops. That is the opening for an offense that Geno Smith described as still growing.
What is the matchup to watch?
Garrett Wilson against a cornerback who used to dress two lockers down from him. Garrett Wilson faces former Jets corner DJ Reed for the first time on Sunday; Reed played in New York from 2022 through 2024 and signed with Detroit afterward. Wilson has 11 catches for 136 yards through two games and scored his first touchdown of the season in the third quarter against the Packers.
He has also been a road performer, with five or more receptions in nine of his last 10 games away from MetLife Stadium. Wilson and Adonai Mitchell are one of only four wide receiver tandems in the league to each clear 50 yards in both Week 1 and Week 2, per TruMedia.
Which Jets are on the Week 3 injury report?
Four players missed practice on both Wednesday and Thursday, and the club had not published its final Friday report with game designations at the time of writing. On the official Week 3 report, safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (groin), linebacker Kiko Mauigoa (quad), running back Kene Nwangwu (back) and tight end Mason Taylor (thumb) were listed DNP twice. Receiver Adonai Mitchell (finger) and edge Joseph Ossai (foot) were limited, and edge David Bailey (elbow) was a full participant both days.
Three players are already out of the equation. Defensive lineman David Onyemata was placed on injured reserve after core muscle surgery, linebacker Marcelino McCrary-Ball was placed on injured reserve the same day, and receiver Arian Smith will miss the season after ACL surgery, according to the team. Current designations are tracked on our Jets injury report hub.
Detroit has its own issues up front. Guard Ben Bartch (foot) and safety Thomas Harper (ankle) did not practice Wednesday or Thursday, while guard Christian Mahogany (hip), tackle Blake Miller (knee) and guard Tate Ratledge (elbow) were limited on both days.
What decides this game?
Whether the Jets can finish. They led Green Bay by 10 points with 11 minutes to play and lost 20–17 in overtime, and head coach Aaron Glenn has said closing games out is on him. The offense has not turned the ball over all season and Smith is completing 70.8 percent of his passes, but the Jets posted the lowest third-down conversion rate in the league in Week 2. Against an offense scoring 31 a game, drives that stall become points for the other side.
What time is the Jets vs. Lions game in Week 3?
Kickoff is Sunday, September 27 at 1:00 p.m. ET at Ford Field in Detroit.
What channel is Jets vs. Lions on?
FOX is carrying the game, with Kenny Albert on play-by-play, Jonathan Vilma as analyst and Jennifer Hale on the sideline.
What are the Jets’ and Lions’ records going into Week 3?
Both teams are 1–1. The Jets lost 20–17 in overtime to Green Bay in Week 2, and the Lions lost 41–31 to Buffalo.
Where do the Jets rank on defense in 2026?
The Jets lead the NFL in total defense at 197 yards allowed per game through two weeks, and rank second against the run, second against the pass and seventh in scoring defense.
Is Minkah Fitzpatrick playing against the Lions?
Fitzpatrick did not practice on Wednesday or Thursday of Week 3 with a groin injury. The Jets had not issued a final game designation at the time of writing.
Why is Aaron Glenn facing the Lions a storyline?
Glenn was Detroit’s defensive coordinator from 2021 through 2024 under head coach Dan Campbell, and Week 3 is the first time he has faced Campbell as a head coach.