In brief
- A fan on X argues that Aaron Glenn and Frank Reich have cost the 2-7 Jets “at least two games, possibly more.”
- On Glenn, the evidence agrees: his end-of-game and end-of-half decisions turned the Packers and Dolphins losses.
- On Reich, it mostly doesn’t. The bigger second culprit is the defense, and Glenn calls those plays himself.
- Penalties, special teams and a talent gap explain the rest. Five of the seven losses were by one score.
Nine games into Aaron Glenn’s second season, the Jets are 2-7, and the conversation in the fan base has moved from “the roster isn’t good enough” to “the coaches are losing games the roster could win.” This week a Jets fan put that case plainly on X. We think it deserves a real answer, so here is the fan’s argument first, then our game-by-game look at whether the evidence backs it up.
What is the fan arguing?
“There is substantial evidence that the New York Jets’ coaching staff has contributed directly to losses during the 2026 season. I would argue that head coach Aaron Glenn and offensive coordinator Frank Reich have cost the Jets opportunities to win at least two games, possibly more. The problem isn’t simply questionable play-calling. It’s a recurring combination of poor situational football, ineffective offensive adjustments, clock management and defensive breakdowns.”
A Jets fan, posting on X
That is four separate charges: situational football, offensive adjustments, clock management and defensive breakdowns. It also names two coaches. We tested each charge against what actually happened in the seven losses.
Did Glenn’s decisions cost the Jets the Packers game?
Yes. This is the clearest case of the season. The Jets led Green Bay 17-7 going into the fourth quarter at MetLife and lost 20-17 in overtime, and three Glenn decisions sit in the middle of that collapse.
First, with the game tied and 1:20 left, Glenn went for it on fourth-and-1 from midfield. The call was a run out of the shotgun, and Braelon Allen was stuffed. That handed Green Bay the ball in Jets territory. Second, when the Packers then faced fourth-and-5 from the Jets’ 45 with about a minute left, Glenn did not call a timeout. Green Bay let the clock run, took a delay-of-game penalty and the 10-second runoff, and decided for itself how regulation would end. Packers coach Matt LaFleur said afterward he was confused. Glenn said he was playing for overtime. Third, the Jets won the overtime toss and chose to receive. Geno Smith was sacked on the first two snaps, the Jets punted, and the Jets never touched the ball again.
Any one of those is defensible on its own. All three in a row, in a game the Jets controlled for three quarters, is the “poor situational football” the fan is describing. Glenn said the next day that he had no regrets.
What went wrong at the end of the first half against Miami?
Clock management, and Glenn has admitted it. Miami came to MetLife winless. Leading 14-7, the Dolphins took over at their own 9-yard line with 8:44 left in the second quarter and drove 91 yards in 15 plays, using 8:38 of clock, for a touchdown. The Jets had all three timeouts and used none. That left the offense six seconds before halftime.
Glenn explained that he expected the defense to get a stop, and that Miami could cancel out the timeouts by picking up first downs. He also said that, looking back, he should have used them. The Jets lost 28-25 after a late rally, so the possession they gave away before halftime was worth more than the final margin. This is the second game that the evidence says Glenn cost the Jets.
Is the defense a bigger problem than the offense?
On this season’s evidence, yes, and that matters for who takes the blame. After firing Steve Wilks last December, Glenn took over defensive play-calling himself for 2026. Brian Duker holds the defensive coordinator title, but Glenn makes the calls.
Las Vegas (38-33). The offense scored 33 points at home and lost. Allen ran for 147 yards, and Adonai Mitchell had a career-high 142 receiving yards. The Raiders came back in the second half; the pass rush got Kirk Cousins down only once, and third-down penalties kept Las Vegas drives alive. Glenn said afterward that he has to do a better job of getting the defense into the right plays.
Detroit (31-24). The Jets came back from 24-10 down in the fourth quarter to tie the game, and Geno Smith completed 31 of 37 passes for 321 yards and three touchdowns. Then Jahmyr Gibbs was left uncovered for an 11-yard go-ahead touchdown with 2:25 left, against the team where Glenn spent four years as defensive coordinator.
New England (26-19). On second-and-10 from the Jets’ 42, Glenn rushed three, and Drake Maye found Romeo Doubs for the opening touchdown. The Jets did not record a sack for the first time all season.
So the fan is right about “defensive breakdowns.” But those breakdowns are also Glenn’s, not someone else’s.
Is Frank Reich to blame?
Partly, but much less than the fan suggests. The case against Reich has three real items. He called the fourth-and-1 run against Green Bay. In New England, with the Jets driving into Patriots territory in a 7-3 game, he called three straight runs, and the Jets also failed on two fourth-and-1s in Patriots territory. In Kansas City, the Jets led 9-7 and trailed only 14-12 at halftime, then gained 46 yards after the break, including minus-13 in the third quarter, and scored no second-half points. The Jets also settled for a field goal from the Raiders’ 13 with 4:31 left in a two-point game. That is the “ineffective offensive adjustments” charge, and it has some basis.
Weighing that against it: Reich inherited an offense that ranked 29th in points and 29th in yards in 2025. This year it scored 33 against Las Vegas and 25 against Miami, and it put together a fourth-quarter comeback in Detroit. Smith didn’t throw an interception until Week 6. The offense hasn’t been the main reason the Jets have lost close games. When it has struggled, it’s usually been specific drives, not the offense as a whole.
What wasn’t the coaches’ fault?
A fair amount. Against Green Bay, the Jets were flagged 13 times for 156 yards, and a long punt return set up the Packers’ tying touchdown. Against Las Vegas, safety Minkah Fitzpatrick blamed “bad penalties, bad mistakes.” In Detroit, the final drive ended on a strip-sack. The 23-12 loss in Chicago and the 35-12 loss in Kansas City look more like the Jets being outplayed than outcoached. Players have lost games this season too.
How does each loss break down?
| Game | Score | Main cause | On the coaches? |
|---|---|---|---|
| vs Green Bay (OT) | 17-20 | Fourth-down call, no timeout, overtime choice | Yes, mainly Glenn |
| at Detroit | 24-31 | Late coverage bust, strip-sack | Partly (defense) |
| at Chicago | 12-23 | Outplayed | No clear swing call |
| at New England | 19-26 | Three-man rush TD, failed fourth downs | Partly (Glenn and Reich) |
| vs Miami | 25-28 | Unused timeouts before half | Yes, Glenn |
| vs Las Vegas | 33-38 | Second-half defense, penalties | Mostly (Glenn’s defense) |
| at Kansas City | 12-35 | Second-half offense stalled | Partly (Reich), mostly talent |
So is the fan right?
Mostly. “At least two games” holds up: Green Bay and Miami were lost on decisions Glenn made and, in Miami’s case, has admitted were wrong. “Possibly more” holds up too, because Las Vegas belongs on the list once you remember who calls the defense. Where we part ways with the fan is the second name. Reich has had bad moments, but the offense he runs is better than the one he inherited, and it has been the reason the Jets were in several of these games.
Our version of the argument: Aaron Glenn’s game management cost the Jets two games outright, and the defense he calls gave away a third. Glenn is 5-21 as head coach and 0-8 against the AFC East, with Buffalo coming to MetLife on Sunday. The next eight games will decide whether this is a second-year coach still learning on the job or a staff that needs to change.
Frequently asked questions
Who calls the Jets’ defensive plays in 2026?
Head coach Aaron Glenn. He took over defensive play-calling for 2026 after the Jets fired Steve Wilks. Brian Duker is the defensive coordinator.
How many one-score games have the Jets lost this season?
Five of their seven losses through Week 9 were by eight points or fewer: Green Bay, Detroit, New England, Miami and Las Vegas.
What was the controversial decision in the Packers game?
Several. Glenn went for a fourth-and-1 at midfield with 1:20 left, declined to call a timeout when Green Bay faced fourth down late in regulation, and chose to receive in overtime. The Jets lost 20-17 without getting the ball back.
What is Aaron Glenn’s record as Jets head coach?
5-21 through Week 9 of 2026: 3-14 in 2025 and 2-7 so far this season. He is 0-8 against AFC East opponents.