Jets left feeling right there from closing gap with top teams after another frustrating loss
DETROIT — Aaron Glenn, with the angst from the latest Jets loss etched onto his face, stood at the postgame podium and held up his right hand with his index finger and thumb about an inch apart.“We’re right here,” the Jets head coach said, using his fingers to illustrate how close his team is to winning games like that one it lost to the Lions, 31-24, Sunday at Ford Field.“Our guys know there’s a gap we have to close, and we’re fighting our asses off to close it — from a coaching perspective and a player perspective.’’ Text with Brian Costello all season as he brings Sports+ subscribers the latest Jets intel from on the field and off.
A year removed from 3-14 in Glenn’s first year as head coach, the Jets are 1-2.They should be 2-1 and could be 3-0.Should and could, of course, don’t count in the NFL standings.The Jets are a week removed from leaking away a 10-point fourth-quarter lead in a desultory home loss to the Packers in overtime.Sunday in Detroit, where Glenn used to coach defense for his close friend, mentor and current Lions head coach Dan Campbell, the margin was again agonizingly close.And just like last week, a lot of Jets players did a lot of good things.Quarterback Geno Smith was resilient and tough, passing 31-for-37 for 321 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.Receiver Garrett Wilson made some fabulous catches, including a 23-yarder that tied the game at 24-24 with 4:06 remaining in the game, finishing with a game-high 10 receptions for 107 yards.Rookie tight end Kenyon Sadiq delivered a breakout performance, catching seven passes for 105 yards, including his first career TD reception, a 24-yard diving catch to give the Jets a 7-3 lead in the first quarter.Tight end Jeremy Ruckert, thought of as more of a blocking tight end, made five clutch catches, including a 4-yard TD that cut the Lions lead to 24-16 with 11:17 remaining in the game.The Jets defense, which was ranked No.1 in the league in fewest yards allowed e...