The Biggest Decision Aaron Glenn Got Wrong Against Packers (And What It Means Moving Forward)

Some familiar tactics came back to bite the Jets HC in a crushing Week 2 loss to the Packers.

Jets head coach Aaron Glenn made plenty of poor decisions in Week 2's loss to the Packers, and this questionable choice stood out above the rest. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Despite holding a 17-7 lead over the Packers with 11 minutes remaining, the Jets found every way in the book to lose their home opener on Sunday in a crushing 20-17 overtime defeat that completely flipped the script from the performance the team put together in Week 1.

Simply put, the Jets had no business losing this game for multiple reasons.

According to ESPN Jets reporter Rich Cimini, the Packers became the first team since 1941 to accomplish the trifecta of winning a game with:

• Fewer than 200 total yards (199)
• More than 100 penalty yards (133)
• A negative turnover margin (minus-1)

Teams were previously 0-44 when doing so, which only adds to the heartbreaking loss the Jets endured.

Even more frustrating for New York, head coach Aaron Glenn's defense held up its end of the bargain and held Packers quarterback Jordan Love to just 145 passing yards, one week after he went for 387 in a season-opening loss to the Vikings. The offensive line took a huge step back, and the special teams remain a concern, but the defensive front and secondary played well and kept this Packers team bottled up for most of the game.

That is what made Glenn's lack of aggressiveness in end-of-half situations so hard to process. While this is something Glenn has been called out for on numerous occasions, he did nothing to erase those doubts on Sunday and completely let this game slip away from his bunch when they appeared to be on their way to a 2-0 start for the first time since 2015.

Aaron Glenn's conservative decision-making bites Jets again

While you can also point to the 13 penalties and offensive coordinator Frank Reich's odd play-calling in short-yardage situations late in the game, a lot of the blame resides on Glenn's shoulders after failing to maintain the lead with the game in complete control.

After Reich surprisingly decided to run the shotgun formation on a third-and-two and fourth-and-one from midfield, the Jets ultimately turned the ball over on downs and gifted the Packers some ideal field position with 1:20 remaining. New York held its own and forced a 4th-and-5 with just over a minute to play, but Glenn elected not to use one of his final two timeouts and instead let the Packers run the clock down and attempt a Hail Mary, only for Love to get sacked and the game to go to the extra period.

Jets head coach Aaron Glenn made a lot of head-scratching decisions in Week 2, to say the least. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Despite Glenn's history of clock mismanagement, this decision did not make any sense since the Jets still would have had a timeout remaining and nearly one minute to work with on their home field. His explanation of how the sequence of events unfolded likely did nothing to make up for the inexcusable decision with the game on the line.

"If (the Packers) would have punted it, they would have put us in a backed-up situation," Glenn said, per Sports Illustrated's Nick Faria. I think they could've punted the ball and put us in a backed-up situation right there, so that was the reason why."

Offseason preparation did not seem to help Jets

For a team that prepared for these exact late-game situations and two-minute drills at camp, Glenn did not show any urgency when it played out in real time on Sunday. A few moments later, the Jets decided to take the ball after winning the overtime coin toss, a decision that coaches tend to defer just so they know for certain what they need to do under the updated rules that allow both teams to possess the ball.

While Glenn had the intention of controlling the clock and not leaving much time for the Packers to do anything with it, that totally backfired with a three-and-out that included a pair of sacks and a false start penalty. Four plays and an unnecessary roughness penalty on cornerback Jarvis Brownlee Jr. later, Packers kicker Trey Smack nailed a 26-yard chip shot to win the game for the visiting team.

Even in the first half, Glenn burned all three timeouts early on and left another opportunity for points on the table. The Jets still had four minutes to work with on their final possession of the first half in a tie game and even drove all the way down near midfield, but the lack of timeouts proved costly, and it was all for nothing as QB Geno Smith completed a short one-yard pass to wide receiver Isaiah Williams to end the half.

What does this mean for Aaron Glenn moving forward?

As Glenn prepares for a meeting against his former team when the Jets travel to Ford Field to face the Lions on Sunday, the former Detroit defensive coordinator needs to learn from these late-game situations and show that he is willing to learn from them when a victory is staring the Jets in the face.

Granted, this is a Lions team that Glenn knows well and a squad that has struggled immensely defensively after blowing a 21-point lead to the Saints in Week 1 and giving up 41 points to the Bills in Week 2. The Lions are still one of the most talented teams in the league offensively, but if Glenn can keep his defense playing well, there is no reason to believe the Jets won't be competitive in Week 3.

That said, plenty of adjustments are needed after a stunning Week 2 loss to the Packers on Sunday. It is up to Glenn to balance his defensive acumen with better clock management if he wants to remain head coach in Gotham beyond this season and change the narrative when it comes to late-game situations.

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