The New York Jets were on their way to being 2-0 for the first time since 2015 against the Green Bay Packers.
But, then the Jets made a few careless mistakes which allowed the Packers to get back into the game and force overtime. In the end, the Packers (1-1) defeated the Jets (1-1) on a 26-yard field goal by Trey Smack, 20-17.
There were plenty of moments where the game turned, especially in the fourth quarter. But, fans and Jets beat writers took issue with a few decisions that Aaron Glenn made that helped turn the game in the Packers favor. Any goodwill Glenn may have earned after the team’s dominant victory over the Tennessee Titans in Week 1 went right out the window after Sunday’s devastating loss to Green Bay.
How much of it was his fault
and were there any other parties that deserved some heat for the results?
Let’s break down the key decisions that have Glenn back on the hot seat in the court of public opinion:
Decision #1
The Jets are on the Green Bay Packer nine-yard line leading 14-7 with 11:04 to play in the fourth quarter. It’s Fourth-and 1. Instead of going for it, Glenn takes a delay of game penalty, decides to play it safe and kick a field goal to give the Jets a 10-point lead.
Was this the right decision? Yes....except for the delay of game penalty.
This is a very unpopular opinion among anyone who covers the team as the majority of fans and beat writers believed Glenn should have gone for it to get a touchdown and pretty much seal the victory. But, even if the Jets are deep in Green Bay territory, it’s still a major risk to go for it and not take the points. While a field goal is not a bold move, it’s the right play for Glenn as he makes it a two-possession game and he will trust his defense, who played terrific the entire game, to make a stop.
If the Jets go for it on fourth down and they get stopped, it could give the Packers momentum to get back into the game. Even after the Jets made the field goal, the Packers scored on the ensuing drive to cut their deficit to three at 17-14. But, Glenn played it smart and didn’t need to take an unnecessary risk with a seven point lead. This was a rare mental lapse on the defense, who allowed a 38 yard pass interference penalty on Azareye’h Thomas that put the Packers in position to score a touchdown three plays later.
Decision #2
The Jets face a fourth-and 1 on the 50 yard line with 1:20 left in the fourth quarter and the game tied at 17. They decide to go for it. Frank Reich calls a run play to Braelon Allen with Geno Smith in shotgun formation. The Packers defense stops Allen for no gain and the Jets turn the ball over on downs.
Was this the right decision? Yes and No
Like the field goal decision that put the Jets up by 10 points, Glenn decides to go for it and that’s the right move. However, it's the play call that was the wrong decision. While there are plenty who felt they should have given the ball to Breece Hall for the one yard, that feels like more of a knee-jerk reaction to Allen getting stopped. Hall only had 29 yards on 16 carries in this game and Allen’s physical style is better suited for short yardage situations.
With that being said, the Jets run the same play on fourth down over and over and it never works. They are never creative with their looks. Whether Allen or Hall, it's always a run up the middle that always gets stopped. It’s also a bit ridiculous they put Smith in shotgun formation on fourth down rather than have him under center. Reich telegraphed that play a bit too much and Green Bay knew it was a run the second the Jets lined up. This poor decision was probably more on Reich than it was on Glenn and had he run one of his running backs off tackle or have Geno do a play action pass, they probably get the first down.
Decision #3
With 50 seconds left in regulation, Aaron Glenn elects to not use a time out and allows Green Bay to run the clock out and head into overtime.
Was This The Right Decision? Yes
I could see this from both sides of the spectrum. By calling a timeout, the Jets get one last possession on offense to try and get down the field to kick a field goal. On the other hand, if Green Bay’s punt is downed inside the five yard line, that would be a lot of ground to cover in 50 seconds for the Jets to get into field goal range. In Glenn's postgame press conference after the loss, he mentioned not wanting to get pinned deep in his own territory. In all fairness, that logic makes sense.
Hypothetically, what if Smith's pass gets intercepted deep in Jets territory? Then Glenn looks like a fool for using that timeout and letting them punt. Let’s also take into account that Isaiah Williams had a brutal game, fumbling two punts. It's understandable to not have confidence in your returner who almost turned the ball over twice in a crucial spot late in the game.
Even if the punt went into the end zone for a touchback, the Jets would have to drive to at best Green Bay’s 30 yard line to attempt a makable field goal from Jason Sanders. Yes, I get it. No guts, no glory. But, it’s easy to understand Glenn’s thinking here in that the odds were not necessarily in his favor to drive down the field in a short window of time and he would have been vilified if there was a turnover of any kind deep in his own territory.
Decision #4
In overtime, the Jets win the coin toss and elect to receive instead of defer. The Jets go three and out after some bad play calling from Frank Reich. The Jets punt and the Packers win the game on their ensuing drive.
Was this the right decision? No
Under the old overtime rules, Glenn would have made the right decision. However, with both teams now receiving a possession in overtime, Glenn made a big mistake here in that he should have let the Packers take the ball first so he knows what he needs to do to win. In all fairness, while Glenn deserves plenty of heat for a poor decision, the blame should fall squarely on the shoulders of Reich. He didn't give his team a chance thanks to terrible play calling that resulted in Geno Smith getting sacked on two consecutive plays and a loss of 15 yards.
The Packers moved the ball on the ensuing drive and were aided by an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Jets corner Jarvis Brownlee Jr. that gifted them another 15 yards and put them in position for a chip shot game winning field goal by Trey Smack. Glenn owns the decision to take the ball, but Reich and Brownlee definitely played a major role in that move being a complete disaster.
This article originally appeared on Jets Wire: How much blame should be on Aaron Glenn for Jets loss to Packers?
