Welcome to the NFL David Bailey.  With many fans asking when the Jets number two overall pick would “arrive”, we have our answer.  It was today against the Cleveland Browns.  In a big way.

The rookie led a ferocious Jets pass rush as he picked up three of Gang Green’s eight sacks to go along with six tackles, nine hurries while drawing a pair of holding calls.  After the game Bailey said that he doesn’t spend any time on social media so only focuses on what his coaches and teammates tell him.

What else do you need to know?

– Also picking up sacks were Will McDonald, Jowon Briggs, Darell Jackson, Dane Belton and Jamien Sherwood.

– Garrett Wilson had three catches for 70 yards and a 32-yard touchdown on the opening drive, finishing the day with 104 yards.

– Braelon Allen had a career-long 22-yard touchdown run and topped 100 yards for the first time in his career, carrying the ball 24 times for 116 yards.

– Rookie defensive tackle picked up a pair of batted passes at the line of scrimmage along with a sack several tackles around the line of scrimmage.

– A bounce back day for Jamien Sherwood who has been beaten badly in coverage of late.  Browns running backs were non-factors in the passing game.

– Joe Tippmann was beaten badly in pass pro on several plays, giving up multiple sacks, but did a stellar job in the run game, contributing greatly to Allen’s big day.

– Another excellent game from safety Dane Belton who led the team with eight tackles to go along with his sack.

– Kenyon Sadiq was a non-factor all day, finishing with 2 catches for 3 yards.  More importantly however, is that he’s in concussion protocol following a big hit on his second catch, meaning he’s unlikely to play next week.

When Aaron Glenn and the Jets line up to take on Todd Monken’s Browns this week, they’d better hope there’s enough rain in New Jersty to slow down Cleveland’s offense.  You may not realize it, but the Browns have an impressive stable of pass catchers for Deshaun Watson to work with.  So where are the key matchups?

Jets Secondary vs Browns Receivers:

Normally we’d pick a head-to-head player matchup here. Cleveland has too many receivers to throw to for us to focus on just one.  With rookies Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion working with fellow receiver Jerry Jeudy and tight end Harold Fannin, the Jets need their secondary to be healthy and ready to roll.

RB Quinshon Judkins vs LB Jamien Sherwood:

While the secondary has their hands full with the receivers, don’t sleep on Quinshon Judkins who has the tools to be one of the better backs in the NFL.  A threat to catch the ball out of the backfield, it would be hard to imagine Todd Monken won’t try to exploit the Jets inability to cover backs.  Sherwood and DeMario Davis were both abused two weeks ago against the Lions and we could see more of the same this week.

LT Olu Fashanu vs DE Jared Verse:

No, Verse isn’t Myles Garrett, but he’s still a very good pass rusher.  Fashanu has struggled this season, giving up 4.5 sacks through four games.  As poorly as he played in the rain the last time the Jets were at home, look for the Browns to attack him until he shows he can hold up.

NT T’Vondre Sweat vs Elgton Jenkins:

The Browns get Jenkins back from injury and he’s got a heck of a test in front of him as he faces the 360 pound Jets nose tackle.  Sweat has been one of the few bright spots for the Jets on defense and a big reason why Gang Green was so stout on the goal line last week.  Sweat will be a key player if it’s a wet field and the Browns try to lean on Judkins.

Prediction:

With the Jets playing the way they are right now, picking them would be peak homerism.  Browns take this one 24-20.

These are the types of games that get head coaches fired.  Especially when you’re a defensive head coach who proclaims that calling plays is your “super power”.

Aaron Glenn and the New York Jets took on the Bears and backup quarterback Tyson Bagent, allowing Chicago to put up 492 yards of offense just one week after giving up 381 to the Lions.  For those who may not have a calculator handy, that’s 873 yards (and 54 points) in just two weeks.

Asked about the performance of his defense, Glenn pointed out the fact that the Jets have taken on two very good offenses over the past two weeks.  He’s not wrong, but the reason why owner Woody Johnson is (rumored to be) paying Glenn $12 million a year.  To be a defensive genius who can slow down good offenses.  Too many days like these past two Sunday’s, and Glenn won’t be around next season.

It’s still early on and there’s plenty of time for the Jets to get their act together and avoid being embarrassed by backup quarterbacks, but things are already worse than they were supposed to be.  With Glenn and GM Darren Mougey going out and adding so many pieces to the defense, Glenn was supposed to be able to keep high flying offenses in check.

On the bright side, the Jets finally ended their 20-game streak of failing to produce an interception when veteran safety Minkah Fitzpatrick picked Bagent off on a shot over the middle.  Jets defenders would intercept three additional passes, but each of them were overturned by penalty.

The Jets will be significantly hobbled by injuries this Sunday against Chicago, but the Bears can say the same as the status of quarterback Caleb Williams remains up in the air.  Bears head coach Ben Johnson is playing coy on who will start, but it would come as quite the surprise if Caleb Williams were to suit up.

The Bears starter isn’t expected to play as his grade 2 hamstring strain could keep him out for up to four weeks and took place just over a week ago.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the key matchups:

Jets ILB’s vs Bears RB D’Andre Swift: 

The Jets linebackers were downright disastrous last week against the Detroit Lions.  DeMario Davis and Jamien Sherwood combined to allow 13 completions on 15 targets that resulted in 176 yards through the air.  You’d better believe Ben Johnson took note and will get the ball to Swift until the Jets show they can stop him.

RB Braelon Allen vs S Dillon Thieneman:

Allen will be starting in place of the injured Breece Hall and Thieneman is a heat seeking missile at safety who can cover a ton of ground.  So far this season he’s been credited with sixteen tackles through three games which leads the team.  The Jets running game hasn’t been able to get anything going over the past two weeks and if they don’t account for Thieneman, it’ll be another long day on the ground.

Head Coach Aaron Glenn vs Head Coach Ben Johnson:

These two went head-to-head countless times as Dan Campbell’s coordinator’s in Detroit.  Glenn has done some good things for the Jets this season, but Johnson has been as good as advertised as an offensive genius.  Last week he managed to get third-string quarterback Case Keenum to light it up on offense, going 11-for-11 against the blitz.  Meanwhile, Glenn’s unit has managed zero pressure against opposing QB’s without blitzing.  Not a great combo.

Prediction:

The Jets fall to 1-3 as Johnson’s offense is too much for Glenn’s defense in a 31-21 final.

At some point last season, somebody somewhere hatched a plan that has failed spectacularly in regards to the New York Jets offensive line.  For some strange reason, it was viewed as a good idea to significantly downgrade the talent the Jets had at center by moving Joe Tippmann from the pivot to right guard.

Moving a young player for a veteran to take his spot is often reserved for instances in which the incoming player would be an improvement at the more important position, but not in this case.

Instead of pursuing a right guard via free agency or the draft to upgrade there and leave Tippmann in place, the Jets signed Justin Fields’ college center in Josh Myers.  A somewhat understandable move as the team looked to make Fields as comfortable as possible.  But once the Fields experiment was pronounced dead, it should have meant the end of Myers at center.

Now, the Jets’ run game is stuck after a promising opening week against the Titans. In the past two games, Breece Hall has 61 yards on 29 carries. If this pace lasts, the Jets will fail to sustain positive plays and risk becoming one-dimensional.

Reinstating Tippmann at center would help. This off-season’s O-line moves by the Jets would limit the impact; they traded up for Omar Cooper and drafted DeAngelo Ponds. An every-down offensive starter should have been the priority.

The Jets are stuck with a bad center. He would probably be a bad guard if he swapped with Tippmann. Rookie Anez Cooper was drafted on day three. But if the run game doesn’t improve, two yards per carry won’t cut it. If something changes, it should start in the middle.

As if there weren’t enough fans calling for the head of Aaron Glenn going all the way back to last season, those voices are only going to get louder after what we saw yesterday.

Hoping to start the season with consecutive wins for the first time in over a decade, the Jets looked to be in the driver’s seat.  Leading the Packers 17-7 with under ten minutes left in the game, the Jets let it all slip away.

Despite the Packers committing several back-breaking penalties and appearing to want nothing to do with winning the game, Glenn and his staff would have none of it.  Armed with almost a full minute left in the half, Glenn didn’t call a timeout to force a Packers punt.  Instead, he allowed the clock to run, allowing the Packers to stop the clock at :02 and take a shot at the end zone.

Asked why he didn’t’ call the timeout, Glenn would say he was concerned that the Packers would have punted and pinned the Jets deep in their own territory.  Coaching scared with your job potentially being on the line was questionable at best.

Glenn won’t be the only one facing questions, however.  Offensive coordinator Frank Reich, who everybody was in love with just a week ago, is facing critcism for for running out of shotgun on two consecutive 4th & 1 plays with the Jets hoping to get in field goal range to take the lead.  Instead, the Jets were stuffed and allowed the Packers to take over.

Between the play calling, the clock management and the team’s poor preparation to play in wet weather, this was a game that could have been won, but the Jets found a way to give it away.

Week 2 Preview as Gang Green Takes on Packers. On this episode of JetNation Radio, we take a look at some of the New York Jets recent roster moves and talk about a Jets vs Packers tale of the tape.

Can the Jets get to 2-0?

On this episode of JetNation Radio, our NY Jets Podcast, Glenn Naughton breaks down the latest New York Jets roster moves before turning his attention to Week 2 against the Green Bay Packers.

Glenn goes through the Jets vs. Packers tale of the tape, key matchups to watch, and what Gang Green needs to do to keep the early-season momentum going.

New York Jets fans couldn’t have asked for much more in a dominant week 1 win over the Tennessee Titans.  Gang Green dominated in the trenches on both sides of the ball and came away with a 23-10 victory.  Some of the key takeaways?

.- The offensive line absolutely dominated.  Geno Smith was kept clean and didn’t get sacked once all day.  And on the ground, Breece Hall topped 100 yards (22 carries for 102 yards) and found the end zone in the win.  Backup running back Braelon Allen had 10 carries for 40 yards and had a long TD called back for a hold on center Josh Myers.  Joe Tippmann and Dylan Parham had great starts to the season.

– Geno Smith took what the defense gave him, protected the football with no turnovers and get plenty of pass catchers involved.  Ten different receivers were targeted with seven coming away with at least one catch.

– Special teamer Qwan’tez Stiggers was on fire.  He made three big time plays on specials.  On an early punt he drove a blocker back into the returner, allowing the punt to go untouched.  He later picked up a fumble on kickoff before downing a punt inside the five yard line despite having to battle a blocker running down the field.

– AD Mitchell has his share of detractors and proved them wrong, at least for today.  Mithcell had 3 targets for sixty yards with two of the grabs being anything but routine.

– Give the Jets secondary plenty of credit.  They lost Minkah Fitzpatrick early on and Jarvis Brownlee for a chunk of time.  Malachi Moore stepped in to play the slot with DeAngelo Ponds inactive on the day.

– The defense did a nice job of tackling, missing only three on the day according to pro football focus.

– It’s just one win and it comes against a very bad football team, but the Jets did what they were supposed to do and beat an inferior opponent.  Packers up next at home.

At long last, the New York Jets are set to kick off their 2026 season this Sunday.  Gang Green will travel to Tennessee where they’ll face their former head coach, Robert Saleh.  Saleh won’t be the only familiar face on hand either.

Former Jets John Franklin-Myers, Jermaine Johnson, Tony Adams, Jacob Martin and Solomon Thomas are all on the Titans roster while former Jets safety Isaiah Oliver is on their practice squad with running back Michael Carter.  But where are the key matchups to keep an eye on in this one?  Let’s take a look.

NT T’Vondre Sweat vs C Austin Schlottmann: Having missed almost all of training camp, Sweat might be on a pitch count early on.  But when he’s on the field in a 3-4 alignment, he should be a force in the middle who can give Schlottmann all he can handle and more.

WR AD Mitchell vs CB Alontae Taylor: When all is said and done, Garrett Wilson may have a bigger day than Taylor, but when Mitchell draws him in coverage, he’s more likely to see one-on-one matchups.  If that’s the case, look for Geno Smith to target Mitchell deep down the field against a cornerback who has allowed fourteen passing touchdowns over the past two seasons.

Edge David Bailey vs LT Dan Moore: Moore surrendered ten sacks last season and 28 over the past three years.  Even worse might be the fact that in total, he has surrendered 144 total pressures in that time.  Bailey has earned rave reviews from onlookers from the second he arrived at 1 Jets Drive and looked like the real deal during preseason action.  Look for either Bailey or Will McDonald to come away with at least one sack in this one.

Jets TE room vs LB Cody Barton: 

Cody Barton has allowed 79% of passes that come his way to be completed.  With the likes of Mason Taylor, Kenyon Sadiq, Jelani Woods and Jeremy Ruckert set to line up at tight end, there could be a chance to make some impact plays.

DT Jeffery Simmons vs Josh Myers: If you’re the Titans, you have to be licking your chops at the chance to turn Simmons loose on Josh Myers.  Of course the Jets will give Myers help whenever possible, but of course that could leave the Jets guards going 1-on-1 with John Franklin Myers.

DL John Franklin-Myers vs Gs Joe Tippmann and Dylan Parham: Franklin-Myers has remained one of the most consistent and versatile defensive linemen in the league for several years.  He’s a guy who can play all over the defensive line who you can count on for 6-8 sacks and 50+ pressures.  He has hit one or both of those marks in each of the past six seasons.  If the Jets want to get anything going on the ground, both guards will have to play at a high level to get Franklin-Myers out of Breece Hall’s running lanes.

Prediction:

Losing to Robert Saleh would be a nightmare scenario for Woody Johnson.  Aaron Glenn, in his lone season, looked worse than Saleh ever did.  But with that said, we like the Jets in this one as we think Geno Smith will connect with his wide receivers down the field multiple times while the Jets pass rush will make life difficult for Cam Ward to settle in.

Jets: 20
Titans: 17

The Jets got their roster down to 53 players by the 6pm deadline today and here’s what Gang Green is going with for now.  As is always the case, expect some of these names to be dropped or traded over the next few days.

QB: Geno Smith, Cade Klubnik

No surprises here as Klubnik wins the backup job but shouldn’t get too comfortable.  The Jets will likely add a more experienced veteran to sit behind Geno Smith and mentor Klubnik.

RB: Breece Hall, Braelon Allen, Isaiah Davis, Kene Nwangwu, Andrew Beck (FB)

The running back room remains as expected but with Breece Hall and Isaiah Davis nursing injuries, expect another back to be added to the practice squad.

WR: Garrett Wilson, AD Mitchell, Omar Cooper Jr, Isaiah Williams, Tim Patrick, Arian Smith

A very talented group of young pass catchers hope to get the Jets offense on track.  Arian Smith did less than nothing this preseason but hangs around as his status as a recent draft pick keeps him on the roster…for now.

TE: Mason Taylor, Kenyon Sadiq, Jeremy Ruckert, Jelani Woods

This is as deep as the Jets tight end room has been in some time in terms of potential.  If they produce anywhere near the level they’re capable of and the Jets won’t be easy to stop on offense.

OL: Olu Fashanu, Dylan Parham, Josh Myers, Joe Tippmann, Armand Membou, Max Mitchell, Chukwuma Okorafor, Kohl Levao

The Jets made a move to add Jordan Meredith from the Raiders while keeping Kohl Levao over Xavier Newman.  A very good group of starters with questionable backups.

DL: David Bailey, T’Vondre Sweat, David Onyemata, Kingsley Enagbare, Will McDonald, Jowon Briggs, Harrison Phillips, Josepth Ossai, Darrell Jackson, Braiden McGregor.

One of the deepest groups on the roster, the defensive line has plenty of quality young players with rookie David Bailey hoping to contend for defensive rookie of the year honors.

LB: DeMario Davis, Jamien Sherwood, Marcelino McCrary-Ball, Kiko Mauigoa

A thin group with little experience behind the starters which could be a factor during the season given DeMario Davis’ advanced age and Jamien Sherwood’s struggles.

CB: Brandon Stephens, Azareye’h Thomas, Nahshon Wright, DeAngelo Ponds, Jarvis Brownlee, Qwan’tez Stiggers

A group that doesn’t have any proven elite talent but a solid group from top to bottom.  Expect DeAnglo Ponds to push for a starting job on the outside at some point this season.

S: Minkah Fitzpatrick, Andre Cisco, Dane Belton, Malachi Moore

Rookie VJ Payne lands on short-term IR which potentially saves Malachi Moore who had a pedestrian preseason.  The presence of Minkah Fitzpatrick should help the secondary log some interceptions this season.

ST:  Jason Sanders (K), Austin McNamara (P), Thomas Hennessy (LS)