The NY Jets’ most promising preseason stat so far

The New York Jets invested plenty of resources to fix one of the worst pass defenses that the world has ever seen.

You likely already know how many interceptions the Jets had in 2025 (zero, in case you’re new here), but what often goes overlooked is that the pick-less season was exacerbated by a league-high 36 touchdown passes allowed. Resultingly, the Jets allowed an opponent passer rating of 110.9, the third-highest mark in NFL history and the highest in AFC history.

Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, safety Dane Belton, linebacker Demario Davis, edge rusher David Bailey, edge rusher Joseph Ossai, and cornerback D’Angelo Ponds are among the additions New York hopes can help turn around this atrocious unit.

But it isn’t a player who needs to be responsible for the biggest improvement to this unit.

It’s the head coach, Aaron Glenn.

Glenn was brought to New York for many reasons, both on and off the field, but his impact on pass defense is certainly the most appealing aspect of his on-field resume.

A former Pro Bowl cornerback for the Jets, Glenn made a name for himself in the coaching ranks as a successful defensive backs coach, overseeing the development of many high-level DBs with the New Orleans Saints.

From there, Glenn became a standout defensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions, where he took a bottom-of-the-barrel defense and gradually built it up to the NFL’s elite ranks in 2024, despite a myriad of injuries. After Glenn’s exit, the Lions’ defense declined significantly despite improved health.

Glenn himself has stated that defensive play-calling is his “superpower”. He suppressed those superhuman abilities in his debut season, instead handing the reins to Steve Wilks, but Glenn is putting his cape back on in 2026.

If Glenn ever establishes himself as a quality NFL head coach, his success will likely be anchored by his ability to consistently field elite pass defenses. That’s his expertise, and he must maximize it if he wants to become enough of a difference-maker as a head coach to justify holding that position, rather than being capped out as a defensive coordinator.

Glenn’s rookie year was an enormous failure in that department. But with overhauls to the roster and coaching staff, along with play-calling back in his hands, the hope is that Glenn can make a much more palpable impact on the Jets’ pass defense in 2026.

It’s only preseason, but the early returns have been promising, and one stat highlights it more than any other.

Are we already seeing Glenn’s fingerprints on the pass defense?

No matter which unit has been on the field—starters, backups, or obvious roster cuts—the Jets’ pass coverage has been cohesive, physical, and fundamentally sound throughout the first two preseason games.

What really stands out is how disciplined the Jets have been as a team, which brings us to our stat of the day.

The Jets’ defensive backs have yet to commit a penalty this preseason. They are one of only two teams with that distinction, joining the Brian Flores-led Minnesota Vikings.

For a Jets franchise that has caused millions of hairs to be ripped out across the tri-state area due to ill-timed penalties in coverage, that is an extremely promising sign, even if it is only two preseason games.

Putting this stat over the top is the fact that the Jets are doing it while still making plenty of plays on the ball. According to Pro Football Focus’s tracking, the Jets are tied for third in the NFL with seven pass breakups. Compare that to the Vikings, who have only two pass breakups alongside their zero penalties in the secondary.

Even more impressive than the seven total pass breakups is the quantity of players who have contributed to that number. The Jets have already had six different players record at least one pass breakup. That ties them with the Rams and the Bears for the third-most players in the league, trailing only the Steelers (7) and Chargers (9).

For perspective, all four of those teams finished top-10 in interceptions during the 2025 regular season, so the Jets are in the right type of company.

When you have so many different players remaining sticky in coverage and doing a good job of playing the ball without committing penalties, it reflects positively on the coaching staff. It indicates that the entire back end of the defense is being properly prepared for gameday. They’re building habits on the practice field that lead them to the right positions when the lights are on.

To boot, the Jets’ defensive backs have combined for only three missed tackles in the pass game, further showing how fundamentally sound the secondary has looked from top to bottom.

While the sculpting of the Aaron Glenn statue should be put on hold for the time being, these are the types of numbers that Jets fans should expect from a Glenn-led team, especially now that he is calling defensive plays. Yes, Glenn was primarily hired for his leadership skills, but he is also in this position because he has established himself as one of the most respected pass-defending minds in the NFL.

From his time as an undersized corner who learned how to play the ball at an elite level, to his work in the Jets’ scouting department, to his time developing Saints DBs like Marcus Williams and Marshon Lattimore, to his ascension in Detroit, Glenn knows pass coverage like few people in the NFL.

It’s about time for that knowledge to start rubbing off on the Jets’ defense.

A couple of preseason games aren’t enough to show that the times they are a-changin’, but the flags in Florham Park are definitely green. They’ll remain that shade as long as the Glenn-led Jets secondary continues to keep the yellow flags off the field.