Too Soft? Jets' Players Defend Practice Plan Despite Backlash

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Are the New York Jets soft?

Since head coach Aaron Glenn was hired by the team, he brought a specific swagger and intensity into the organization. Through 21 games, though, his 4-17 record is among the worst for coaches during that same time in NFL history.

Glenn did himself no favors this week either. The head coach called for a walkthrough for the entire team on Wednesday. Instead of trying to physically prepare the group for Sunday, the team chose to try and stay healthy.

Will it work? Time will tell.

But it's clear that the Jets did their research on making sure their process is best served to stay healthy.

And it has nothing to do whether they are soft or not.

The allegations

The allegations were apparent from the moment the Jets walked into the facility on Wednesday. Their head coach has switched the practice around to have Wednesday become a walkthrough and nothing more.

But a walkthrough practice? In Week 5 of the NFL season?

Teams who do this normally are doing it towards the end of the year. The fact New York did this so early in the season is where some of the "soft" moniker came from. But speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Glenn's plan was clear.

And it had everything to do with their performance last Sunday.

"Defense had a good amount of plays, and plus I want this to be a recovery day anyway," Glenn said. "Just to make sure we take care of our bodies and get ready to go through this week on a good note to play against a good team."

New York's defense was on the field for 93 total plays including penalties in their loss. Even the most shaped up defense can crack under the weight of that many snaps. Does it still make the team soft, though? Even when the team needs to start racking up wins?

The defense

It was abundantly clear from the Jets locker room: the amount of injuries and plays run by the defense led to the walkthrough on Wednesday. Glenn wanted to make sure his team would be fresh for the start of October games.

In doing so, he pleased some of the more aging veterans on the team like Harrison Phillips.

"Our team here has done a fantastic job of kind of modifying based on snap counts and how we do our lift structure during the week and our practice plan during the week to help mitigate that," Phillips said.

New York has still managed to find a way to be banged up as a collective unit. Breece Hall, Adonai Mitchell, Omar Cooper Jr. and Dylan Parham are just some of the team's concerning injury list.

But for the players who are suiting up, like Phillips especially, they have appreciated the team's focus on health so far this year. And it could serve them well when the weather gets colder and the elements become even more of a factor.

"I feel normal like any other normal week," Phillips said. "I think a couple of weeks ago we had 30 snaps or something like that, and now we had 80. I actually feel the same today than on both those weeks."

Ninety-three plays is never easy. But if Phillips and other players are pleased with their preparation going into Sunday, then the ruling on if the Jets are soft or not will be clearer.

The ruling

As angry as fans are about the team's 1-3 start, there's just no correlation to a team going through a walk-through on Wednesday to being flat on their face during Sunday's contest. If New York were to struggle against the Browns, that wouldn't be an indication that they didn't prepare enough.

It would come down to execution and in-game coaching: two things that have plagued the roster so far under Glenn.

No NFL team or player is truly "soft." No practice habit is "soft" either. NFL teams who go lighter on the practice field to keep players healthy are just as smart as others who demand full-body practices each and every session.

If Glenn and the team's medical staff felt this was the right course of action, then there isn't much to get too worked up over. After a rough Week 4, some members of the defense could use that extra rehab time.

And if the Jets can beat the Browns on Sunday, no one will ever remember the walkthrough practice the team went through anyway.