'There Are Some Things That We Can Definitely Build On'
After a high-scoring back-and-forth battle, HC Aaron Glenn said there are plenty of positives to build on, but several key things will need to be cleaned up as the season progresses -- most notably on defense.
"We gave up too many points," Glenn said. "Can't do that."
The Jets flashed potential with some strong pressure up front, and the defensive performance was highlighted by 4 sacks of Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers. Edge Will McDonald IV picked up right where he left off last season, taking down Rodgers twice, while brothers Quincy Williams and Quinnen Williams added a sack apiece.
But the Jets had 4 defensive penalties, including an unnecessary roughness call. The Green & White also turned over the ball via a Xavier Gipson fumble on a kick return. Glenn has preached discipline and homing in on details since his arrival, and his message was the same following Sunday's loss.
"The one thing to me that turned this game is, we can't have turnovers," he said. "We can't do it. And we have to be a more disciplined team. There were some penalties that happened in that game that were true discipline issues and that's something that will be addressed."
While the Jets limited the Steelers to 4-of-10 third-down conversions, Pittsburgh was 3 of -3 in the red zone in Sunday's victory. DL Quinnen Williams said the Jets will look to "delete the wrong things out of our DNA" as they aim to establish a high defensive standard moving forward.
"I will say this -- there's going to be no confidence lost from these guys," Glenn said. "These guys have been busting their butts for a long time. And again, there's no such thing as moral victories in my eyes. But, there are some things that we can definitely build on on both sides of the ball. Even though there's some things we've got to fix on defense, there are some things we can build on."