The New York Jets and head coach Aaron Glenn entered week 8 of the NFL season as the only team in the league without a win. They weren’t sure who their starting quarterback would be, their defense was one of the worst in the league, and their head coach was on the hot seat. It seemed like everything that could go wrong for them had gone wrong, and there was no end in sight to the misery.
New York Jets Head Coach Aaron Glenn
New York Jets Head Coach Aaron Glenn, is shown at MetLife Stadium, Sunday, September 14, 2025, in East Rutherford.
So, when the Jets were down 14 points midway through the 4th Quarter in week 8 at Cincinnati, the thought was ¨Here we go again!¨. Justin Fields and Breece Hall led them down the field for a touchdown drive, making it a one-possession game, and that is when the bold decision came from Aaron Glenn. Rather than kick the extra point to make it a seven-point game, Glenn decided to keep the offense out on the field and go for two. The attempt was successful, making it a 6-point game, rather than a 7 or 8-point game.
Advertisement
Sep 29, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields (7) takes the field to start the second half at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rich Storry-Imagn Images
The Jets defense then had to get a stop, something they haven’t done much of this season, and definitely struggled to do in week 8, considering they had given up 38 points already. To the surprise of most watching, the Jets not only got a stop, but did so quickly, allowing the offense to get the ball back with plenty of time to drive down and take the lead.
New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn reacts during the first half at MetLife Stadium.
New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn reacts during the first half at MetLife Stadium – Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Well, guess what the Jets did with that opportunity? Rather than commit a bad penalty, or turn the ball over, and screw it up like they seemingly always do, the Jets drove down the field with relative ease and scored a touchdown. Now, let’s revisit that bold coaching call by Aaron Glenn when he went for two points on the previous score, making it a 6-point game. With that call, and the conversion being successful, the Jets’ late touchdown tied the game, and the extra point gave them a 39-38 lead.
Without that bold decision by coach Glenn, the Jets would have been tied 38-38, and could have lost the game like we have seen them all year. Instead, Glenn got his first win as an NFL head coach, the Jets got their first win of the season, and Glenn’s job might be safe, at least for a few more weeks.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Check out all of our NFL articles:https://www.thebiglead.com/category/nfl/