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The New York Jets are still searching for the first win of the Aaron Glenn era. New York is coming off a brutal last second loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 3. After trailing 23-6 in the fourth quarter, the Tyrod Taylor-led Jets mounted a comeback. New York took the lead with under two minutes remaining on Will McDonald’s blocked field goal touchdown return. But the Bucs marched down the field with ease, setting up the game-winning kick and sealing the 29-27 victory as time expired.
The loss dropped the Jets to 0-3 on the season. And in Week 4 the team will take on the AFC East’s other winless team, the Miami Dolphins. But what will happen when a stoppable force meets a movable object?
New York will have Justin Fields back for the Monday Night Football matchup. The fifth-year passer was forced to sit out the Buccaneers game with a concussion sustained against the Buffalo Bills in Week 2. But Fields’ presence is unlikely to move the needle for the Jets. Taylor is just as capable of leading the team to a win as Fields – a depressing thought considering New York signed the quarterback to a $40 million deal over the offseason.
The Jets, predictably, have the 31st-ranked passing offense in the league as the team is averaging just 144.7 yards per game through the air. While no one expected Fields (or Taylor) to lead a dominant passing attack, the team’s defensive downturn is a surprise.
The Jets enter Week 4 with the 22nd-ranked overall defense. That’s a major letdown after New York boasted the NFL’s third-best defense in each of the last two seasons. And the unit was ranked fourth overall in 2022.
The 2025 Jets’ defense is allowing a generous 340.3 total yards per game. And the team is giving up an average of 31 points per game, the fourth most in football.
New York made Sauce Gardner the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL with a four-year, $120.4 million extension this offseason. Gardner shined as the best cover corner in the league over his first two seasons. His production dipped during the team’s disastrous 2024 season but he hasn’t fully returned to form yet in 2025.
Of course, the Jets’ biggest change from last year (other than general manager, head coach, coordinators and starting quarterback) is the reconfigured defensive backfield. New York allowed D.J. Reed to walk in free agency and replaced him with Brandon Stephens.
Reed was Gardner’s running mate during the secondary’s three-year run as a top-four unit in the league. And Stephens is a significant downgrade.
Stephens is also the Jets’ X-factor for Week 4’s Monday night showdown with the Dolphins.
New York faces several challenges this week. And things will likely get worse before they get better. The team’s disappointing defense is banged up. All-Pro linebacker Quincy Williams landed on the IR with a shoulder injury. And Pro Bowl pass rusher...
