Jets’ Glenn: ‘I want to build something that the fans are proud of’

The New York Jets(2-7) have now won two straight after defeating the Browns(2-7) 27-20 at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.

New York got a little help from all three phases of the game. They scored two special teams touchdowns.

In the first quarter, RB Kene Nwangwu recorded a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, and WR Isaiah Williams notched a 74-yard punt return for a touchdown. The pair of scores marked the first time in franchise history that the Jets have logged both a kickoff and punt return for a touchdown in the same game.

The defense recorded six sacks, including four from DE Will McDonald IV, and they got just enough from the offense to get their first home win of the season.

On Tuesday, New York traded away Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams before the trade deadline. Despite the changes this week, the Jets showed remarkable resilience. Quarterback Justin Fields, who had a tough game on Sunday, completing only 6-of-11 passes for 54 yards, a touchdown, and an interception(first of the season), initially felt the impact of the trade.

“Yeah, I think it was tough the first day,” he said. “I think everybody was shocked in the building. It was definitely tough the first day. You kind of felt the energy a little bit weird, a little bit off. But the second day, it wasn’t bad. It was starting to get back to normal. It’s always tough adjusting to guys going out of the locker room, coming in. After that first day, we all came together as a team and practiced well this past week, just really gelled together and stuck with each other.”

New York got a big boost from running back Breece Hall. He finished with 83 yards on the ground and caught a screen pass that went for 42 yards and a touchdown in the fourth quarter that gave New York the lead for good. 

“I feel like you come out with intentions of what you want to do and you’ve got to adjust to what’s needed to win the game,” Hall said. “So, today, was we needed a lot of the run game, and a lot of it just happened to be on me today, so it was just falling into what the team needed for us to win.”

Going forward, Jets coach Aaron Glenn is hoping to build a winner in New York that will make the fans proud.

“I just want to win,” he said. “That’s it. I just want to win. Home, away, it doesn’t matter. Obviously, it’s great to win at home in front of our fans. I’ve been saying this for awhile, I want to build something that the fans are proud of. I know we’re not close to being that yet, but I have full confidence that’s what we plan on doing. We’re going to continue to focus on that. Focus on us and focus on being a team that the plans are proud of.”

The Jets, who host the Patriots on Thursday, still need to get a little more out of their offense, but a win is a win, and maybe they can continue to build on these last two wins.

Notes:

Before the game, the Jets honored former center Nick Mangold, who recently died due to complications from kidney disease.

After the win, Glenn and Fields reacted to the tribute:

“I didn’t watch too much of the Jets when I was younger, but from everyone I hear, guys that have been here for a long time, he was loved in the building,” Fields said. “It broke my heart seeing his family on the sideline just hearing that backstory, but I prayed for that family before the game and God’s watching over them. It definitely hurt my heart to see them right there, but he’s in a better place now. Like I said, it was tough, but I’m glad we were able to get the win today.”

Glenn:

“It’s been emotional all week just in general,” Glenn said. “You get a chance to see his wife and his kids out there, and I’ll be honest with you, to see how strong that she was handling it, to see how strong his kids were handling it, that in itself just tells you about who he was and how he was the leader of his family and how much of a rock his wife was to be around his kids and the way they’ve raised their children. It was very emotional, very emotional. But, again, a lot of credit to his wife for how they navigated through this whole deal, because I know that’s not easy, not easy at all. Condolences, still, to that family, but it was impressive to see how she handled it and how the kids handled it.”