Aaron Glenn Hints at Jets Shakeup After Steelers Stunner
The New York Jets had a good game overall against the Pittsburgh Steelers, but there was one clear negative moment in the contest.
At the beginning of the fourth quarter with the Jets holding a 26-24 lead, Jets receiver/specialist Xavier Gipson fielded a kick-off and proceeded to fumble it back to the Steelers. The Steelers got the ball back around the 20-yard line and immediately were in field goal range. It completely flipped the script of the game. The Jets had momentum, a 2-point lead, and were giving the ball back to their red-hot offense to try to get more. Instead, the Steelers got the ball and got a touchdown two plays later.
Head coach Aaron Glenn talked about the fumble and made it sound like the team will do something to address the play.
How will the Jets respond in Week 2?
"‘The one thing to me that turned this game is man we can’t have turnovers, can’t do it,’ Glenn said. "We have to be a more disciplined team. Right, there was some penalties that happened in that game that were true discipline issues. That is something that will be addressed because you will not be on the field with this team if you’re gonna cause us to lose games if you’re gonna cause issues like that so we will get that addressed."
It was a tough play, but at the end of the day, the Jets did give themselves a chance to go down the field at the end of the fourth quarter and try to take the lead. It was a wild day and now it will be interesting to see how the team reacts and regroups ahead of Week 2. The practice squad does currently feature Jamaal Pritchett, who showed some flashes during the summer. Could he be an option now for the kick-off? We'll have to wait and see. But, the play was tough and Glenn made it sound like some sort of change is coming. But, we'll have to wait until Sunday to find out against the Buffalo Bills.
Saints left with major hole in secondary after latest injury
The New Orleans Saints are going to be looking for answers in their defensive secondary yet again.
They had signed Julian Blackmon in training camp after the news that safety Tyrann Mathieu was retiring came out, and Blackmon played every snap on defense in their 20-13 Week 1 loss to the Arizona Cardinals.
Blackmon hurt his shoulder somewhere in the process, though, and coach Kellen Moore said on Monday that the sixth-year NFL safety could very well miss the rest of the season.
The injury was noticed (more realistically felt) when Blackmon got home hours after the game.
"That's what adrenaline does to you," Moore said, according to Katherine Terrell of ESPN. "I mean, sometimes those things happen for these guys. There's a lot of juice and energy and games and you make big-time plays and everyone's sore after a football game. ... Sometimes it takes a little bit of time to realize what's soreness and what's an injury, and unfortunately, this is the way it went down for Julian."
Blackmon notched seven tackles and a pass defended against the Cardinals, so his presence in the back end of the Saints' defense will be missed.
A 6-foot, 202-pound safety from Utah, he was selected 85th pick (third round) of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts. He spent five seasons in Indy, recording 300 tackles, 1.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, 10 interceptions, 21 passes defended and one defensive touchdown.
Blackmon, 27, was meant to be a veteran addition for the Saints who could make plays on the back end. Now they'll have to rely on former fifth-round pick Jordan Howden (who was inactive for Week 1) or rookie Jonas Sanker, who they selected out of Virginia in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft with pick No. 93.
