New York Jets coach Aaron Glenn stood by two late-game decisions after his team let a 10-point fourth-quarter lead disappear in an overtime loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 2.
With the game tied late in regulation, Glenn chose not to use a timeout and give the Jets offense another opportunity before overtime. Green Bay’s punter was near midfield, and Glenn said he did not want to risk creating poor field position for his team while the Packers still had two timeouts available.
“When the punter is at the logo, we don’t want to put our guys in a backed-up situation,” Glenn said Monday. “I know everybody is talking about getting the offense back out there, but they had two timeouts, too. At that point, I thought that was the right call. We wanted to go to overtime.”
The decision caught Packers coach Matt LaFleur off guard. Green Bay called its own timeout and took a final shot downfield before the end of regulation.
“I was really confused by it,” LaFleur said after the game. “That’s why we took the timeout and tried the Hail Mary.”
Glenn also elected to receive the ball to open the 10-minute overtime period. Under the current overtime format, both teams are guaranteed a possession, making it increasingly common for coaches to defer and take the ball second. Glenn said his preference was to possess the ball first and manage the clock.
That plan unraveled quickly. The Jets committed a series of mistakes that led to a three-and-out, giving Green Bay favorable circumstances for its ensuing possession. The Packers then moved down the field and finished the game-winning drive.
Asked whether he would reconsider either choice, Glenn said the defeat could not be pinned on a pair of coaching calls. He pointed to other moments, including a late sequence when he could have used a timeout with 11 seconds remaining to force a punt. Instead, the Jets recorded a sack on the play.
“There are always decisions in those situations,” Glenn said. “Every coach has them, whether it’s offense, defense or special teams. When it got down to 11 seconds, I could have called timeout and forced a punt. We ended up getting a sack, so there were other plays in that game that determined the outcome.”
The Jets have shown more competitiveness through two games of the 2026 season than they did during Glenn’s difficult first year in charge. But after another loss, and particularly after surrendering a double-digit lead in the final quarter, Glenn’s clock management and overtime approach will remain under close scrutiny in New York.
