nypost
The New York Jets and Las Vegas Raiders are both desperate for a victory, and they will meet on Sunday at MetLife Stadium with the goal of halting their seasons' downward spirals.
The Jets, who have dropped five of their last six games, sit at 2-5 and are staring at the possibility of missing the playoffs for a 16th consecutive year—the longest active drought in North American professional sports. Many fans have directed their frustration at head coach Aaron Glenn, calling for his dismissal.
Glenn acknowledged the external pressure this week, stating, "We know it's going to get noisy. That's just what happens in this league with any team—especially at this point, when the record is not exactly where it needs to be. The most important thing for us, and I think our guys have been doing a heck of a job with this, is just blocking out everything on the outside."
The Raiders, meanwhile, started 3-0 but have since lost four straight. First-year head coach Klint Kubiak is not facing the same job scrutiny as Glenn, but there have been calls from some quarters to start rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 overall pick in the spring draft. Kubiak reaffirmed this week that veteran Kirk Cousins will remain the starter. The 38-year-old Cousins leads the NFL with 16 touchdown passes.
"I've seen the production," Kubiak said. "The production's there. But it's a team game, so we've got to produce together in order to win football games."
For Glenn, a win this week would alleviate some of the noise surrounding his job status, especially if his defense delivers a strong performance. He also needs a game in which his management decisions are not a major talking point on Monday. Last week, Glenn failed to use a timeout at the end of the first half, allowing the Miami Dolphins to score a touchdown and leave the Jets with no time to respond. Since Glenn took over as coach in 2025, the Jets have been outscored 107-6 in the final two minutes of the second quarter—a statistic that has become a focal point for his detractors and one he must reverse.
Despite the growing outside criticism, Glenn appears to retain the support of the locker room. Center Josh Myers said, "I've been around a lot of good coaches and a lot of good leaders, and I've said it a lot: I think A.G. is one of the best I've ever been around. I still believe that and I'll continue believing that."
Quarterback Geno Smith will face the Raiders, the team he played for a year ago. Smith had a difficult one-year stint in Las Vegas, throwing a league-high 17 interceptions. The Raiders traded him to the Jets in March, and as part of the deal, Las Vegas agreed to pay the bulk of his contract—$16.2 million this season—while the Jets owe him just $3.3 million.
Smith was booed loudly by the home crowd in last week's 28-25 loss to the Dolphins. He acknowledged that the team must give fans something to cheer about. "I think in terms of the fans, we have to give them something to be pleased with, and so it comes down to us going out there, starting early, playing well, and giving them a reason to cheer," Smith said. "It was pretty loud at the end of that game when we got close and we had an opportunity. I thought the fanbase was great, so I expect the same things."
Smith also voiced his support for Glenn this week. "I've been in this league a long time and we never preach moral victories, but most of our losses, if not all, were one-score games," Smith said. "So, obviously we want to turn those in our direction, but Coach Glenn, again, the work that he puts in throughout the week, we all know it. The direction of this team, I believe in it. We've got to finish games. It really comes down to us as players and if we finish those games, I think things are a lot different. But that's the way it is in this league. It's always going to be these one-score games, and when we find a way to finish everyone will be happy with it."
Key Analysis
Glenn's immediate future may hinge on more than just the final score. A victory would help, but a clean, well-managed game—especially with the defense leading the way—would go a long way toward quieting the critics. The Jets' inability to close out halves and games has been a recurring issue, and another late-game misstep could intensify the calls for change. Meanwhile, the Raiders are dealing with their own quarterback controversy, though Kubiak has publicly committed to Cousins. The matchup features two teams desperate to stop the bleeding, but the spotlight will be brightest on Glenn and his ability to steer his team through the noise.
Originally reported by nypost.