Former Detroit Coordinator Reportedly Explodes After Latest Defeat
The Detroit Lions are enjoying a fantastic start to their season. With a 3-1 record as they head into their Week 5 match-up against the 2-2 Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, October 5, they’re sitting pretty. In fact, their record puts them right behind the NFL’s two current undefeated teams, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Buffalo Bills.
A Stark Contrast in Fortunes for Former Lions Coaches
While things are rosy in Detroit, the Lions’ former coordinators are having a mixed, or in one case, disastrous experience in their new roles.
- Ben Johnson, now with the Chicago Bears, holds an even 2-2 record.
- Aaron Glenn, who took over the reins of the New York Jets, is suffering through a grim 0-4 start.
For Glenn, this must be a particularly bitter pill. As the defensive coordinator in Detroit, he was instrumental in helping the franchise mature into a formidable NFL competitor. - He now faces a monumental task with the Jets, a team that clearly needs a massive overhaul. Following their recent defeat to the Miami Dolphins on Monday, September 29, reports suggest he finally reached his boiling point. His frustration is certainly understandable.
- Locker Room Eruption
No one takes losing well, and Glenn is no exception. After the Jets’ loss to the Dolphins, Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic reported that the post-game locker room was the scene of a loud verbal outburst—and not the celebratory kind. - Rosenblatt shared on X (formerly Twitter) that “Aaron Glenn in the postgame locker room was yelling loud enough for us to hear him in the press conference room.”
- This report quickly sparked a debate online. One commenter on X argued that the blame lies squarely with the players, stating, “At some point, this is on the players. Coaches don’t tackle, they don’t false start, they don’t over-pursue the offense, they don’t fumble or call a fair catch when they shouldn’t. Players do all those things. Nothing will change until the players get their … together.”
- Another comment took a shot at the previous regime, noting, “Yet they blamed Rodgers, Saleh and Ulbrich.”
Following the intense game, Glenn himself addressed the costly errors made by his team, emphasizing that turnovers and penalties are a guaranteed formula for failure in the NFL. - “Very disappointing. There’s no way you can win any game with 13 penalties and three turnovers,” Glenn was quoted as saying, according to Rosenblatt. “But what we have to do is go back to work. We have to understand that before we can win games we have to learn how to not lose games.”
- The View from the Power Rankings
The dramatic difference between the two franchises is highlighted by the latest NFL power rankings.
The New York Jets are languishing at No. 30. Speaking about the Jets’ performance, Eric Edholm on the NFL’s official website noted, “Aaron Glenn watched his offense fumble the ball away twice deep in Miami territory, and his defense allowed a 96-yard touchdown drive in the first half, adding in a slew of penalties for good measure.” He concluded, “The Jets have see-sawed back and forth with their efforts, but the bottom line is, they’re still winless. Glenn can’t be happy.” - Meanwhile, the Detroit Lions are ranked a stellar No. 3. Edholm also commented on the Lions, stating, “Some tough opponents await prior to the Week 8 bye, and though there’s no panic, Dan Campbell’s group still has a few screws to tighten up.”
The contrasting situations couldn’t be clearer: the Lions are performing at an elite level, while their former defensive coordinator is struggling to keep his new, winless team from unraveling.
