When DL Harrison Phillips spoke to reporters just after 4 p.m. on Monday afternoon, he expressed disappointment in the outcome of Sunday's game -- but stressed it was time to shift the focus to what's ahead.
"It is frustrating, but it's a 24-hour rule," Phillips said of the loss. … "It's OK to get frustrated, it's OK to be your own biggest critic, but as soon as the 24 hours is over, it's a growth mindset. It's how can we learn from this, how can we grow? What can I do personally better, what can we do better as a defensive line, what can we do as a defense, what can we do as a team in all phases to improve?"
The Jets will look to employ this growth mindset ahead of their first primetime game of the season -- a Monday Night Football matchup with the AFC East rival Miami Dolphins, who also sit at 0-3. And while Phillips acknowledged the sense of urgency to secure the team's first victory, he also emphasized a need to prioritize the process over immediate results.
"There's a lot of football left in front of us and things come in bunches sometimes," Phillips said. "There's been a lot of, you learn from experience. … It's a snowball effect for a positive, it can be infectious. So, it's tough in a results-driven business, but sometimes, you have to be process over results."
Phillips -- who has been part of teams that have taken time to find a rhythm -- is a veteran player speaking from experience. In 2023, Phillips and the Minnesota Vikings started the season 0-3, but the team found its footing in Week 4 and won 6 of the next 7 games. The first win of the season came on the road against the 0-3 Panthers.
HC Aaron Glenn also knows what it takes to overcome a slow start. During his second season as the DC in Detroit, the Lions sat at 1-6 after Week 8. The team made a late push, though, winning 8 of the final 10 games to finish 9-8 and second in the NFC North.
"The secret is, there isn't a secret," Phillips said of battling back from slow starts. "You just buy into the process. I wish it was a secret sauce, I wish it was, a coach gave us a motivational speech or we stayed after and ran gassers, or we had player-led meetings. No -- you just lean into the process. AG has done a fantastic job of the culture that he is establishing and building here. There's just a catch up that needs to happen."
There may not be a secret to producing immediate results, but Glenn and Phillips said cleaning some things up defensively will be a key part of the process. The Jets' defense has surrendered 86 points through three games, and the team has allowed an average of 340.3 yards per game. Phillips pointed to missed tackles as something that needs to improve quickly.
"I think our angles were really off," Phillips said of the missed tackles in Week 3. … "Part of tackling is actually paralleled with trust. I need to trust, my teammates need to trust that the ball is going to get turned back, that the edge player is going to get the ball turned back into us, in which case you can take more aggressive angles."
The Jets are also one of just three teams yet to secure a takeaway this season, with Miami also failing to generate a turnover. Phillips punched the ball out while teaming up with LB Quincy Williams to take down QB Baker Mayfield in Week 3, but the ball was recovered by Tampa Bay. It was the third forced fumble of the season for the Jets, who have been unable to recover the ball and capitalize on any of the opportunities.
Glenn stressed that the Jets are "in a race to improve" as they look for their first win of 2025, and limiting points, making tackles and taking the ball away could be key components in successfully overcoming a slow start. Phillips, who said there has been no shortage of effort and a desire to progress in the locker room, believes the Jets have a group capable of getting the job done.
"I know it's a young roster, but it was a roster that was built in a very specific way with guys that have very high character, very high maturity," he said. "Guys that can take 24 hours to get over a win or a loss, and have enough maturity and urgency to say, 'Let's learn from this.'"
