Prior to Friday's practice, Jets HC Aaron Glenn ruled out four players – edge Jermaine Johnson (sprained ankle), WR Josh Reynolds (hamstring), RB Kene Nwangwu (hamstring) and DT Jay Tufele (illness) -- for Sunday's game vs. the Buccaneers. The Jets (0-2) will journey on the road for the first time this season while the Buccaneers (2-0) will look to start 3-0 for the first time in 20 years.

"We are going to Tampa to go win a game," Glenn said, "Our guys are upbeat, coaches are upbeat, had a really good week of practice. I'm looking forward to getting on this plane, being able to lock arms as a team, get to this hotel and have our total focus on playing our brand of football and that is it. And I said this before, if we play our brand of football for the most part those results will be a win for us. We're looking forward to going there, playing our asses off to get a win."

Glenn and Buccaneers HC Todd Bowles are longtime friends and Bill Parcells disciples. Bowles was Glenn's positional coach both with the Jets in 2000 and then the Cowboys in 2005.

"He's a really good friend first and foremost and then back that up with how good of a coach he is," Glenn said of Bowles. "… I'm very appreciative of who he is and what he's done for me. But I'm sure he feels the same way that I feel. We're going in to get a win against each other and we'll be talking after that."

Brady Cook to Assume Backup Role

With QB Justin Fields in concussion protocol, Tyrod Taylor will make his first start for the Jets, against the Buccaneers. The team is expected to elevate rookie QB Brady Cook to the active roster for Sunday's game vs. the Buccaneers. Cook, a Missouri product who joined the practice squad on Aug. 27, completed 65.8% (25 of 38) of his passes in the preseason for 235 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT.

"He wouldn't be here if I wasn't confident in him," Glenn said. "I thought he did some really good things in the preseason. Listen, he's still learning and it's one of those things that we have a number of rookies who play on the field for us. And it's no different him being a quarterback for us. Obviously, it's a more highlighted position. But he's a rookie and if it comes for him to play -- he has to play and we're going to do everything we can to put him in the best position to be successful."

DL Jowon Briggs: 'I'm Making Sure We're Getting Ready for the Next Play'

When DL Jowon Briggs took down Buffalo QB Josh Allen for the first sack of his professional career in Week 2, there was no celebration.

"For me, I'm like a guy that just puts his horse blinders on and works," Briggs said. "Yeah, I got the sack, but I'm getting up, grabbing my teammates up and making sure we're getting ready for the next play."

Briggs' response following a career milestone is a testament to his work ethic. The 2024 seventh-round draft pick of the Cleveland Browns joined the Jets via trade just weeks before the start of the regular season. In two games with the Green & White, he has already flashed potential to be an integral member of the team's defensive front. In addition to his sack, Briggs also took down Allen at the line of scrimmage and forced a James Cook fumble that the Bills recovered.

The overall defensive performance wasn't up to the team's standard, though, and Briggs spoke about the unit's focus on the fundamentals ahead of a Week 3 matchup against in Tampa Bay.

"We've just got to play our brand of football," he said Wednesday. "I'm confident in our guys. We had a great day of practice today, just getting back to being gritty football players. Just really getting off the ball, attacking, hand placement, getting your one-two in the ground.

Briggs, who called himself a "big heat acclimation guy," is eager for the Jets' next two matchups in Florida. Following a strong individual performance in Week 2, his focus remains on doing his job to the best of his ability no matter what environment he's in -- and encouraging those around him to strive for the same.

"Football is a team sport, but it's also a team sport where you can be selfish," he said. "So selfish in doing your job as well as you can, that you make the whole better. If everybody is so selfish at doing their job exactly correct, the way they're supposed to do it, you'll put some beautiful things on tape. And I think that you can get that. Something that we're getting back to is guys doing -- some say their one-eleventh, some say doing their part -- just taking care of that, and then doing it in an aggressive, effective way. And I think we'll be great."

WR Tyler Johnson Returns to Raymond James Stadium

WR Tyler Johnson will walk into a familiar environment on Sunday when he returns to Raymond James Stadium, home of the Buccaneers team that selected him in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

"It's definitely going to be a lot of memories that I'm going to have just walking into that stadium," Johnson said. "But I'm excited for the opportunity to go back there and compete at a high level."

Johnson's NFL career got off to a quick start. Surrounded by mentors including QB Tom Brady, and WRs Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, he appeared in 14 regular-season games and all four postseason contests, becoming a Super Bowl champion with the team during his rookie season.

"It definitely was amazing," Johnson said of his time in Tampa. "I had a bunch of vets around me to teach me the ropes, things that I still apply to this day. I'm just very grateful for it. I'm grateful for the all the guys there, memories there. I'm just excited to go back. Another day in the office."

Johnson, who also made stops in Houston, Las Vegas and Los Angeles with the Rams, joined the Green & White in March. Though he was signed to the practice squad following the initial roster cutdown in August, Johnson was elevated to the active roster for Week 1 and hauled in a critical 24-yard pass from QB Justin Fields on third down. He was signed to the active roster the following day

And while the Jets struggled to find a rhythm offensively in Week 2 against the Buffalo Bills, Johnson believes the unit has an opportunity to do so in their first road matchup of the season -- back in the environment where some of his first pro memories were made.

"Our brand is -- we want to start fast as an offense and as a team overall," he said. "Unfortunately, we didn't get that done last week. But that's the beauty of this game. You always get another opportunity to get one percent better. We've just been looking to respond day in and day out. … And Sunday, it's go time."