The Jets practiced Friday and will have a walk-through Saturday before they Jets fly to Detroit for their Sunday afternoon battle against the Lions. Before the Green & White took the field at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center, head coach Aaron Glenn provided an availability update on several injured players.
"Joseph Ossai full practice, David Bailey full practice. The only addition that we have is Adonai Mitchell and he'll be limited today, he has a finger," Glenn said later elaborating that Mitchell got his finger caught on a jersey during Thursday's practice.
Rookie CB D'Angelo Ponds was also a "full go" on Friday and when asked if he'll make is professional debut this week, Glenn said "we'll see." Ponds was listed as inactive for the first two weeks. He missed all of training camp with a calf strain injury and Glenn has wanted his rep load to continuously increase before seeing game action.
"Because once you get back on the field, there's no excuses," Glenn said last week. "Our trainers have done an outstanding job of getting him ready to go and he's been in meetings so he's understanding exactly what we're doing."
S Minkah Fitzpatrick (groin), LB Kiko Mauigoa (quad), TE Mason Taylor (thumb) all did not practice this week and will be out on Sunday, according to Glenn. RB Kene Nwangwu also did not practice, and Glenn said he would be "doubtful."
The Challenge
Detroit's offense is something HC Aaron Glenn knows well, having been the Lions' defensive coordinator for four seasons (2021-24). During that time, he saw QB Jared Goff "grow every year and really take command of that offense," and Glenn said he's "one of the most accurate quarterbacks I've ever been around."
Making the game plan and preparing for Sundays is always fun for Glenn, regardless of any familiarity.
"The team doesn't matter; it's just the process is what I really like," Glenn said.
The Lions are averaging 362 yards per game on offense, and the Jets will have to contain Goff's playmakers: WRs Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, RB Jahmyr Gibbs and TE Sam LaPorta.
The Lions are averaging 362 yards per game on offense, and the Jets will have to contain Goff's playmakers: WRs Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, RB Jahmyr Gibbs and TE Sam LaPorta. The Jets have the NFL's top-ranked defense while Goff leads the league with 6 TD passes.
"This will probably be one of the most explosive groups that we'll go against, to me, probably all year," Glenn said. "When you talk about [Gibbs]...he can do a number of things. Then Jamo out on the edge, being able to take the top off the defense and then you have St. [Amon-Ra St. Brown] who's extremely tough, rugged, hard-nosed, makes all the catches in the middle of the field and then you have LaPorta ... being able to stretch the defense and make plays."
Importance of Preparation
Demario Davis isn't surprised by how well the defense has been playing because of how the Jets prepare each week. Through two weeks, the Jets are the only team to allow fewer than 200 yards per game, and they forced the Packers to go three-and-out on 66.7% of their possessions.
"We prepare so hard here," Davis said on Thursday. "From the way that we get the installs to the way that we study film on the opponent, to the way that are practices are structured going all the way back to training camp and OTAs."
Davis has called these practices "some of the most demanding" he's experienced, and it's not just the physical aspect.
"It's really about the mental strain of it," Davis said. "We spend about the first hour of practice really learning. So, we may have a game plan of what it is we're trying to do, but you're going to spend 30 minutes in (indiviudals) and group [periods] just focusing on the details of that assignment and how you're going to do it."
HC Aaron Glenn was pleased with how the Jets have been working through the week with a "game-like intensity for the most part."
"That's the one thing I've really been honing on with our players. First off, is being able to deal with this hostile crowd that we'll have, and they're going to be into it," Glenn said. "Everything we've been doing has been intentional on first quarter, second quarter going to the third quarter, fourth quarter, how we want to operate in those situations and making sure that we keep our competitive stamina throughout practice."
