Week 5 Keys to Victory: It’s time for Aaron Glenn to deliver on offseason talk

The 2025 New York Jets stand on the precipice of some very bad history. At 0-4, head coach Aaron Glenn has matched Adam Gase’s ineptitude in his first season as head coach of the Jets. Losing to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday would be the first time in team history that a rookie head coach lost his first five games.

That can’t be allowed to happen. A historic 0-5 start to the Aaron Glenn era would officially tank the last remaining shreds of optimism around this team and send fans running to mock draft simulators to pass the time. Luckily for the Jets, the Cowboys are just as incompetent and may be even worse on defense.

This is a winnable game for the Jets, especially if they hit these three keys.

Aaron Glenn must walk the walk

It’s one thing to talk about increased capability and cutting down on self-inflicted mistakes, but if it’s not happening on the field then it’s only a matter of time before the fans turn on Glenn. He’s said all the right things since the Jets hired Glenn as their head coach, but it’s time to see results.

If Glenn can finally have his team ready to play on Sunday, they should get the win against a sloppy, undisciplined Cowboys team.

Take the ball away

After that Week 4 debacle when the Miami Dolphins recovered three Jets fumbles, the Jets became the last remaining team to have zero takeaways this season. In fact, they’re just the fifth team in the Super Bowl era to be 0-4 without a single defensive takeaway.

This streak must end in Week 5. The Cowboys have turned the ball over six times through four games, which is tied for 7th most in the NFL. If they can pick off a pair of Dak Prescott passes or force a key fumble at some point, the Jets should be able to turn those into points, which is the easiest way to flip a game.

Gardner vs Pickens

So far, Gardner’s 2024 slump seems to have followed him into 2025, and that’s a problem especially after signing a historic contract extension this offseason. His level of play this year will dictate in a large way whether the Jets keep losing or start winning, and there’s no time like the present to get back to his All-Pro ways.

Luckily for Gardner, star Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb is still on IR. That means George Pickens will once again be their top receiver. This is a prime opportunity for Gardner to shadow and shutdown a talented yet limited receiver. If he can erase Pickens from the stat sheet, the Cowboys’ explosive offense will bog down and create more takeaway opportunities for this defense.

Final prediction: Jets lose 38-45

I’ve officially reached the point where I can’t pick the Jets to win until they actually, you know, win a game. I won’t be shocked if they beat the Cowboys, but I just can’t trust this team. The way I see this game going is a classic Justin Fields electric rushing performance that leads the offense to a high-scoring day, especially against a weak Cowboys defense. But in the end the defense will once again fail to record a takeaway while Prescott picks them apart.

For what it’s worth, I hope I’m wrong. But I have to see it before I believe it.