For the second week in a row, the New York Jets defense no-showed and asked rookie quarterback Brady Cook to overcome an insurmountable lead.

Last week it was a quick 21-0 deficit against the Dolphins, and this week it was Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars who jumped out to leads of 14-0 and 31-10 just before the half.  The Jags were off and running from the first snap of the game and never looked back.  Lawrence led the Jags on back-to-back scoring drives with a touchdown strike to Brian Thomas Jr. on the first drive and a 15-yard scramble for a score on their second drive.

The Jets would counter with a Brady Cook TD pass, the first of his career, to AD Mitchell to make it 14-7.  That was as close as the Jets would get before Jacksonville ran away with it.

Rookie running back Bhaysul Tuten pulled in a 16-yard TD reception to make it 21-7 before the team traded field goals to push the score to 24-10 before Jacksonville managed two more TD passes on a day in which Trevor Lawrence had five scoring strikes.

On offense, the Jets just couldn’t keep up.  In his first pro start, quarterback Brady Cook completed 66% of his passes, going 22 for 33 for for 176 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions.

The loss drops the Jets to 3-11 and moves them from 7th to 5th in their draft position for the 2026 class.

Brady Cook will be making his first NFL start this Sunday when the Jets take on the Jacksonville Jaguars as head coach Aaron Glenn is ruling out both Tyrod Taylor and Justin Fields.

Now, official: Brady Cook will start at QB on Sunday, per Aaron Glenn. Tyrod Taylor and Justin Fields are out. #Jets

— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) December 12, 2025

Cook made his debut in relief of Taylor last week and had little support from a group of receivers that dropped one pass after another.  Cook would finish they day 14 of 30 with no touchdowns and two interceptions, but the seven drops by his pass catchers, including a would-be touchdown to John Metchie, skew the reality of his performance quite a bit.  While Cook did throw a pair of red zone interceptions, it’s going to be interesting to see if he takes as different approach when not handed a huge deficit to come back from.

Every single throw from Brady Cook's @nyjets debut. Did the drops hit double-digits?@JetNation https://t.co/XmJ8jQqDJ0

— Glenn Naughton (@JNRadio_Glenn) December 8, 2025

So now for Cook, rather than entering a game already down 21-0 as he did last week, it’ll be a scoreless start and hopefully a game in which he gets a little bit of support to see what he can do.

An undrafted free agent out of Missouri, Cook managed to stick with the Jets practice squad after a solid pre-season and now finds himself about to line up as a starter.  A mobile quarterback with more than adequate arm strength and off-the-charts leadership in college, the Jets will use this week to begin their evaluation of Cook in determining whether or not he has a future with the club.

JetNation Flight 29 is back, our weekly New York Jets podcast hosted by Rami Lavi and former Jets running back Bilal Powell. Each week, we offer Jets fans a veteran’s perspective on game results, coaching decisions, and developing storylines. This week’s episode mixed nostalgia and honest evaluation as Powell reacted to Leon Washington showing up in number 29 at the game on Sunday and people thinking it was Bilal. They also discuss Fernando Mendoza draft buzz after a standout throw, and dove into the frustrations of facing AFC East opponents for the second time. Powell also opened up about quarterback traits, coaching concerns, and lessons he learned in his own career, all while answering questions submitted by members of the JetNation Forums.

The Jets win may have placed them in range for Fernando Mendoza, and Rami highlights the third down throw that he believes put the quarterback firmly into the draft conversation. Powell also discussed how the Dolphins’ latest win may have helped Mike McDaniel keep his job. That led to a wider point, Bilal Powell cannot understand why the Jets consistently struggle more in the second matchup with divisional opponents. He agreed with Bart Scott’s criticism of Steve Wilkes and questioned whether Aaron Glenn truly believed Wilkes was the right choice at defensive coordinator. Powell wondered why Glenn hasn’t considered retaking play-calling duties, warning that things “will only get uglier from here.”

Tua Tagovailoa being a left-handed quarterback was one of Powell’s biggest points of emphasis. He believes the Jets should attack him from the left side and finds it frustrating that the defensive approach hasn’t consistently reflected that. Listener Liam Johnson also brought up how quickly the Jaguars and Bears have turned things around, and Powell agreed the Jets must stop relying on excuses while other franchises show faster and more effective rebuilds.

Powell spent time discussing quarterback development, including Brady Cook, the wide range of places successful quarterbacks are drafted from, and even jokingly comparing Fernando Mendoza’s personality to a “goofy” Ryan Fitzpatrick. He shared how Anthony Lynn taught him to read defenses pre-snap, shaping the way he saw the game. The episode closed with JetNation Forum questions: Mr. Rogers asked whether the Jets should address wide receiver help through the draft or free agency, and Powell stressed the need to bring real support for Garrett Wilson. Slick TP asked what offense Powell would run if he were a coordinator, and Powell described a motion-heavy system built around quick reads and horizontal stress for young quarterbacks.

The New York Jets did exactly what you are supposed to do in this league, take care of business at home against a bad team. It was not flashy, it was not dramatic, it was simply a professional, business like win. Winning the games you should win is part of becoming a real NFL team again. We are back with another episode of JetNation Flight 29, our NY Jets Podcast.

There has been a lot of noise about rooting for losses, draft position, blowing it up, and chasing picks. Winning matters, culture matters. You are not turning over one hundred percent of the roster, so these reps and these moments matter for the young core. Let them play, let them compete, and see who can grow into real roles going forward.

That includes Brady Cook, you might as well see what you have in the kid. It also includes Justin Fields. Does he have a place here next year, could there be a package for him, trick plays, read option looks, designed runs, anything that gives you a spark. Would he even be open to that kind of role, these are the evaluations you make while still trying to win football games.

Identity is the real priority for this team right now. Players like John Metchie are starting to show something. Young defenders are flashing. Pieces are forming, and the organization has to decide who fits the long term plan.

The NFL Draft is part of that conversation, but the biggest names are not always the answer. The Jets quarterback of the future might be in this class, but the path to finding him starts with building a real foundation now.

In this episode of JetNation Flight 29, Rami Lavi and Bilal Powell break down where the Jets stand, what the young players are showing, and how this team should approach the final stretch of the season while still expecting to win.

Listen to “Jets Win – NY Jets Podcast – JetNation Flight 29” on Spreaker.

Plenty of Jets fans won’t like it, but Nick Folk and his teammates were loving it.  The veteran kicker drilled a game winning 56-yard field goal as time expired to give the Jets a 27-24 victory over the Falcons.

And it's a 27-24 @nyjets win after Nick Folk drills the field goal as time expires. pic.twitter.com/EiHBUAJknI

— Glenn Naughton (@JNRadio_Glenn) November 30, 2025

The win moves the Jets to 3-9 on the year and to the chagrin of many fans, drops them to sixth in the NFL draft standings.  So those hoping for Fernando Mendoza to land at 1 Jets Drive can put that off and start looking elsewhere.

Things started off slow for both offenses as Gang Green and the Falcons punted eight times in their first ten possessions with each team scoring just one touchdown.  The Jets had an easy go of it on their first score as a fumble recovery on the 2-yard line led to a Breece Hall finding the end zone untouched to put the Jets up 7-0.

Atlanta answered back with a score of their own on a 10-play 62 yard drive that was capped with a TD run from Bijan Robinson which led to a 7-7 tie at the half.  But there were plenty of fireworks to come.  Following a 95-yard touchdown drive that put the Falcons up 14-7, Tyrod Taylor hit wide receiver AD Mitchell on a 52-yard touchdown pass; the longest play from scrimmage for the Jets on the season.  Mitchell would finish the game with a career-high 102 yards on eight receptions.

Both teams would trade a pair of missed field goals after their touchdowns as Nick Folk was wide right from 55 yards, giving him his first miss of the season.  Some sloppy tackling on Atlanta’s ensuing drive put the Falcons up by a touchdown on a David Sills catch and run but the Jets would answer back.

Tyrod Taylor’s 10-yard TD run capped a 65 yard scoring drive and made it 24-24 before the Jets got a stop on defense, and Nick Folk nailed the game-winner as time expired.

Happy Tanks Giving from the JetNation crew. Rami Lavi and Bilal Powell are back in the studio, breaking down the state of the team and what matters most as the season winds down in this week’s NY Jets Podcast. Bilal goes straight to the heart of it. At some point, you have to let the younger guys play. He thinks several backups deserve the chance to finish out the year and show what they can do. He is not worried about draft positioning. It is about finishing games with pride and setting the tone for the future. Rami is a fan of the tank, lose for the draft pick. Bilal thinks finishing hard, building respect is more important and mentions how the Giants found their QB last year and it wasn’t until late in the first round.

The guys dive into the quarterback situation too. Should Brady Cook get snaps? Tyrod Taylor played better last week and Justin Fields continues to absorb the criticism for an offense that has not found its rhythm. But the theme is the same. It is time to focus on development and evaluate the young players on the roster.

They also hit on the issues that have dragged the defense down. A lack of turnovers, no consistent pressure on the quarterback, and too much man coverage behind a pass rush that has not been getting home. Rami raises a big question about Aaron Glenn and says he does not have faith in him as the long-term answer. Bilal pushes back and points out how many coaches have been in and out of the building in recent years. At some point, you have to pick a direction and trust a coach who believes in developing young players.

It is another honest and unfiltered Flight 29 breakdown. Check out the full episode for the complete conversation.

With the Jets in the midst of the longest playoff drought in all major North American sports (15 years), fans don’t want to hear about how things are “getting better”.  But we’re going to say it here and now; things at 1 Jets drive, are in fact getting better.  Yes, they did drop to 2-9 with yesterday’s loss to the Ravens, but there are some positive takeaways.

The Discipline is back:

When was the last time you could say the Jets weren’t having a hard time getting out of their own way in terms of penalties?   Under Robert Saleh, a flag earned you an “attaboy” and smack on the helmet.  With Aaron Glenn in town, it’s been the exact opposite.  He hasn’t hesitated to get in a guy’s face to let him know he made a mistake, and the results are staring to show.  After committing 42 penalties through their first five games, the Jets have seen that number drop to just 31 in the six games that followed.

The sloppy defense is a thing of the past:

The defense has been far from perfect, but after a disastrous start to the season, it’s another key area where things have been cleaned up.  After missing 10 or more tackles in three of their first four games this season, they’ve had that happen just one other time since when they missed a season-high 17 tackles vs Cincinnati.  Aside from that one game, the Jets have missed more than 8 tackles just once since week four.

The Draft Class is Coming Along Nicely:

First-round offensive tackle Armand Membou’s high level play has been apparent from the moment he stepped on the field.  But Mason Taylor, Azareye’h Thomas, Malachi Moore and Mason Taylor have all impressed in starting roles.  It’s been an up and down year for LB Francisco Mauigoa and we need to see more from WR Arian Smith and DL Tyler Baron, but for the most part this class is looking very impressive.

While NFL weekly predictions is a great place to go for all of  your gambling needs, we’re not saying you should be betting the Jets will run the table, but progress has been evident, and Darren Mougey deserves plenty of love for our next point.

The Projects and Experiments are yielding very good results:

The Jets rookie GM made an under-the-radar move as the season approached and flipped day 3 picks with the Browns to acquire little-known defensive tackle Jowon Briggs who started the year strong and has gradually improved as the year has moved on.  It’s fair to say he has gone from buried on the Browns depth chart to solidifying himself as a likely long-term piece on defense for the Jets.

Then of course there are wide receivers John Methie and AD Mitchell.  Metchie came over from Philadelphia in a deal for slot corner Michael Carter while Mougey reportedly insisted on Mitchell being included in the deal that sent Sauce Gardner to the Colts.  In just two games, both players have flashed the ability that had them coming out of college as big time prospects.  Metchine has scored touchdowns in each of his two games while Mitchell had three drops in his first game, but has already shown that he can consistently create separation and threaten defenses deep down the field.

Even better for the Jets is that while there’s little to play for in terms of the standings, Aaron Glenn still has them playing hard which bodes well for further evaluation as the back half of the season comes to a close.

The Justin Fields era is officially over at 1 Jets Drive as Gang Green is set to start veteran Tyrod Taylor in place of the struggling former first-rounder.

After a season that has featured mostly horrendous quarterback play, Aaron Glenn is pulling the plug on Fields and hoping Taylor can give the offense a boost.

It’s a critical move for the Jets who will play out the string and try to evaluate some of their young players.  Something that just would not be possible with Fields under center.  While there are some holes in Taylor’s game, he’s a more experienced veteran who won’t be quite as gun shy as Fields has been this season.

With the arrival of AD Mitchell and (assuming) an eventual return for Garrett Wilson, having Taylor leading the offense should give Jets coaches and talent evaluators an opportunity to figure out exactly what they’ll have to work with next season.  Along with Wilson and Mitchell at wide receiver, expect John Metchie to see plenty of reps with lesser-known practice squad receivers hoping to get the call at some point.

What started off as a promising night against the division rival New England Patriots ended up a predictably lopsided score.  After capping the game opening drive with a Justin Fields TD run on what was the fourteenth play of the drive, it was all downhill for Aaron Glenn and the New York Jets.

What an incredible drive from the @nyjets to open up the scoring on this Justin Fields TD run.

14 plays (11 rush/3 pass)
72 yards
Time of Possession: 8:04 pic.twitter.com/sSZOS9XCGl

— Glenn Naughton (@JNRadio_Glenn) November 14, 2025

Gang Green came out with a heavy emphasis on the run as Breece Hall, Isaiah Davis and Justin Fields ran it 11 times on 14 plays before Fields ran it in from five yards out to put the Jets up 7-0, but that would be as good as it got for Gang Green.

Drake Maye would open the game by completing his first 11 pass attempts as he led New England on consecutive TD drives to go up 14-7 at the half.  Even as Maye torched the Jets secondary, both of New England’s scores came on the ground from Treyveon Henderson from seven yards out.

The Patriots would then kick off the scoring in the second half as Henderson found the end zone through the air.  Fields and the Jets would find the end zone one more time when the offense took advantage of a fallen Patriots DB which left John Metchie wide open for a 22-yard touchdown catch.

That would be the last touchdown of the game for either club and the Patriots added a pair of field goals to close out a 27-14 victory.

Now head coach Aaron Glenn has to take another look at his starting quarterback, who topped 100 yards passing for just the second time in five games, and decide how to proceed.

Rami Lavi and Bilal Powell are back with a new episode of JetNation Flight 29. The Jets have won two games in a row. Somehow there always seems to be something negative in the air. Aaron Glenn got into it with the media over the Garrett Wilson injury update from Rich Cimini.

Bilal talks about why Aaron Glenn is upset about this and why he is right. Grit is another topic and this team is starting to buy in. Breece Hall is standing tall, and drowning out the outside noise. Much credit goes to Breece for his success and carrying this offense.

The NFL draft is on everyones mind, the team now has the 5th pick. Bilal talks about how important winning is. Building momentum is more important than draft order.

Listen to “Bilal Powell – NY Jets Podcast — JetNation Flight 29” on Spreaker.