The New York Jets and the visiting Las Vegas Raiders both head into Sunday’s matchup at MetLife Stadium desperate for a victory to reverse sliding records and quiet mounting external pressure.
The Jets sit at 2-5 after dropping five of their past six games, including back-to-back losses. Frustrated fans have increasingly called for the dismissal of head coach Aaron Glenn as the franchise stares down the prospect of missing the postseason for the 16th consecutive year, marking the longest active playoff drought in North American professional sports.
“We know it’s going to get noisy,” Glenn told reporters this week. “That’s just what happens in this league with any team — especially at this point, when the record is not exactly where it needs to be. The most important thing for us, and I think our guys have been doing a heck of a job with this, is just blocking out everything on the outside.”
The Raiders arrive in New Jersey with a 3-4 record following four consecutive losses after opening the season with three straight wins. While first-year head coach Klint Kubiak is not facing immediate job security concerns, some observers have advocated for inserting rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 overall selection in this year’s draft. Kubiak reaffirmed this week that 38-year-old veteran Kirk Cousins will remain the starter. Cousins currently leads the NFL with 16 touchdown passes.
“I’ve seen the production,” Kubiak said regarding his offense. “The production’s there. But it’s a team game, so we’ve got to produce together in order to win football games.”
For Glenn, silencing the critics in East Rutherford will require a strong defensive performance and disciplined game management. Last week’s loss featured another costly miscue when Glenn failed to call a timeout before halftime against the Miami Dolphins, allowing them to drive for a touchdown with no time remaining on the clock. The Jets have been outscored 107-6 in the final two minutes of the second quarter since Glenn took over the helm in 2025, an issue that has fueled heavy criticism.
Despite the external turbulence, Glenn retains strong backing inside the locker room.
“I’ve been around a lot of good coaches and a lot of good leaders, and I’ve said it a lot: I think A.G. is one of the best I’ve ever been around,” center Josh Myers said. “I still believe that and I’ll continue believing that.”
Sunday’s game also brings an intriguing storyline for Jets quarterback Geno Smith, who takes the field against the Raiders organization he played for last season. Following a difficult one-year stint in Las Vegas where he led the league with 17 interceptions, the Raiders traded Smith to New York in March. Under the terms of the transaction, the Raiders are absorbing a large share of his salary, paying Smith $16.2 million this season while the Jets are responsible for $3.3 million.
Boos rained down on Smith and the Jets during the closing stages of last week’s 28-25 home defeat to Miami. Smith acknowledged that the team must give the home faithful a reason to cheer early on.
“I think in terms of the fans, we have to give them something to be pleased with, and so it comes down to us going out there, starting early, playing well, and giving them a reason to cheer,” Smith said. “It was pretty loud at the end of that game when we got close and we had an opportunity. I thought the fanbase was great, so I expect the same things.”
Smith also offered a staunch defense of his head coach.
“I’ve been in this league a long time and we never preach moral victories, but most of our losses, if not all, were one-score games,” Smith said. “So, obviously we want to turn those in our direction, but Coach Glenn, again, the work that he puts in throughout the week, we all know it. The direction of this team, I believe in it. We’ve got to finish games. It really comes down to us as players and if we finish those games, I think things are a lot different. But that’s the way it is in this league. It’s always going to be these one-score games, and when we find a way to finish everyone will be happy with it.”
