5 Things To Watch As Jets Face Lions In Week 3 Of 2026 Nfl Season

The Jets suffered a setback in Week 2 as they blew a 10-point fourth quarter lead against the Green Bay Packers.

They have a chance to bounce back against another NFC North team this weekend as they travel to Detroit to face the 1-1 Detroit Lions.

Here are the storylines to watch as the Jets look to improve to 2-1…

Aaron Glenn vs. Dan Campbell

Glenn was the defensive coordinator for the first four years of Dan Campbell's tenure as the Lions' head coach.

This weekend, they face off against each other with the winner set to improve to 2-1.

Both men have mutual respect for one another and will ensure that their team knows exactly what to expect. It may be difficult for either coach to spring any surprises on their former colleague, so this game could come down to who executes best.

Campbell told Detroit media this week that he is expecting "a knockout, 60-minute brawl," so it sounds like he'll have his team fired up. Hopefully for the Jets, Glenn's return to face the team he used to coach will go better than Robert Saleh's did in Week 1.

Can the Jets exploit the Lions' banged-up secondary?

The Lions already knew they would be without two key members of their secondary with Brian Branch and Kerry Joseph starting the year on the PUP list. However, the crisis has deepened as Avonte Maddox was just placed on IR with a season-ending foot injury and Thomas Harper's status for Sunday is in doubt as he was in a walking boot earlier this week.

Glenn dealt with similar issues when he was the Lions' DC, and he proved adept at maintaining that unit with reserves and replacements. However, the 2026 Lions aren't finding this so easily, as they have given up the second-highest total in the NFL when it comes to both yards and points.

The Jets have only targeted Garrett Wilson 14 times in the first two games, so they may look to get him more involved this week. Then, if the Lions give extra attention to Wilson, Geno Smith will need to spread the ball around to some of the other weapons as he seeks mismatches.

Will New York be able to get the running game going?

In Week 1, the Jets looked like they were establishing an identity as a team that could run the ball efficiently to play ball control offense and dominate time of possession. Breece Hall rushed for over 100 yards and Braelon Allen also contributed well in the win over the Titans.

Surprisingly, they struggled to run the ball against a Packers team that was missing a few front seven starters. Hall picked up 14 on a second-half run, but otherwise he and Allen combined for just 22 rushing yards on 20 carries. Furthermore, Allen was stuffed on consecutive short-yardage plays near midfield with the score tied late in the game.

It's possible the Jets struggled to get any traction in the wet conditions and that their running game will show improvement this week against a Detroit run defense that ranks in the bottom five. They will need to, because getting into a shootout with the Lions is not advisable.

The Jets' special teams unit needs to bounce back

New York's special teams unit was one of its main strengths last season. Entering this year, the assumption was that they would build upon a strong first season with Chris Banjo at the helm, although there was a concern over the placekicker position.

So far, though, the kicker has been the least of the Jets' worries. They gave up over 200 return yards in Week 2, including a 63-yard punt that set up the field goal that sent the game into overtime.

In addition, the return game — which was so dominant last season — has provided very little with Kene Nwangwu injured. Isaiah Williams muffed two punts in the rain on Sunday.

How will the defense hold up against the Lions' dynamic offense?

Although their defense has been struggling, the Lions still have an outstanding offense, putting up 31 points in each of their first two games. You would imagine that the Jets, whose defense is currently No. 1 in the NFL based on yardage allowed, will need to keep them below that if New York is to have a shot at winning.

This will easily be their toughest test of the season so far, though. Jared Goff leads the league in touchdown passes and hasn't thrown an interception yet, while Amon-Ra St. Brown leads the league in receptions and touchdown catches.

Although David Montgomery is now in Houston, the Lions' running game also poses a threat. Jahmyr Gibbs has racked up 299 yards from scrimmage in the first two games, averaging 104 rushing yards per contest. This will test a Jets run defense that will be without one of their better run stoppers following the injury to David Onyemata.