EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Despite a historically poor December and one of the worst seasons in franchise history, New York Jets coach Aaron Glenn still feels the support from owner Woody Johnson.
"I do know there's a belief in me," Glenn said Sunday after his fourth straight blowout loss, 42-10 to the New England Patriots at MetLife Stadium.
"I do know I believe in him and that's why I'm glad I took this job is because of ownership and what he's about, what (general manager Darren Mougey) is about and what this organization is about."
From all indications, Johnson, who hasn't spoken to the media since October, is committed to Glenn for the 2026 season. Glenn signed a five-year contract last January.
This has been a bitterly disappointing season for the Jets, who hit the 13-loss mark for the fifth time in history. In four losses this month, they were outscored, 153-46. The minus-107 point differential is the worst in NFL history for the month of December, according to ESPN Research. They became the second team in the Super Bowl era to lose four straight games, all by 23-plus points, joining the 1972 Patriots.
Sunday was so lopsided -- 35-3 at halftime -- that it prompted Glenn to do something he'd never done before: He questioned his team's effort.
"I always talk about how we come out and we play with effort. Today was probably one time I feel like our effort wasn't as good I would want to be," Glenn said. "And that's just me not BSing you guys."
Glenn didn't give specifics, saying it was "very, very disappointing" to see what he believed was a lack of effort. He also said he's "upset with us as coaches, too. It's going to start with me, getting these guys ready to play against a hell of a team."
The fiery coach was subdued after the latest blowout, admitting the no-show performance in the final home game "bothers me." By the end of the game, the half-empty stadium, populated by Patriots fans, was serenading quarterback Drake Maye with chants of "M-V-P!"
It's a slippery slope when a coach criticizes his team's effort. It can backfire and he can lose the locker room, but Glenn evidently believes he can go there because he's confident in his job security.
Guard John Simpson said he "100%" agrees with Glenn's opinion of the effort, adding: "It was just unacceptable. You have to play better across the board."
Edge rusher Jermaine Johnson called the performance "embarrassing," but he wasn't ready to condemn the effort of teammates.
"Me, personally, I was giving the team all I had," he said. "I'm not sure about everybody else. I felt like my teammates were playing hard, but I have to look at the film."
The Jets, who fired defensive coordinator Steve Wilks two weeks ago, allowed touchdowns on the first six series, including five scoring passes by Maye.
Informed that it was six straight TD drives, linebacker Quincy Williams was taken aback.
"Six?" he shot back. "S---, boss."
Williams said he didn't sense any quit in his defensive teammates.
"I didn't feel like those guys let up," he said.
The only positive for the Jets was a 59-yard touchdown run by Breece Hall, who rushed for 111 yards and reached the 1,000-yard milestone for the first time in his career. He did finish the game with a knee injury, but said afterward that he was fine and wouldn't need an imaging test.
Glenn, a beloved player for the Jets in the 1990s, said he's obsessed with transforming them into a consistent winner. There's no tangible evidence to suggest it's moving in the right direction, but he claimed it is.
"I'm disappointed. I know he's disappointed," Glenn said of Johnson. "So now we have to figure out what do we do and make sure we get over that hump and move forward."
