It’s been nearly a quarter century since Herm Edwards uttered the words he’s most remembered for.
With the Jets 2-5 in October of 2002, his second season as head coach of the Jets, Edwards was asked about his team not quitting and he told reporters,
“You play to win the game!”
Aaron Glenn is 2-9 in his rookie season leading the Jets, and on a similar topic, with some fans likely rooting for losses to improve the team’s draft standing, Glenn channeled his inner Edwards on Wednesday.
“I’m going to give you a line you guys have heard before: You play the game to win,’’ Glenn said, using a slightly altered version of his old coach’s statement. “It’s just not in a coach or player’s mentality to go out there and lose a game. We’re not built that way. We’re built to go out there and play as hard as we can and try to get as many wins as we can. And then we let everything take care of itself, as far as the draft and all that.”
Back in 2002, the Jets answered Edwards’ rallying cry by winning four straight games and finished the regular season on a 7-2 run to make the playoffs.
These Jets are on the verge of being eliminated from playoff contention, but Glenn doesn’t want that to cloud his team’s approach.
“Our mindset is going out there and winning the game,’’ the coach said of facing the Falcons on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
That will involve starting Tyrod Taylor at quarterback again, with Justin Fields on the bench.
On Wednesday, Fields discussed his new — and unwanted — position as backup.
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“I did not anticipate it whatsoever,’’ Fields said of the benching by Glenn.
Asked if he wanted to be with the Jets next year, even if he isn’t the starter, Fields said, “I think you can only worry about today.”
And he insisted he “of course” still considered himself a starter in the league.
While Fields wasn’t pleased with the move, he understood it wasn’t up to him.
“You can call it what you want,’’ Fields said of whether the benching was justified. “[Glenn] thought it was justified and he makes the decisions around here.”
But after also being benched in favor of Russell Wilson last season by Mike Tomlin in Pittsburgh and now for Taylor with the Jets, Fields doesn’t think he’s done.
“I know I’ll get another shot,’’ Fields said. “You have to prepare for that moment.”
And he added he “of course” wanted that opportunity to come with the Jets.
Whether that happens is up to Glenn, who is focused on winning — even in what’s been a lost year — as well as building for the future.
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“Wins are always important,’’ Glenn said. “Like I said, we’re always trying to win, but we also understand there’s a foundation we’re trying to build. We’ve been building from OTAs to now.”
Whoever is under center for the Jets next season, Glenn knows it’s important how they finish out this one.
“The foundation is what I’m worried about,’’ Glenn said. “We’re also trying to create as many winning situations as I can for this time. They have bought into everything that I’ve talked about. I’m proud of how those guys have operated. There’s no quit in them. We know the wins haven’t been [there] and the results [aren’t what] we wanted, but I do know this: I can clearly see it. I can clearly see it. We just have to continue to do the things we’re doing now to try to get those wins.”
