Michael Clemons Faces Criticism, Coach Aaron Glenn Steps In

The stats don’t exactly support a strong case for Michael Clemons’ performance. Penalties, including several costly ones, have marred his time with the Jets.

Head coach Aaron Glenn offered a defense of the fourth-year defensive lineman during a training session on Wednesday, suggesting that there’s more to Clemons’ contributions than what the numbers show.

“Sometimes, statistics don’t tell the whole story,” Glenn remarked at the practice site in Florham Park. “Every player goes through ups and downs. What we ask him to do, he does well. Sure, he has room for improvement.”

Glenn also mentioned that if Jermaine Johnson is unable to play on Sunday, it might open a door for Clemons to take on a larger role.

In the two games so far, Clemons has managed just one assisted tackle over 72 defensive snaps. The stats point to a lack of pressure—no hits on the quarterback and a PFF grade of 45.4, ranking him among the lower edge rushers in the league.

There’s also the issue of penalties. Clemons was flagged recently during a matchup against the Bills after hitting quarterback Joshua Allen just after he released the ball. He faced similar scrutiny during the preseason for unsportsmanlike conduct during a fight against Packers players, among other infractions last season.

“I felt I hit him clean,” Clemons said regarding the penalty. “I’ll have to review it, but they called it in the end.”

Looking ahead, teammate Sauce Gardner referred to the upcoming matchup against the Buccaneers’ Mike Evans as a valuable opportunity, something he’s been anticipating since entering the league.

As for the Jets’ overall roster, several players missed practice, including S Tony Adams and WR Josh Reynolds, while a few others had limited participation. Rookie WR Emeka Egbuka from the Buccaneers has been making headlines with three touchdown receptions in his first two games but was also sidelined due to injury.