The Jets don't have much of a passing game. Even the owner said it publicly.

The Jets have as many touchdown passes as losses this season. It’s no wonder they’re winless.

The NFL is a passing league, despite what Aaron Glenn may want you to believe. In August, Glenn responded to a reporter’s question by saying, “Who says it’s a passing league?”

It’s a passing league, Aaron, and it’s about time that the Jets get with the times.

Glenn talked over the summer about the Eagles winning the Super Bowl with a top run game and strong defense. That’s the identity that Glenn envisioned for the Jets and he was strong in his assertion that they would become that.

The bluster and bravado Glenn displayed was applauded by some at the time, but he’s had to tone it down with the Jets the only NFL team without a win entering Week 8.

The truth is the Jets’ offense is a disaster under first-time NFL offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand.

The Jets have just seven passing touchdowns. Only one gave the Jets a lead — back in the first quarter of Week 1. The other six came in the fourth quarters of games that the Jets trailed by at least 14 points. Some good old garbage time scores to pad stats and make the games seem closer than they were.

“Offensively,” Glenn said, “we have a lot of work to do.”

Glenn made this understatement of the season after Sunday’s 13-6 loss to Carolina. After the Jets’ second straight game without scoring a touchdown. After their sixth consecutive game without getting in the end zone in the first half.

This is a remarkably bad offense in 2025 and the reason Glenn should give Tyrod Taylor the football for Sunday’s game in Cincinnati. There are reports that Glenn, rightfully, is leaning in that direction.

Glenn made Justin Fields his first big free-agent signing and his first quarterback as a head coach, investing $40 million ($30 million guaranteed) in him over two years. Glenn staunchly supported Fields and arrogantly believed that the Jets could bring out the best in him.

That plan hasn’t worked, as even owner Woody Johnson acknowledged Tuesday at the NFL meetings.

“It’s hard when you have a quarterback with a rating that we’ve got,” Johnson said. “He has the ability, but something is just not jiving.”

Johnson added, “If we could just complete a pass, it would look good. You have to complete a pass, you have to convince them you can do something, otherwise it’s hard to have a game you can win.”

Taylor certainly is not the answer. He’s 36 years old and has been a backup for most of his career. The offense has moved better with Taylor than Fields, who is not the answer either.

Fields has led four touchdown drives over his last five starts. Just last week, seven teams scored at least four offensive touchdowns. One was led by Jets outcast Aaron Rodgers and another shares a stadium with the Jets and has rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart leading them.

That’s one of the most distressing things about the Jets’ situation: This will be another lost season because they’re going to need a quarterback next year.

Only three teams have fewer than seven touchdown passes - Atlanta with second-year quarterback Michael Penix Jr., Cleveland with rookie Dillon Gabriel and Tennessee with first overall pick Cam Ward. They’re all rebuilding. 

The Jets tried to speed up the rebuild and have a younger veteran who started 44 games captain their offense. Now the Jets are back to square one again.

They need a quarterback and they need to play modern football and develop a passing attack. Running the football worked in Detroit, where Glenn and Engstrand worked previously, because the Lions are built for it. Detroit also has a top passing game.

The Lions were sixth in rushing the past two seasons and had the No. 2 passing offense both years. Jared Goff’s 82 touchdown passes since 2023 are tied for the most in the NFL during that time.

The Jets don’t have the passing attack to be a truly dominant run offense. Garrett Wilson is their only receiving threat. Not having a No. 2 receiver, a major topic throughout camp, is coming back to bite the Jets now.

With Wilson sidelined last game with a knee injury, Glenn said Carolina put “nine people in the box” to stop the Jets’ run game. Teams will keep doing that and loading up on Breece Hall unless the Jets scheme ways to get the ball in other players’ hands.

Hall was supposed to be a big part of the passing game. That hasn’t happened either. If you don’t have a passing attack, you’re not going to win much. It is a passing league, after all.

By Al Iannazzone

al.iannazzone@newsday.comAl_Iannazzone

Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.