5 things to watch as Jets face Buccaneers in Week 3 of 2025 NFL season

The early-season optimism surrounding the Jets has already dissipated after a blowout loss to the defending AFC East champion Bills at home in Week 2.

They now head on the road for the first time this season to face a Tampa Bay Buccaneers team that moved to 2-0 with a last-second one-point win over the Texans on Monday night.

Here are the biggest stories to watch as the Jets look to bounce back with the first win of the Aaron Glenn era as they face Todd Bowles and the Bucs...

Which version of the Jets will we see?

The Jets surprised everyone with how well they played in Week 1, but lacked focus and intensity in a dismal performance against the Bills that was more reminiscent of Robert Saleh's Jets than the team we saw in the opener.

It's very early in Glenn's tenure, but this game could be telling in terms of how the team performs as they seek to bounce back from the loss. A competitive effort, even in a loss, would restore some faith in the direction of the organization. However, New York will need to do it without starting quarterback Justin Fields, who has been ruled out with a concussion.

Will Micheal Clemons lose snaps after last week's penalty?

A key early moment from Sunday's game saw the Bills' opening drive extended by a roughing the passer penalty on Clemons, which gifted Buffalo a first down after a 3rd and 19 pass had been stopped in the flat.

This wasn't the first moment of ill-discipline from Clemons during his career, and some fans have lost patience with him, calling for him to be benched or even released. This puts Glenn in a tough spot because Clemons is the only backup defensive end the Jets have with significant experience, and the run defense would be downgraded with him out of the rotation.

Further complicating matters is the fact that starter Jermaine Johnsonis dealing with an ankle injury that will keep him out for the second straight week.

Glenn preached accountability all offseason and already cut Xavier Gipson for a costly mistake in Week 1. But given the Jets' lack of depth at the position, would a Clemons demotion mean Glenn would be cutting off his nose to spite his face?

Which team will dominate in the running game?

After Week 1, the talk was how the Jets had established their identity as a team that would run the ball and slow down opposing teams' running games.

However, that flipped against the Bills. Despite being shorthanded on the defensive line, Buffalo's early success in stopping the run essentially forced the Jets to abandon the running game. The Bills also dominated on the ground, with James Cook rushing for 132 yards and two scores.

The Bucs look like they might also be a tough opponent in this area. They held Texans running backs to 57 yards on 15 carries on Monday night, while racking up 169 yards on the ground and punching in the game-winning touchdown in the closing seconds.

Once again, Johnson being absent or limited could be significant here.

Will the Jets get their first turnover this week?

Winning the turnover battle will be crucial for the Jets' chances in any game this season, but they have yet to force one in 2025. Lost fumbles by Gipson and Fields, both at a time when it was a one-possession game, proved costly in their two losses.

The Bucs haven't turned the ball over in their two games, but they haven't forced a turnover, either, so a Tampa Bay turnover could prove critical.

Sauce Gardner and Michael Carter II are both long overdue in terms of forcing a turnover or two. They will hope to make some momentum-changing plays against Baker Mayfield, who threw a league-high 16 interceptions in 2024 and will be protected by backups at both offensive tackle positions.

The return of Haason Reddick

Reddick felt slighted by the fact that the Jets were unwilling to give him a huge contract extension after they traded for him last season, despite the fact that most analysts agreed his demands were unreasonable.

The two parties eventually reached a compromise, which meant that Reddick ended his holdout and returned to the Jets, only to reward them with poor production and an apparent lack of effort over the remainder of the season.

The narrative in such cases is that the player is motivated to enact revenge on his former team, even though Reddick landed on his feet with a nice contract offer from the Bucs. New York should be prepared for Reddick, who has one sack in two games this year, to be determined to make a big impact on Sunday.