FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- A look at what's happening around the New York Jets:
1. Observations from the sack king: When Mark Gastineau sacked a quarterback, he danced. He danced so much and so flamboyantly that it enraged opponents and annoyed some teammates. How did he react?
More sacks and more dancing ... until the NFL banned excessive individual celebrations in 1984 -- aka the Mark Gastineau Rule, which was officially relaxed in 2017.
Gastineau, 69, believes his famous sack dance was a celebration of joy, hard work paying off, which is why he was surprised to see Jets rookie pass rusher David Bailey react so nonchalantly last Sunday after each of his three sacks against the Cleveland Browns.
"He might be a humble guy," Gastineau told ESPN. "I was humble. Actually, I wasn't [he laughed], but I worked my ass off. My payoff was the celebration. I just got excited, loving every minute of it. I couldn't help but dance.
"I'm sure [Bailey] gets excited. If he doesn't get excited after a sack, that would amaze me. I would find that hard to believe because he knows how hard it is to get back there. He just does his own thing, I guess. That's why there are different people in this world."
Gastineau recorded 107.5 sacks in his career, including 22 in 1984 -- the league's single-season record that stood for 17 years. Watching Bailey, he sees a young player with "a very bright future."
"He played his butt off [last week]," Gastineau said. "I love the way he played."
If Gastineau had the chance, he'd like to ask Bailey this question: Do you get excited about a sack? Bailey might have provided the answer in training camp, when he said a sack is "literally probably the best feeling in the world. It's like nothing else."
He simply chooses to skip the celly, as the kids like to say.
A silver lining, according to Gastineau: "The offensive linemen won't be as apt to get mad, with him not dancing."
2. Big man, fast feet: A 242-pound running back is supposed to be a battering ram, a between-the-tackles menace, but Braelon Allen is shattering that stereotype.
He's deceptively fast, allowing him to gain 4.2 yards per carry and two touchdowns on outside rushes, per Next Gen Stats -- slightly better than starter Breece Hall (3.8 and one TD). Offensive coordinator Frank Reich described Allen as a big man "with little man's feet."
With Hall (quadriceps) sidelined for the third straight game, Allen will be the starting running back again Sunday against the New England Patriots. There's a good chance Hall returns next week, setting up an interesting situation.
"We've said it from the start: We think we have the best one-two combination in the NFL," Reich said.
3. He said what? Wide receiver Tim Patrick raised eyebrows this week when he said the Jets "could be the best" offense in the league.
"We have so much talent, it's insane," he said.
Mind you, Patrick played for the 2024 Detroit Lions, who scored a league-high 564 points. When the quote was relayed to Garrett Wilson, the Jets' top receiver didn't flinch.
"He's been on high-powered offenses ... so he's got a great grasp of what it looks like," Wilson said. "So it's definitely high praise coming from him. When I hear that, it's like, 'All right, now we have to back that up.'"
4. Did you know? Since the merger in 1970, only three Jets quarterbacks have recorded at least two regular-season wins against the Patriots -- Vinny Testaverde (three), Chad Pennington (two) and Mark Sanchez (two). Geno Smith can join the group. He was on the winning side as a rookie in 2013.
5. The more you can do ... Will McDonald IV is a former first-round pick who has gone from every-down player to situational pass rusher. It has resulted in a fairly significant drop in playing time, but he's picking up snaps on special teams. In fact, he's on the kickoff coverage unit for the first time since his rookie year in 2023.
It started two weeks ago, and he responded nicely last week, with two tackles against the Browns. McDonald received praise from Glenn, who noted that McDonald wanted to be part of special teams. They also had an opening when edge defender Braiden McGregor went down because of a season-ending pectoral injury.
McDonald was also deployed last week as a spy on Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson. It wouldn't be a surprise if the Jets use him the same way against the Patriots' Drake Maye. McDonald has a unique skill set, and the Jets are finding ways to utilize it.
6. A player to watch: Rookie defensive tackle Darrell Jackson Jr. has received a gradual increase in his playing time, and that figures to continue after a four-tackle, one-sack performance last week -- easily his best game. He's part of a four-man interior rotation, along with T'Vondre Sweat, Harrison Phillips and Jowon Briggs.
7. Talkin' about practice: For the second week in a row, Glenn held a walk-through practice Wednesday, not a full practice. It was understandable last week, coming off an 89-play outing by the defense. But why again?
Glenn didn't elaborate, saying only that it was best for the team. The players appreciate the walk-throughs because they reduce the wear and tear on their bodies while allowing them to focus on mental preparation. One player estimated that they run twice as many plays in a walk-through as regular practice, just without pads.
Old-school coaches like to practice in pads because they believe it sharpens fundamentals, especially for linemen, while maintaining a physical mindset. Glenn has embraced new-school approaches, incorporating player feedback into his decisions. The players say it builds trust.
It works nicely ... as long as they perform on Sundays.
8. The Brownlee blitz: Nickel back Jarvis Brownlee Jr. probably won't challenge Bailey for the team sack lead, but he's making some noise as a blitzer. He has already rushed 21 times, double his total from his first two seasons (including 19 games with the Tennessee Titans).
"I actually enjoy it, I really enjoy it," Brownless said. "It just gives me confidence and shows that A.G. and the guys upstairs believe in my abilities and what I can do."
Brownlee's slot blitz backfired in Week 3, as the Lions' Jahmyr Gibbs slipped out of the backfield for a game-winning touchdown reception. Overall, Brownlee has two quarterback hits, including one sack.
9. Hello, friend: Another week, another popular former Jet on the schedule.
Last week, it was Browns linebacker Quincy Williams, who wreaked havoc with three forced fumbles. This time, it's guard Alijah Vera-Tucker, who, like Williams, left via free agency last offseason.
The Jets, concerned about Vera-Tucker's extensive injury history, didn't make a strong bid to retain him. The feeling apparently was mutual, as he noted a desire to get a fresh start. He wound up signing a three-year, $42 million contract in New England, where he hasn't missed a snap in five games -- the only Patriots offensive player to do so.
10. The last word: Thursday marked the 10th anniversary of Dennis Byrd's tragic death. The former Jets defensive lineman, whose career was cut short when he suffered a broken neck on the field in 1992, causing temporary paralysis and a lifetime of impaired walking. He died Oct. 15, 2016, in a two-car accident in Oklahoma at the age of 50.
One of Byrd's last public appearances was at Gillette Stadium for the 2010 AFC divisional playoff game. The night before, he gave a motivational speech to the Jets, who lauded his inspirational message. After upsetting the Patriots, linebacker Bart Scott said, "For him to be walking today is a miracle. How can you not listen to a miracle?"