Justin Fields had his greatest sport of the season within the Jets victory over the Bengals.
However that doesn’t essentially imply he’ll proceed because the workforce’s beginning quarterback.
Regardless of serving to lead the Jets to their first victory of the 12 months, Jets coach Aaron Glenn declined to decide to Fields because the workforce’s beginning quarterback of their subsequent sport following the bye towards the Browns on Nov. 9.
“I feel you realize what my reply’s going to be on that, Glenn stated. “You recognize, it is a bye week and we’re going to deal with us.
“I’ve time to make that call, and that’s one of many good issues of the bye week. However severely, this provides us an opportunity to essentially simply hone in on the great, unhealthy, and ugly, and attempt to get these issues labored out as a result of we all know we’ve a methods to go.”
Glenn might be simply taking part in video games as soon as once more relating to the quarterback state of affairs. Earlier than he was named the beginning quarterback on Saturday, Glenn was weighing who would begin towards the Bengals. Glenn declined to title a starter publicly, citing he didn’t need to give the Bengals a “aggressive benefit.”
Fields was benched at halftime within the loss to the Panthers in Week 7, and he was unsure if he can be behind middle towards Cincinnati. Glenn was rumored to be leaning in direction of beginning backup Tyrod Taylor after he break up apply reps with Fields final week. However these plans got here to a screeching halt after Taylor was dominated out due to his knee damage, and he was dominated out on Saturday after not touring with the workforce.
“We bought to the tip of the week, and speaking to Tyrod, he simply wasn’t snug,” Glenn stated on Sunday. “As a substitute of making an attempt to power something between each guys, [we said], ‘Hear, Tyrod, you’re out. Justin, you’re going to play,’ and that was it.”
Sticking with Fields paid off for Glenn after the quarterback endured a tumultuous week following his benching and being blamed by Jets proprietor Woody Johnson for the workforce’s 0-7 begin. Johnson stated to reporters on the NFL Fall Conferences final week, “If we will simply full a cross, it could be nice.”
Fields accomplished a number of passes towards the Bengals after ending 21-for-32 passes for 244 yards and a landing cross. The Jets offense additionally registered a season excessive in factors (38) and yards (502) after getting back from a 15-point deficit within the third quarter to win late within the fourth quarter after Breece Corridor‘s game-winning halfback possibility cross to Mason Taylor with 1:54 remaining.
The Bengals’ protection was the right get-right sport for Fields following a string of poor passing performances. Cincinnati ranks lifeless final in yards (407.9) and factors allowed (31.6).
“Perseverance, grit, loads of the issues AG needs to see within the gamers that he introduced right here,” Jets defensive sort out Harrison Phillips stated about Fields. “I used to be capable of have a little bit heart-to-heart with him within the sauna this week. I used to be so impressed with how mature he was.
“You’ll be able to inform it weighed on him, however it didn’t waver his religion in himself and what he believes he can do for this workforce. Then, to go put up a 500-yard efficiency, I don’t know the final time an offense on this group has completed that. Again towards the wall and that’s what you do, that’s any individual I need to play with. And there’s a purpose there’s a C on his chest, and I used to chase him round within the NFC, and I’m undoubtedly grateful he’s main our guys right here.”
Not like his earlier six begins, Fields was decisive and correct. He additionally bought the ball out of the pocket with precision and wasn’t sacked as soon as by Bengals defenders. Earlier than Sunday, Fields was sacked 15 occasions in his earlier two begins towards the Broncos and Panthers.
Main as much as the sport towards the Bengals, Fields dismissed Johnson’s criticism. Following the win towards Cincinnati, Fields was emotional after saying that at one level, main as much as the sport, he was in his closet at his home, on the bottom, crying.
However Fields says he tries to remove outdoors distractions, even when they arrive from the Jets’ proprietor.
“I get that he’s the proprietor of the workforce, however that’s outdoors noise,” Fields stated. “The largest factor was my teammates nonetheless believing in me, my coaches nonetheless believing in me, and God.”
Now, Fields should maintain placing up constant performances to show he ought to stay the Jets’ beginning quarterback. After the bye, the Jets will face a Browns protection that’s among the many stingiest within the NFL. Cleveland is third in yards allowed (276.9), and its unit is led by Myles Garrett, who sacked Patriots quarterback Drake Maye 5 occasions on Sunday.
The Jets will then play at New England on a brief week towards a protection that additionally ranks eighth in yards (300.4) and fourth in factors allowed (18.3).
“I want we have been taking part in subsequent [week], however I do really feel like it is a good time for us,” Glenn stated. “As a result of now, man, our focus, once more because it’s at all times been, it’s been on us and, man, among the issues that we simply want to wash up. We’re going to return and we’re going to self-scout so far as coaches and we’re going to speak to the gamers about issues, in regards to the good, unhealthy, the ugly, and the options, additionally, for us shifting ahead.
“There’s a very good and a foul to it. Clearly, after you get a win you need to proceed going, however I additionally know that, man, there’s some issues that we’ve to replicate on and attempt to proceed to repair, and perceive, man there’s a basis that we’re making an attempt to create and that’s an ongoing course of. Despite the fact that the file’s not the place it needs to be, we be ok with the muse that we’re making an attempt to set, so we could be a workforce that’s going to win repeatedly.”
