If you wanted to know about the mental toughness of Jets quarterback Justin Fields, his first game with the team on Sunday against the Steelers was always going to be a good place to start – mostly because it was such a tough spot for Fields to begin his Jets career.
It was an emotionally charged game for the 26-year-old, because not only was Fields going up against his most recent former team in the Steelers. He was going up against a team that hadn’t believed in him a year ago, when he started the season with a 4-2 record for Pittsburgh, but was replaced by Russell Wilson once he got healthy – and he remained on the bench even as Wilson led the Steelers to five straight losses to end the season in the first round of the playoffs.
And Fields’ revenge game came in an even tougher spot because it was overshadowed by the fact that future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers was playing his own revenge game for his new team, the Steelers, after his old team unceremoniously dumped him earlier this year.
And if that uncomfortable comparison wasn’t enough, Fields was also making his Jets debut after a training camp in which his ability as a passer was consistently doubted as he struggled to produce consistent results in training camp and his two preseason games.
The point is, there was a lot of noise for Fields when he ran out of the tunnel in MetLife Stadium on Sunday afternoon. It would have been easy to second guess himself, to play like a guy who didn’t want to make mistakes as he embarked on likely his last chance to prove himself as an NFL starting quarterback after five up-and-down seasons to start his career.
Instead, he had arguably the best debut for a Jets starting quarterback in the last 25 years. And though it wasn’t enough Jets for the Jets to beat the Steelers in Week 1 – they lost 34-32 on a gut punch of a 60-yard field goal in the final minute – Fields showed his teammates and everyone else exactly what he was made of with an almost flawless performance, completing 16-of-22 passes for 218 yards and a touchdown, and adding 12 carries for 48 yards and two more touchdowns.
“I’m hurt for him,” Jets running back Breece Hall said of Fields. “ because, obviously, you never want to lose to your old team. But I think he commanded the offense, had control of the offense and he was a great leader for us today.”
The most encouraging part wasn’t even the stat line. It was a drive midway through the fourth quarter that should have been good enough to win the game. The Jets had just imploded in the opening moments of the final quarter, watching their nine-point lead evaporate in the span of less then a minute – all with the offense watching from the sideline.
That would have been game over for last year’s Jets. In fact, a similar meltdown late in the third quarter in Pittsburgh last October ended in a lopsided Jets loss. But Fields immediately led the Jets down the field on a 12-play, 67-yard touchdown drive – that included a 13-yard strike to Josh Reynolds and a 20-yard pass to rookie tight end Mason Taylor. And Fields capped it with a memorable touchdown run, sold so well by the rest of the offense that he was able to walk into the end zone to restore the lead to the Jets.
“I thought he did an outstanding job,” Jets coach Aaron Glenn said.
“That boy is a dog,” wide receiver Garrett Wilson said of his former Ohio State teammate, after catching Fields’ first Jets touchdown pass in the first quarter. “That’s the man I know. He comes out and puts everything on the field every time, every play. He doesn’t give up on any play, he doesn’t give up on anything. I know that stuff like that is inspiring to the dudes on the field with him and probably to the dudes watching.”
The most telling sequence of the afternoon came in the second quarter, when Fields got absolutely drilled by Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt after selling a play-action fake a little too well. For a moment, it was fair to wonder if Fields would stay in the game. But he picked himself up, got in the huddle, and on third-and-9 delivered a pinpoint pass in traffic to receiver Tyler Johnson for a 24-yard gain.
It was one of the many moments on Sunday that proved the Jets can win right now with Fields. And for a team that has said so often over the last few years it could have won if it had gotten more production from its offense, it makes it even harder to fathom that they could have won Sunday had they gotten better production from their defense.
Of course, there’s always the temptation to look to the future. Is Fields the right quarterback beyond 2026, when his contract expires? Or are they even better off cutting bait after this year, for a chance to draft a rookie in what is expected to be a top draft class? Sunday’s performance won’t quiet those questions, or those who will refuse to look past Fields toward the future.
But that shouldn’t be the conversation right now, because Sunday proved that they can have a good season if Fields keeps playing the way he did against the Steelers. The kind of season that could end their playoff drought – the longest active streak of futility in major North American pro sports – after 14 seasons. And considering how long Jets fans have waited to see good football, that’s the only thing that should matter right now.
Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription.
Andy Vasquez may be reached atavasquez@njadvancemedia.com.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.