There are no moral victories in the NFL.
The Jets suffered a disappointing 34-32 loss to the Steelers and Aaron Rodgers in the season opener.
However, Justin Fields says there are a few positive takeaways the Jets could potentially build on.
“I think we played well, I think we ran the ball well,” Fields said after the game. “Offensive line did a great job. We only had one sack and that was in the red zone.
“I think as a team, I think we were keeping each other in the fight. That one turnover, they scored, but we came back and didn’t let that phase us. A lot of fight from our team and I don’t think a lot of people expected us to come out like that.
“Like you said, no moral victories. At the end of the day, we lost and we gotta get better and that’s what we are going to do this week.”
What did Fields mean when he said he didn’t think “a lot of people” expected the Jets to come out like that?
“I’m just calling it for what it is,” Fields said. “They acquired all these guys during the offseason, future Hall of Famers on that side of the ball and we put up 32 and there were still plays that were left out there. So, like I said, all we have to do is keep building and keep getting better.”
Not a lot of people gave the Jets a chance to win this game, which is probably what Fields was alluding to. The Jets haven’t made the playoffs since 2010 and are coming off a disappointing 5-12 season. But that was with Aaron Rodgers under center and an entirely different coaching staff.
On Sunday, the Jets looked more like a team that is not rebuilding, but one that has a chance to compete in the AFC with how potent their offense was with Fields under center.
Fields was terrific in his Jets debut after he completed 16-of-22 passes for 218 yards and a touchdown pass. He also rushed for 48 yards and two touchdowns in the loss.
His chemistry with Garrett Wilson was also undeniable after the two hooked up for seven catches for 95 yards and a touchdown. The two looked very much like they were back to their days at Ohio State, where they had been teammates for two seasons.
“That boy is a dog,” Wilson said about Fields. “That’s the man I know. He came out and put everything on the field every time, every play.
“He doesn’t give up on anything, and I know stuff like that is inspiring to the dudes on the field with him and probably to the dudes who are watching. It felt good to be back out there with Justin.”
The Jets signed Fields to a two-year, $40 million contract during the offseason after they officially released Rodgers in March. Shortly after he signed, Glenn said the plan was to let Fields play quarterback and not just utilize his legs. Jets offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand indeed let Fields use his passing ability to make plays down the field.
Fields’ passing numbers won’t jump off the page after he threw for fewer yards than Rodgers, who completed 22-of-30 passes for 244 yards and four touchdowns in the victory. But Fields did an excellent job of taking what the defense gave him.
During his four seasons with the Bears and Steelers, Fields had a completion percentage of 61.1%, which was below the league average from last season (65.3%). But he completed 72.7% of his passes, and he was cool, calm, and collected in the pocket.
Unlike the preseason and training camp, when Fields was uneven at times, he wasn’t hesitant to deliver the ball down the field to Wilson and other Jets targets. He averaged 9.9 yards per passing attempt, which was more than Rodgers on Sunday (8.8).
Fields also hurt the Steelers’ defense with his legs by evading sacks and extending plays to give his receivers a chance to make plays down the field.
“I thought he did an outstanding job, outstanding,” Jets coach Aaron Glenn said about Fields. “Again, I want to go back and look at the tape, but just from the naked eye, I thought he did a good job.”
The Jets’ defense surprisingly was the unit that was subpar against the Steelers. They allowed 271 total yards and Rodgers picked them apart when it counted.
Rodgers threw two touchdowns within 50 seconds after Jets returner Xavier Gipson fumbled the ball on the team’s 22-yard line. That set up Rodgers’ 18-yard touchdown to Calvin Austin III, which gave the Steelers a 31-26 lead in the fourth quarter after they were down by as many as nine points in the third.
During the previous three seasons, the Jets had a top-three defense in the league. But they played nowhere close to that standard against the Steelers.
“We gave up too many points,” Glenn said. “Can’t do that.”
In addition to the defense not playing well, the Jets also committed seven penalties, which has been a point of emphasis with Glenn since he took the job. One of them was a flag on John Simpson after he was called for unnecessary roughness after he initially bumped into Jalen Ramsey after the play was over.
Ramsey hit Fields after he threw the ball on a 2nd and two at the Jets’ 41 with 19 seconds left. Because of the penalty, the Jets couldn’t add onto their 19-17 lead before halftime.
“I was just trying to protect my quarterback,” Simpson said after the game. “Like I said, it can’t happen and I’ve got to be better.”
