The Jets and Panthers will forever be intertwined.
On Oct. 15, 1995, Carolina defeated Gang Green 26-15 for its first win in franchise history.
It’s not a classic NFL rivalry, but the Panthers (5-3 lifetime against the Jets) would be more than happy to come to MetLife Stadium on Sunday afternoon and hand Aaron Glenn’s squad more misery. The Jets come into the Week 7 clash as the only team left without a win. The Panthers (3-3) have yet to win on the road. Something has to give.
The Jets’ latest debacle came last week in London against the Broncos, where they couldn’t find the end zone even when they had excellent starting field position. Despite that, the Jets had a chance to win the game late, but quarterback Justin Fields was sacked for the ninth time and the Broncos held on for the 13-11 victory.
After completing just 9-of-17 passes for 45 yards against the Broncos, Glenn wants to see one thing from Fields this week against the Panthers.
“Consistency, for the most part, and the ability to continue to improve,” Glenn said. “And I’ve said that to him and he’s said that to you guys, and that’s a lot of our guys, you know, on this team.
“It’s every week we’re trying to improve. We know exactly where we’re at and we’re not accepting being 0-6 at all, you know, so we know from myself as a coach, from the players that go out there and play, we all have to improve, and that’s a part of what we’re doing.”
Fields has been under more pressure because of his ineptitude this season. Strictly judging by his numbers, Fields isn’t playing poorly. He has thrown for 799 yards and four touchdowns in five games (missed Week 3 due to a concussion). He has also rushed for 235 yards and three touchdowns. However, Fields has been passive and hesitant to throw the ball downfield. His play has handcuffed the Jets offense as they can’t get anything going in the passing game.
Because of Fields’ tendency to try and be extra careful with the ball, the Broncos sacked him over and over again, with a majority of them coming as he simply held onto the ball too long in the pocket. The Jets finished with minus-10 net passing yards, which was a franchise low and the fewest in the league since the Chargers in 1998.
During his first three seasons with the Bears, Fields tossed a total of 30 interceptions. That is likely why he is being so careful with the football during his first season with the Jets.
However, the lack of interceptions hasn’t helped the Jets win games this season. In addition to their 0-6 record, the Jets are 28th in yards (279.8) and 25th in points scored per game (20.5).
If Fields doesn’t turn it around, the Jets could be forced to turn to backup Tyrod Taylor.
“I just try to focus on me,” Fields said about a possible quarterback change. “It’s happened before and I’ve looked back over my shoulder before, but that doesn’t do any good for me personally and it doesn’t do anything good for this team. So, like I said, I’m just going to focus on me and continue to get better each and every day.”
The heat hasn’t just been on Fields this week. It has also been on Glenn for the Jets’ start.
It is difficult to imagine Glenn being on the hot seat after just six games. No matter what happens this season, Glenn isn’t expected to be fired. He envisions transforming the Jets into contenders, much like Dan Campbell and he did with the Lions after a difficult first season in Detroit in 2021 (3-13-1).
The Jets are 0-6 for just the third time in franchise history and Glenn is the first coach in franchise history to begin his tenure with six straight losses. Many fans have expressed their anger because of Glenn’s baffling decisions, including last week in London.
The Jets had an opportunity for points before halftime, but Glenn decided it was best to let the final 30 seconds run off the clock and take a 10-6 deficit into halftime. Glenn was also criticized for not benching Fields and putting in Taylor when the Jets still had a chance to defeat the Broncos.
Although Glenn rebuked a reporter who asked if Fields would start against the Panthers, he later said that the fifth-year quarterback took a step back and has to play better.
“I loved exactly what he said,” Jets offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand said about Fields. “He said, ‘I can be more aggressive, but aggressive doesn’t mean reckless.’ And he’s exactly right.
“He can go ahead and push the ball down the field. He’s got confidence in his receivers that they’re going to go make a play, and I don’t have a problem whatsoever with him having that mindset going forward, saying, ‘Hey, I’m going to go on ahead and I’m going to just let this thing fly,’ and our guys are going to go make a play, absolutely.”
Scoring has been a challenge for the Jets this season, but it could prove to be even more difficult without their top receiver Garrett Wilson. He is listed as doubtful to play after injuring his knee against the Broncos.
Wilson suffered the injury on the next-to-last offensive possession of the game after he landed awkwardly following an incomplete pass. Currently, he is ninth in the league in receptions (36) and also has 395 yards and four touchdowns.
The Jets second leading receiver is Josh Reynolds, who has eight catches for 72 yards. Reynolds, Arian Smith, Allen Lazard and Tyler Johnson are the other receivers on the Jets’ roster. They could also choose to elevate Jamaal Pritchett, Brandon Smith, Trenton Irwin, Quentin Skinner or Isaiah Williams from the practice squad.
With Wilson out, the Jets could rely heavily on their rushing attack, along with using a lot of 12 personnel, which consists of one running back, two tight ends and two wide receivers.
“We stay the course,” Reynolds said. “We are going to miss G out there, but we can’t sit here and sulk on losing a guy even as valuable as G. We just gotta continue to push forward and move forward to get some wins.
“We got the right mindset on what we’re trying to accomplish. The results haven’t been what we wanted, but keep chopping and results will pay off.”
