Justin Fields mostly fulfilled his role during his debut with the Jets.
He was nearly flawless—at least until it all came down to the wire.
Following a narrow 34-32 loss to the Steelers at MetLife Stadium on Sunday afternoon, he expressed disappointment in his teammates.
Fields seemed comfortable in the pocket, completing 16 of 22 passes for 218 yards and a touchdown. He also demonstrated his agility, rushing for 48 yards and scoring two touchdowns.
Despite earlier concerns over the Jets’ offense and passing game this summer, Fields’ performance offered a positive start.
“I don’t think many expected us to play like this,” Fields remarked. “The Steelers’ defense is formidable, especially with players headed for the Hall of Fame. We managed to put up 32 points, but there’s more work to be done. We just need to keep building on this.”
The Jets clearly aimed to leverage his mobility in their offensive strategy.
With the Jets trailing 31-26 and just over a minute left, Fields evaded a pass rush, scrambling for nine yards to the 1-yard line. Then, on fourth down, he executed a play-action bootleg, breaking into the end zone and giving the Jets a brief 32-31 lead with just over seven minutes remaining, although they failed on the subsequent two-point conversion.
That lead was short-lived, as the defense couldn’t hold the Steelers off.
Coach Aaron Glenn praised Fields, saying, “He did an outstanding job and really impressed with how he handled himself on the field.”
One of Fields’ most questionable choices came during the crucial final drive.
With 25 seconds on the clock, he threw a pass to Garrett Wilson, who was hit hard. Wilson was unable to make the catch that could have helped secure a first down, leaving the Jets in a tough spot with limited time and a single timeout.
In the final two drives, the Jets netted just 12 yards.
Reflecting on that play, Fields said, “I could’ve probably run for the first down, but I opted to throw it to Garrett. At the end of the day, he was open.”
Fields’ 16 completions included several to Wilson, his former college teammate at Ohio State. Wilson ended up with 95 yards and a touchdown, highlighted by a perfectly thrown 33-yard pass early in the game.
“That boy was a dog,” Wilson commented. “He gives it his all every play. His determination inspires not just the players on the field but also the fans watching.”
While Fields noted that there are no moral victories, he certainly provided reasons for hope for the season ahead.
