Justin Fields plays like one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL… in one specific scenario.

For all of his faults as a passer, Fields is pretty darn effective when targeting his No. 1 wide receiver.

Seen below are Fields’ stats when targeting his team’s WR1 since 2022.

Justin Fields on pass attempts to Darnell Mooney in 2022, D.J. Moore in 2023, and George Pickens in 2024:

  • 138 for 207 (66.7%)
  • 1,965 yards (9.5 yards per attempt)
  • 10 touchdowns
  • 3 interceptions
  • 107.3 passer rating

For perspective, a 107.3 passer rating would have ranked fourth-best in the NFL last season, one spot behind Joe Burrow.

Fields is reliable when his favorite target is open. However, Fields crumbles if he is forced to look elsewhere.

Since 2022, here are Fields’ stats on all pass attempts that did not target the team’s WR1:

  • 387 for 642 (60.3%)
  • 3,945 yards (6.1 Y/A)
  • 28 TD
  • 18 INT
  • 80.8 rating

That’s a 26.5-point drop-off in Fields’ passer rating. For perspective, an 80.8 passer rating would have ranked 33rd out of 36 qualifiers in the 2024 season, right between Gardner Minshew and Jameis Winston. His 6.1 yards per attempt would have tied Daniel Jones for 35th.

When Fields targets his WR1, he looks like Joe Burrow. When he targets everyone else, he looks like Daniel Jones.

This is great news for Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson. New York’s fourth-year wideout could be in for a big season thanks to Fields’ efficiency when targeting No. 1 receivers. Add in the pair’s chemistry from their time together at Ohio State, and this connection is due for some explosive numbers.

Unfortunately, Fields’ splits are bad news for the Jets’ offense as a whole.

While it is great for New York that Fields projects as an ideal quarterback to unlock Wilson, the reality is that Wilson’s targets cannot carry the offense on their own. The majority of Fields’ passes will be thrown to other players. If Fields is playing like Daniel Jones on more than three quarters of his passes, the Jets will struggle to move the football.

This issue is exacerbated by the Jets’ lack of depth at wide receiver. Beyond Garrett Wilson, the Jets have one of the thinnest wide receiver units in the NFL. Their current projected WR2 is 30-year-old veteran Josh Reynolds, who has never reached 700 receiving yards in a season.

All of these issues blend together to create an easy game plan for opponents.

Knowing that Fields struggles past his first read and that the Jets do not have any intimidating threats beyond Wilson, opponents will be able to aggressively shade coverage toward Wilson to take him out of the game. This strategy usually comes at the cost of vacating holes in other parts of the defense, but the Jets may struggle to expose those holes.

If Fields and the Jets cannot punish teams for doubling Wilson, they won’t stop. Fields will be forced into throwing more passes to his supporting cast than he would like to. His strength (connecting with his WR1) would be minimized, and his weakness (using anyone else) would be put at the forefront.

It is imperative for Fields to improve at throwing the ball to the rest of his offense. If he fails to do so, it won’t just hurt the Jets’ offense as a whole, but it will also override his connection with Wilson.

Fields will not be able to pepper Wilson with targets if he is getting doubled. Showing teams that he can succeed when throwing to other players is the only way for Fields to ensure that Wilson remains single-covered, thus allowing him to fully tap into his excellence when targeting his best wide receiver.

Fields’ effectiveness beyond his WR1 is one of many critical variables in the 26-year-old quarterback’s development.