Justin Fields’s completion percentage and quarterback rating have steadily increased in each of his four professional seasons (over the prior year). Thus, the New York Jets quarterback is on the verge of breaking out as a true all-around player at the most crucial position in sports.
That surely could be argued without fierce pushback.
Drafted 11th in the 2021 NFL draft, the Chicago Bears could never quite figure out how to best utilize Fields. Three years later, the Ohio State man found himself in a challenging situation alongside Russell Wilson in neighboring Pittsburgh.
Therefore, what Aaron Glenn off-handedly alluded to this past spring is true: Fields will finally feel at home within the Tanner Engstrand offense, which is designed to get the very best out of the kid.
I suppose that could be argued. Perhaps. Well, maybe …
The reality of the situation should have smacked the Jets fanbase in the face when the Jets signed Fields in free agency. New York’s new regime took a much more foreign path than its fans are accustomed to.
Whereas Baltimore Ravens and Philadelphia Eagles fans are acutely aware of this adventurous path—littered with twists, burns, and smashmouth bully ball coupled with the perfect amount of quarterback elusiveness—fans of the Jets have yet to take it on the chin. The cold, hard truth is that most NFL franchises have yet to come to the realization that this game is played much differently today than anybody thinks.
It’s one thing to hear somebody say it, or even say it aloud yourself, but it’s another to firmly grasp just how wildly contrasting the Fields offense will be from the Aaron Rodgers version of last year.
Only those who firmly grasp this novel concept will be able to evaluate Justin Fields and the 2025 New York Jets offense truly.
It’s not as simple as, ‘This is a passing league’
As the headline so aptly reads, abandon all conventional wisdom.
Those who evaluate Justin Fields as if he should compare to the great pocket-passing quarterbacks in the league—Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, etc.—will fall flat on their faces. Not only are Glenn and Engstrand not looking for that from their quarterback, but they’re not even worried about it at this stage of the game.
By most accounts, not concerning oneself with the downfield passing attack would result in a one-dimensional offense. Naturally, Jets fans are familiar with this notion, as their most recent taste of playoff success featured a one-dimensional offense.
Rex Ryan’s vision was simple: Feature a physical and dominant defense in the game plan, complemented by a physical, ground-and-pound offense. For the most part, it worked—at least when Rex had the talent capable of turning his vision into an on-field reality.
Plus, these were the early days of the NFL passing evolution. The harsh rule changes akin to defensive back discrimination of the mid-to-late aughts (thanks, Bill Belichick and Peyton Manning) presented a brand-new world of NFL play. Quite suddenly, passing the ball became the norm, and teams that finished last in rushing could win championships (i.e., 2011 New York Giants).
Ok, so running the ball has devalued, which means passing the ball is in style.
If only it were that simple.
The Jets’ offense is not one-dimensional
While Johnny Unitas and Joe Namath significantly improved professional football’s forward-passing prowess, it wasn’t until the early 1970s that quarterbacks truly broke the mold. More specifically, the popular offensive norm was seeking big chunks downfield—to go along with a rushing attack, of course.
That idea plateaued about 7-8 years ago.
What began with the Miami Dolphins’ Wildcat, helped along by the read-option origins of Robert Griffin III, Colin Kaepernick, and Tim Tebow, ultimately morphed into what we have today: a game that borrows nearly every traditional collegiate principle throughout the decades.
No, Buddy Ryan would never allow Randall Cunningham to run a zone-read against the Giants; Lawrence Taylor would promptly send him to the hospital. These days, however, are drastically different, resulting in the short, designed-passing attack.
The lowest pass-per-completion number season in NFL history clocks in as a three-way tie:
- 2022: 10.9 yards per completion
- 2023: 10.9 yards per completion
- 2024: 10.9 yards per completion
These numbers are far from 2015’s 11.5 yards per completion, or 1973’s 12.6.
While Glenn’s tenure as Jets head coach will ultimately come down to his strategy chops and weekly game-planning, the idea that he chose Fields based on his legitimate feel for the modern league is a positive one.
He understands today’s league and is willing to hop on that evolution.
The New York Jets offense arrives at the 2025 party with two of three phases. The pocket-passing phase is missing, but in tow is the traditional rushing attack, which is complemented by the east-west rushing concepts, which allow for much more room between the tackles.
For those unaware, this is as contrasting as it gets to the Rex ground-and-pound design.
Potential second-phase example
The following film breakdown comes from the Jets’ Week 3 preseason loss to the Giants. It’s a second-and-8 situation with split backs, pony, and running back motion that starts the east-west edge threat party.
