New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields turned in a dazzling debut with his new team despite Sunday’s 34-32 loss to his former team, the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The 26-year-old’s performance impressed first-year head coach Aaron Glenn, who believes Fields is only beginning to scratch the surface of his potential in New York.
“This is a step-by-step process, and we know that he [Fields] is not done with his progression as far as getting better, so the only thing that we are looking at is just continue to be efficient, continue to be yourself, and don’t let any outside noise distract you.”
The former No. 11 overall pick went 16-of-22 passing (72.2%) for 218 yards and a touchdown, while adding 48 rushing yards and two more touchdowns on 12 carries. He was sacked only once and steered the Jets to points on six of 10 possessions against the team that benched him after a 4-2 start last season.
Fields posted a 65.2% passing success rate, the best of any quarterback in Week 1, while his 9.22 net yards per pass attempt ranked second behind Lamar Jackson (9.24). The performance offered a reminder of the talent that made Fields a top-15 draft pick.
If Fields is ever to catch fire in the NFL, it will be in New York. Fields is backed by the strongest offensive line of his career, which gave him cushy pockets to work with against a stacked Steelers defense led by Cameron Heyward and T.J. Watt. More importantly, he is surrounded by an offensive system built to his strengths and a coaching staff that believes in him.
Despite the loss, Fields’ standout performance is one of several silver linings for the Jets.
