Jets coach on key to Fields’ success: ‘We’re gonna let him play QB’

Sunday’s debut for New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields could not have gone much better. Against one of the stronger defenses in the league, Fields totaled three touchdowns and no turnovers while leading the Jets to nearly 400 yards of offense.

Despite losing 34-32 at the end of the day, Fields led a Jets offense that finished in the top five of most efficiency categories. It was a sign that the team may have finally found its franchise quarterback.

Compared to where Fields was at one point in his career, that alone is saying something.

Jets turning QB into true starter

The Jets are the third different team Fields has started for in the last three years. Along the way, he has struggled to find consistency from the pocket, instead becoming a scrambler of sorts.

Those struggles from the pocket are well-documented. Plenty of analysts felt that Fields was being given his last chance to show he could become a starter in the NFL.

Sunday seemed like the first time the former Ohio State star proved he belonged.

Why? Much of his damage came from the pocket.

Whether it was a beautiful 33-yard touchdown throw to Garrett Wilson or a go-ahead touchdown drive aided by clutch throws down the field, Fields showed the kind of awareness in the pocket that fans of the quarterback had been hoping for over the last few years.

One of those fans was Jets head coach Aaron Glenn.

During the offseason, Glenn made it clear that the organization wanted to build an offense around the quarterback’s strengths, while also allowing Fields to grow on his own.

The results from Week 1 were obviously off the charts.

“I’ve said it from the very beginning, that we’re gonna let him play quarterback, we’re gonna see the things that he likes and we’re also gonna progress with the things that he’s not good at so he can get better in that aspect,” Glenn said. “He is still a work in progress, we’re gonna continue to work with him, and I know just because of the type of person that he is and he’s always been, he’s gonna do everything he can to perfect that. I look forward to seeing how he matures through this season.”

One of the clearest examples of Fields changing as a quarterback came on the final offensive play of the game for the Jets. Facing a must-have fourth down, Fields scrambled up in the pocket, but instead of running for a first, he tried to fit a pass into Wilson.

The pass was on target, but a hit by Jalen Ramsey forced the ball loose.

In years past, Fields may have taken off to run. Now, though, he is trusting his arm. It’s a development that many of the great running quarterbacks went through.

Perhaps Fields is truly turning over a new leaf. Can he continue playing the way he did on Sunday, growing into a good starting quarterback?

He’s certainly always had the intangibles to be one.

The mark of a good quarterback is to never be satisfied, even after a big game. That is precisely what Fields showed on Wednesday following practice. The veteran signal-caller made it clear that he had things to fix in his own game.

“There’s a lot of stuff we can improve on,” Fields said. “Like I said after the game, there were some plays that you want back, always.”

No one knows if Fields can build off his success from Week 1. New York, though, was the only team that believed in him during the offseason. They remain fully committed to the belief that he can lead them to wins moving forward.