Woody Johnson did not mince words when he openly criticized Justin Fields for causing the New York Jets’ offensive struggles this season.
Offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand has a better idea.
Blame him.
Speaking to reporters before Thursday’s practice, Engstrand acknowledged that the Jets’ offense had failed to score a touchdown in each of the last two games, losses to the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos.
FILM BREAKDOWN: Is Tanner Engstrand to blame for Jets' offensive issues?Despite the glaring production issues, a quarterback controversy, and an 0-7 record, Engstrand believes there’s room for optimism as the season progresses—the kind that can build a foundation for future years.
Engstrand takes ownership
After two straight games without scoring a touchdown and six straight games without scoring one in the first half, New York’s offense needed a spark. They benched Fields for veteran signal-caller Tyrod Taylor in the hope of finding that very spark.
For a play-caller like Engstrand, changing quarterbacks may have been up to head coach Aaron Glenn, but it highlights what Engstrand was unable to do: prepare Fields to succeed in the first place.
“I’m disappointed for our team, that we’re sitting here at 0-7, not just individually for Justin,” Engstrand said. “I’m disappointed that I haven’t been able to help deliver wins on a consistent basis for the team.
“It’s about the unit and the team and us finding ways to get better and improve. We’re working on a daily basis, myself included.”
Inconsistency has always been an issue for Fields throughout his career. Since he was a first-round pick out of Ohio State, the 26-year-old has shown moments of brilliance, but many more of pure frustration.
When the Jets signed Fields as a free agent during the 2025 offseason, Glenn pushed the notion that they were going to “let him play quarterback,” and that the team had a plan to put him in a better spot than his previous teams.
Through seven games, though, that clearly was not the case, although it isn’t all the coaching staff’s fault.
In six starts, Fields has completed 63.7% of his passes for just 845 yards and four touchdowns. While he has yet to throw an interception, he has had three games in which he failed to throw for 100 yards. Indecisiveness in the pocket, holding onto the ball too long, and poor decision-making have been common themes surrounding Fields in Florham Park.
Engstrand believes there were things he could’ve done better to help his signal-caller. Now, the Jets are left picking up the pieces and looking for any positive spark, even if that means making a full-time change at quarterback.
Room for Jets’ positivity
Despite the poor numbers and production, Engstrand remains confident that the team can fix its current misery, at least on the offensive end.
“My confidence is at an all-time high,” he said. “I have total confidence in the offense, the attitude they put forth…I have the utmost confidence we can turn this thing around.”
The Jets are still at a disadvantage offensively. Outside of potentially making a quarterback change, Garrett Wilson remains day-to-day with a knee injury that caused him to miss last week’s contest. Tyrod Taylor, meanwhile, is working through a knee injury of his own that left him as a limited participant in Wednesday’s practice.
Through all those concerns, though, Engstrand believes he can get the offense going again. How that gets accomplished remains to be seen, but the former Lions passing game coordinator has a pretty obvious idea:
Finishing.
“We need to finish the drives at the beginning of the opening script,” Engstrand said. “We’ve gotten down there and kicked field goals. I believe it’s four games where we’d like to finish with field goals there. That’s just on us continuing to be detailed with our craft, and then continue that consistency through the second quarter, into the third quarter.”
Changes have come for the Jets’ offense. Engstrand, ever the optimist, believes the unit is close to finally figuring things out.
