EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The New York Jets were defeated by their old quarterback, which had to sting, but they came out of Sunday with a good feeling about their current one.
In his Jets debut, Justin Fields delivered one of the most efficient days of his career, completing 16 of 22 passes for 218 yards and a touchdown in a 34-32 loss to Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers at MetLife Stadium.
Fields also did something that Jets quarterbacks rarely do: He rushed for a touchdown. Two touchdowns, actually -- becoming only the third player in Jets history to rush for two touchdowns and throw for one in the same game. The others: Quarterbacks Mark Sanchez (2011) and Josh McCown (2017).
Afterward, Fields was downcast after losing to his previous team, but he managed a subtle flex, noting how the offense outperformed outside expectations.
"I don't think a lot of people expected us to come out like that," he said.
Elaborating, Fields added, "[The Steelers] acquired all these guys this offseason, future Hall of Famers on that side of the ball, and we put up 32 and there were still plays that were left out there.
"All we have to do is keep building, keep getting better and we'll be good."
With Rodgers returning to MetLife, Fields was perceived as the other quarterback in the game. Still, he was under heavy scrutiny, trying to resurrect his career and hoping to spark a franchise under new leadership. He was first-year coach Aaron Glenn's personal choice to replace Rodgers, who was released in February.
"He did an outstanding job," Glenn said of Fields. "Outstanding."
In his first game, Fields did what it took Rodgers 14 games to do last season -- hit the 32-point mark. Led by Breece Hall's 107-yard rushing day and Garrett Wilson's 95 receiving yards, the Jets produced 394 yards in total offense.
Fields orchestrated four touchdown drives, starting with a 33-yard scoring strike to Wilson -- his old Ohio State teammate. It was his only deep pass of the day. Everything else was under 20 yards in the air.
Still, it was a positive step for Fields, who has struggled with accuracy throughout his career. His completion rate (72.7%) was the seventh highest in 45 career starts and his passer rating (119.1) was fifth best.
"Yeah, man, that boy is a dog," Wilson said. "That's the man I know. He comes out and puts everything on the field on every play. He doesn't give up on any play. He doesn't give up on anything.
"I know that stuff is inspiring to the dudes out there with him and probably to the dudes watching. It felt good to be back out there with Justin and to know he's got my back, and I got his. That's the mindset, the relationship that we're going to take into every week."
Fields used his exceptional mobility to escape pressure (one sack), and he scored on two keepers, including a 1-yard naked bootleg that wasn't in their game plan. He said offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand told him during a timeout to just run the play, figuring it would work. The Jets were one of only four teams last season that had no rushing touchdowns by a quarterback.
For three-plus quarters, it looked like Fields would beat Rodgers in their highly anticipated showdown, but the Jets blew a nine-point lead at the start of the fourth quarter. The killer play was a fumble by Xavier Gipson on a kickoff return, which set up a Pittsburgh touchdown. The Steelers also scored on a 60-yard field goal by Chris Boswell, while Fields & Co. came up empty on their final two drives.
The Jets got the ball at their 31 with 56 seconds left, down by two, but they went four and out. There were pass-protection issues on the final drive, with Hall saying there were miscommunications between the backs and offensive line. The final pass was to Wilson, who couldn't hang on due to a big hit by Jalen Ramsey. Wilson said he should've made the catch.
It was a heartbreaking loss for the Jets, who lost a franchise-record six games last season after leading in the fourth quarter, but they took solace in Fields' surprising performance.
"Yeah, he brings a sense of calm," Hall said. "He never gets too high, never gets too low. I'm hurting for him. Obviously, you never want to lose to your old team or whatever, but I think he commanded the offense, had control of the offense and he was a great leader for us today."
