New York Jets coach Aaron Glenn resumed team drills on Tuesday, joining cornerback Sauce Gardner, defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, and edge rusher Jermaine Johnson. The trio’s return is a promising sign for the Jets organizationally, with all three having plenty to prove ahead of the 2024 season. In particular, quarterback Justin Fields has been the talk of the town. This has led to intense debates over the team’s offensive approach and playmaking potential.
After receiving a kick to his lower right leg during practice, Gardner immediately experienced pain in that area. A trainer immediately ran in to help him. Despite this small bump in the road, Gardner has remained an integral piece of the Jets’ dominant defense. At the same time, all attention turned to Fields as, coming into this game, he was under fire for not attempting any deep passes in his last few outings.
“Of course you want explosives, but like I said Saturday, we’re not going to force the ball downfield,” – Justin Fields.
Glenn backed up this optimism, stating that sustaining drives and being able to finish those drives with good plays made the difference.
“If they want to get depth on the second level, we’re fine with taking the 8-, 10-yard completion, taking time off the clock and just driving down the field and having 10-to-15-play drives,” – Aaron Glenn.
A 61% career completion rate for Fields is indicative of a checkered past as a passer. Analysts lament the fact that the Jets have no playmaking pass catchers outside of Garrett Wilson. This lack of depth might limit their explosive potential as they enter the fall.
After his lousy game with the New York Giants, the pressure under Fields grew greatly. It became increasingly difficult for him to find his rhythm and consistency throughout the game. Glenn has mentioned that he will be resting a number of starters, including Fields, in preparation for their quarterfinal matchup.
“Everyone wants to talk about a small amount of plays these guys get to go out there and play,” said Glenn, defending his team’s current approach. His comments really highlight the predicament coaches are in trying to find the right balance between player development and performance in the preseason games.
This increasingly dire situation of the state of journalism hasn’t slipped under the radar of some media personalities. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith went at Dan Orlovsky the other day for his advice on what Fields should do in order to take the Jets to the promised land this year. That puts even more pressure on the young quarterback.
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