It’s been a rough start to the Aaron Glenn tenure in New York.
The Jets are the lone winless team in the NFL entering Week 8. In Week 6, the team posted the worst performance by passing yards in franchise history with negative-10 net yards against the Denver Broncos. In Week 7, the team benched quarterback Justin Fields for Tyrod Taylor mid-game in a 13-6 loss to Carolina.
Jets owner Woody Johnson spoke about the offense’s struggles earlier this week and put some blame on Fields’ performance so far.
‘It’s hard when you have a quarterback with a rating that we’ve got,’ Johnson said. ‘He’s got the ability, but something is not jibing.’
But Fields isn’t disappointed about where the team is at through the first seven weeks of the season.
‘I’m at peace, brother,’ Fields said to reporters today. ‘When you’re really in tune with God, nothing can actually like… I’m not even going to speak to what I was about to say as an example, but literally everything around me can ‘be negative’ in terms of the world, but I promise you, there’s nothing in this world, there’s nothing that can faze me and that’s just due to my relationship with the Lord. It’s not on me.’
Fields explained that if he makes mistakes, he’s ‘sick to [his] stomach’ about it but takes a long view of the situation.
‘Everything happens for a reason,’ he said. ‘I’ve been through trials, I’ve been through tribulations… I’m not stressed whatsoever.
At the end of the day, I have my family, I’m healthy, I’m blessed. I get to play a sport for a great amount of money… it’s easy to get down and feel some type of way but look at the grand scheme of things. Somebody would love to be in this position right now, a lot of people would.’
Fields also address Johnson’s comments. He said he didn’t see them but knows he needs to play better and that the Jets owner is entitled to his opinion.
‘Of course, everybody knows I need to play better,’ he said. ‘We need to play better as a team. No matter how the offense does as a unit, I’m going to get the blame and I understand that. That’s just what comes with the job… There’s going to be times where you have to be the only one who believes in yourself. That’s his opinion.’
New York has the worst passing offense in the NFL by yards and the 27th-ranked scoring offense as a whole. Fields has the fewest passing yards (845) of any quarterback who has started at least six games this season.
‘I know y’all want me to say stuff here and there but it’s just like, that’s what it is,’ Fields said. ‘I know y’all are going to keep asking to get me to say something but like, I’m truly at peace… I’m cool.’
The Jets have opened the season with seven consecutive losses for the third time in franchise history. In 1996, the team went 0-8 before finally breaking through for a win over the Cardinals in Week 9. In 2020, the team went 0-13 before winning two straight in December.
New York heads on the road to face Cincinnati this week before the bye in Week 9.