New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields produced yet another woeful outing as the Jets fell to 2-8 on the season via a 27-14 loss at the New England Patriots (9-2) on Thursday night.
As has been the case throughout the fall, first-year Jets head coach Aaron Glenn defended Fields while speaking with reporters after the defeat.
“There were some good things, really good things,” Glenn said when asked how he felt Fields played at Gillette Stadium, per the Patriots’ website. “I thought he put some balls out there. We got to have some guys that make some plays for him, too. I know for a fact he’s going to say there are some things he can do better. We have to watch the tape, but I thought there were some good things he did out there.”
Glenn was right, as Fields did acknowledge he was “not good enough” after he completed 15-of-26 passes for 116 yards and a touchdown versus New England. Fields also led the Jets with 67 rushing yards, and he tallied a score on the ground.
As Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk noted, though, Fields was sacked twice for 11 yards. That dropped his net yardage for the evening to 105.
As Matt Clapp shared for Awful Announcing, former player and current NFL analyst Willie Colon ripped Glenn during the Jets’ postgame show on SNY for not turning to backup signal-caller Tyrod Taylor when Gang Green entered halftime of Thursday’s matchup down by just seven points (14-7).
“Justin Fields is not an NFL quarterback,” Colon said. “Let’s be honest. …And you can’t sit here and tell your team before games, I want them to rally, I want them to give you all they got, when you’re not giving your team everything they need to be successful.”
Previous reports suggested Glenn would give Taylor a shot if Fields’ passing struggles continued on Thursday evening. Without directly saying so, Glenn indicated during his postgame comments that he never considered going down that road.
“I’m sure there are some things Justin is going to say, ‘I could have done better, could have made some plays,'” Glenn explained. “Then again, there are some plays out there our guys got to make for him also, and you’ll be able to see that as you go back and watch the tape. …I thought he had some really good throws. We just got to finish those.”
It’s unclear if Fields or Taylor will start when the Jets face the Baltimore Ravens on Nov. 23. 4-5 Baltimore plays at the Cleveland Browns (2-7) this coming Sunday.
Anxiety isn’t a topic that hits many airwaves when it comes to the NFL. For New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave, it was a piece of the gridiron puzzle that was on his mind heavily during the team’s Week 10 matchup at the Carolina Panthers. Last season, Olave suffered a season-ending concussion in Carolina during their Week 9 game. It was an incredibly scary moment for him as a player and a person.
After the emotional victory, Olave opened up about how difficult it was to be in the same place where his season ended during last campaign. It was something he had to consider before ever playing a snap, but he overcame all of those tough memories to help the Saints get their second win of the season.
You can tell that the playmaking pass catcher values the opportunity to dawn the black and gold an incredible amount. If he didn’t, there would be no sense in risking another concussion or major injury down the road. Olave can definitely rejoice in the fact that he overcame plenty of negative thoughts and emotions to come through with one of the best games of his pro career in Carolina.
With his five receptions for 104 receiving yards vs. Carolina, Olave now has 251 career receptions. He became the 15th Saint all-time with 250+ catches in franchise history. He also caught an important touchdown against the Panthers as well.
Past all of the stats and production, or even the win for his team, it is fantastic to see him back on the field and healthy. Scary moment like concussions can alter a career and a life. Saints fans should truly appreciate how committed he is to the city and the franchise.