For the first time this season, New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields addressed reporters from the podium following Sunday’s victory.
The Jets engineered a stunning fourth-quarter comeback to beat the Cincinnati Bengals, 39-38, finally clinching their first victory of the 2025 season. They were the lone remaining NFL team without a win this year.
While Breece Hall’s pair of touchdown runs were crucial to the win, Fields’ efforts to keep the Jets competitive were essential in securing the victory.
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Jets fans and even the team’s owner have been critical of Fields throughout the season. Indeed, there was uncertainty whether Fields would even start on the road at Paycor Stadium on Sunday, as head coach Aaron Glenn kept his decision secret until Saturday.
After his redemption game, Fields admitted that the criticism and pressure to perform really affected him this week.
“I’m going to be very open here,” Fields told reporters, via Yahoo Sports. “This week, I found myself crying in my closet, lying on the floor. Not because of the difficulties, not because of the problems. I felt like I was made to handle those… Yesterday, I was just constantly praying, just for one win.”
JETS OWNER WOODY JOHNSON CRITIQUES JUSTIN FIELDS, DEFENDS AARON GLENN AMID THE TEAM’S UNDERWHELMING START
Jets owner Woody Johnson publicly criticized his quarterback’s performance during the NFL’s annual fall meeting.
“It’s difficult when you have a quarterback with our current rating,” Johnson told a group of reporters. “He has the talent, but something isn’t clicking. You’ll see similar outcomes across the league with any head coach and a quarterback like that.”
Fields clearly heard his employer’s comments, though he dismissed them as “outside noise at the end of the day.”
“I understand he owns the team, but that’s external distraction,” he added. “The most important thing was my teammates’ and coaches’ continued belief in me.”
While Fields earned his first win as a Jet, Glenn had been waiting for this feeling for seven weeks. The coach didn’t hold back, recognizing the Jets had the Bengals’ defense struggling and opted for two-point conversions on consecutive touchdown drives in the fourth quarter.
Without both being successful, we might still be discussing a Jets team without a win on Monday.
But that’s not the situation. Instead, the Jets are celebrating “Victory Monday” and aiming to build on their win as they enter their bye week. They will return to the field on Nov. 9 at home against the Cleveland Browns, another team facing challenges.
“It’s been emotionally and spiritually taxing for me,” Fields said. “When I was on the field, I was close to tears, not just because we won but because of God’s goodness. Considering everything I’ve experienced this past week, and everything we’ve gone through as a team these past seven weeks, there were many highs and lows, and I received tremendous support from my teammates, my brothers, my family, my friends, and I’m extremely grateful. Yesterday, I began praying intensely, simply for a win.”
Fields completed 21 of 32 passes for 244 yards with a touchdown pass to receiver Tyler Johnson before halftime. Hall contributed 133 rushing yards on 18 carries with his two touchdowns, and also threw a touchdown to rookie tight end Mason Taylor.
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