Maybe things would have been different if he had won the game, but New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields didn’t really have trash talk for his former team after performing well against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1. But he also didn’t really mince words.
“I don’t think a lot of people expected us to come out like that,” said Fields after his Jets debut on Sunday.
When a reporter asked the quarterback to expand on that answer, Fields addressed how well he and his offense played against what’s supposed to be one of the best defenses in the league.
“I’m just calling it what it is,” Fields added, via Steelers Depot’s Alex Kozora. “They acquired all these guys in the offseason. Future Hall of Famers on that side of the ball, and we put up 32.”
The Steelers added cornerback Jalen Ramsey through a blockbuster trade with the Miami Dolphins on June 30. Pittsburgh’s other notable free agent defensive additions this offseason were cornerback Darius Slay and safety DeShon Elliott.
Slay and Elliott probably aren’t Hall of Famers. But edge rusher T.J. Watt and defensive lineman Cameron Heyward should one day be enshrined at Canton. That gives the Steelers one of the best players of the modern era at all three levels of their defense.
Yet, Fields and the Jets scored 32 points in Week 1.
Justin Fields Impresses in Jets Debut
Fields showed improvement in a small sample of games with the Steelers last season. If Week 1 is an indication of how the 26-year-old will play in 2025, he is still getting better.
As he has often done in his career, Fields had a great day on the ground while the Steelers run defense severely struggled. Fields rushed for 48 yards and two touchdowns.
But the quarterback also had, arguably, one of his best days as a passer. He completed 16 of 22 passes for 218 yards with another score.
According to The 33rd Team, the Steelers led the NFL with pressure rate during Week 1. But Fields used his athleticism to escape and avoid negative plays. The Steelers recorded just one sack, and the Jets offense didn’t have a turnover.
The lone Pittsburgh sack came from edge rusher Alex Highsmith. Although he’s not one of the future Hall of Famers or big offseason acquisitions Fields referenced to the media, Highsmith was arguably the top performing Steelers defender in Week 1.
Steelers’ Jalen Ramsey Gets Last Laugh in Week 1
It’s hard to imagine the Jets offense having a better performance in Fields’ team debut than it did. And in a way, the quarterback actually complimented to the Steelers defense.
Fields propped himself and his teammates up for the great day; he didn’t diss the Steelers defense as overrated or not a worthy opponent.
But in the final six minutes of the fourth quarter, the Steelers made more big plays than Fields and the Jets.
New York didn’t go back-to-back drives without points the entire afternoon until the team’s last two possessions. The first drive ended in a punt, which gave the Steelers another opportunity to regain the lead.
The Jets could have responded with a game-winning field goal on their last drive. Instead, Ramsey forced a turnover on downs with a big hit on receiver Garrett Wilson to record an incompletion on fourth down.
Fields’ yardage output and the Jets’ 32 points was impressive. But the Steelers defensive stars made just enough plays to win.
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