3 takeaways from the Jets' Week 8 win over the Cincinnati Bengals
Jets head coach Aaron Glenn celebrates after a rushing touchdown by Breece Hall during the second half of an NFL game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday in Cincinnati. Credit: AP/Jeff Dean
CINCINNATI — The Jets captured their first win of the season with a thrilling 39-38 victory over the Bengals on Sunday. Here are three takeaways:
1. Aaron Glenn’s first win was a memorable one
It definitely looked as if the Jets were heading toward a blowout loss, but they fought back and earned Glenn his first win as an NFL head coach.
The offense, which hadn’t produced a touchdown in more than nine quarters, racked up more than 500 yards and scored four touchdowns on Sunday. They had three in the fourth quarter alone.
It was loud in the Jets’ locker room after the win. Jets vice chairman Christopher Johnson presented Glenn the game ball and some players lifted him up.
“It feels good,” Glenn said. “Here’s what I do know: These guys, this staff, this team gets criticized so much. And I understand why. We brought a lot of it on ourselves. A lot of it I feel like it’s unwarranted, but it is what it is.
“I’m just so happy for those guys. I’m so happy for the coaches. But I also know this, man, we still have a long way to go. I’m going to enjoy this moment. I really am. I’m going to enjoy this with those guys and with my family, nobody else, because those are the guys that deserve [it].”
2. The defense made big plays late
It’s not often that the Jets’ offense keeps them in games, but that’s what happened.
“It was a [expletive] defensive performance and the offense bailed it out,” defensive end Jermaine Johnson said.
The defense allowed touchdowns on four of five Bengals drives beginning in the second and into the fourth quarter. The offense just kept attacking. It scored on four straight series — three touchdowns and a field goal.
When the Jets absolutely needed stops, the defense stepped up.
After getting within 38-32, the Jets forced Cincinnati to go three-and-out. They took the lead on Breece Hall’s 4-yard halfback option pass to Mason Taylor plus the extra point.
“Mason with a crazy grab, Breece with a crazy throw, OC [Tanner Engstrand] with a crazy call, but they bailed us out and the defense stepped up in that final drive,” Johnson said.
Joe Flacco completed a pass on first down, but his last three were incomplete. The fourth-down throw to Andrei Iosivas was broken up by Jarvis Brownlee Jr.
“I’m a guy who makes plays,” Brownlee said. “That’s what they brought me here for.”
3. Justin Fields will be their QB after the bye
It was a rough week for Fields, from owner Woody Johnson ripping him to everyone speculating that Tyrod Taylor would replace him as the starter against the Bengals.
After Fields’ gutsy performance, he has to remain the starting quarterback. He threw for 244 yards and led four touchdown drives — matching the total from his previous five starts.
Glenn never revealed whether he was making a quarterback change. He said both players were competing, and at the end of the week, Taylor “wasn’t comfortable” playing on his sore, surgically repaired knee. So the ball stayed in Fields’ hands, and he delivered.
“Justin was Justin. It just so happened that things were really clicking,” Glenn said. “In between the walk-throughs and the practice, we had enough reps to go out there and be able to compete the way he wanted to compete. I’m proud of him.”
Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.
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