Jets OK with Justin Fields not throwing the deep ball
Jets quarterback Justin Fields warms up before a preseason game against the Giants on Aug. 16 at MetLife Stadium. Credit: Errol Anderson
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — The Jets are not raising any red flags over the starting offense’s lack of a vertical passing game in the preseason.
Garrett Wilson says it’s coming. Justin Fields doesn’t mind short, intermediate completions that lead to long sustained drives.
“We’re fine with taking 8-yard completions every play, if I’m being honest with you,” Fields said before practice Tuesday. “Of course you want explosives. We’re not going to force the ball down field.
“If they want to get depth on the second level, we’re fine taking an 8-, 10-yard completion and taking time off the clock and just driving down the field, having 10-, 15-play drives. It gets the defense tired. It might not be as exciting on the offensive side of the ball for fans. It’s efficient ball.”
Fields completed just 1 of 5 pass attempts for 4 yards in Saturday’s preseason loss to the Giants, so 8-to-10 yard completions would be a positive step. He has led two lengthy drives in the three series he’s quarterbacked in the preseason.
The Jets’ starters had a 10-play touchdown drive that ended with a Fields’ rushing touchdown against Green Bay. Fields was 3-for-4 passing in that game. The Jets had a 12-play series against the Giants that resulted in a Nick Folk field goal. The Jets ran the ball 11 times.
They are expected to be a run-heavy offense in what has become a passing league, although Aaron Glenn disagreed with that.
“Who says it’s a passing league?” Glenn said. “The team that won the Super Bowl, where were they in passing? Twenty-ninth. Where were they in running? First.”
Glenn then came to Fields’ defense because of how his performance against the Giants was treated by everyone outside the Jets’ building.
“You have so many people who want to talk about a small amount of plays these guys get to go out there and play,” Glenn said. “Everything is falling down because we throw [five] passes. And then, he’s Johnny Unitas when he throws four passes.
“It bothers me, and I laugh at it quite a bit. The thing is, I understand it, because that's just the noise that happens on the outside that I say our guys can’t really listen to.”
The Jets are not where they want to be as an offense, but that’s expected. They’re learning a new very detailed system.
Fields has missed a number of throws throughout the preseason and training camp. He got off to a good start Tuesday, completing 11 of his first 13 passes with a touchdown in team competition. He connected with Wilson on a deep pass on the fourth team period.
The end of practice was a struggle for Fields and the starting offense as they had difficulty in a move-the-ball period. Fields connected on just three of his last eight attempts and was unofficially sacked twice.
“We still got three weeks,” Wilson said. “The way we see it is we’ve taken some strides, but we got to round out some of those things we’re not hitting on.
“It’s a small sample size when we go out there for the game. Honestly, we're getting a little different look than we’ve gotten in practice. So you build a game plan and they come out there and throw some wrenches at you and maybe not let you get that rhythm. We feel like we’re in a good spot.”
Sauce returns, hobbles off
Sauce Gardner, practicing for the first time in a week due to a calf issue, was limping as he left the field after getting hit in the lower right leg defending a pass in the end zone. He was treated by a trainer. Glenn said, “I think he’s fine.”
Williams, Johnson return
Quinnen Williams (calf) practiced for the first time in more than two weeks and Jermaine Johnson for the first time in nearly a year.
Johnson hadn’t played since tearing his Achilles tendon in Week 2 last season. He had a would-be sack and forced fumble on Fields. Glenn felt Johnson’s impact.
“He’s rushing the passer and he runs right by me and it was like just wind like whoosh goes by me,” Glenn said.
Some starters to skip last preseason game
Glenn said “a good amount of starters won’t play” in Friday’s preseason finale. He wouldn’t reveal which ones.
Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.
