Justin Fields’ performance — efficient, explosive and under control — surprised most observers.
Garrett Wilson wasn’t one of them.
The Jets receiver was adamant through the spring and summer that his college buddy and Ohio State teammate was going to prove himself this year.
That he was going to perform.
That he had only scratched the surface in his first four mostly underwhelming seasons in the NFL.
For one afternoon, Wilson was proven prophetic.
Fields, 26, made plays with both his right arm and his legs.
He made plays in and out of the pocket.
He threw for 218 yards and a touchdown, and ran for 48 more and two scores.
The Jets didn’t pull off the upset, falling to the Steelers by two, but that was on a defense that came up short against former quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
“This game, it rewards people that love it. It’s the way I see it, and he loves the game,” Wilson said Thursday. “He plays it the right way and has the right mindset every time he takes that field. To all the teammates, that stuff’s contagious, right? So when your quarterback’s doing that, it’s like, you’ve got no choice — I’m gonna pop up after taking that hit, whatever it may be, because you see him do it.
“So he’s not done yet. We’re not done yet. We’re all excited for the opportunities we have to go show the world what we can do.”
It was an uneven summer for Fields, who at times struggled during training camp.
Accuracy and decision-making were major question marks entering the season.
That wasn’t the case against the Steelers.
He only missed on six of his 22 passing attempts, and hit on a 33-yard scoring strike to Wilson.
“It was like 2019 all over again,” said center Josh Myers, who played alongside the duo at Ohio State. “It was super cool. It was amazing watching that, especially that touchdown he threw to Garrett.”
Offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand raved about Fields’ patience and in-game maturity.
When opportunities to push the ball down the field were there, he took them.
But he didn’t force it, either.
Fields was able to also extend plays with his elite athleticism, something the Jets have lacked at the position.
Perhaps most importantly, he has a strong rapport with Wilson, dating back to their college days.
The Jets’ No. 1 receiver caught seven passes on nine targets for 95 yards against the Steelers.
“Just how fast he’s picking it up and then creating the plays off-script and staying alive, stuff like that for a receiver is like a dream,” Wilson said. “All of a sudden you’re running routes, you get to break it off, play street ball a little bit and it’s open. We’re all excited and those were some of the things I was most surprised to see from him.”
Obviously, this is just one game, as strong as it was for the Jets’ new starting quarterback.
Teams will adjust.
The Super Bowl-contending Bills are up next.
The key is building on it, stacking quality efforts.
“I don’t want to make it bigger than what it is. It’s just playing good ball and that’s what J. Fields does, man,” Wilson said. “He’s a baller.”
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
