The New York Jets’ passing game has been short on long passes this summer.
The lack of deep throws has some fans anxious, wondering if Justin Fields and the offense will be able to stretch the field against opponents this season when needed. Well, relying on the run and mixing in short passes might be an effective alternative.
“I mean, yeah, we’re fine with taking 8-yard completions every play, if I’m being honest with you,” Fields said Tuesday before practice.
Fields and the starters on offense played just two series in the Jets’ 31-12 preseason loss to the Giants last Saturday night — and it was hardly an eye-popping display through the air.
Fields, signed to a two-year, $40 million deal in the offseason to replace Aaron Rodgers as the Jets’ starting quarterback, went just 1-for-5 passing for 4 yards. Meanwhile, New York ran the ball 13 times for 55 yards — with Fields getting 5 yards on his lone run, which was originally called a pass play.
Boring, sure. And coach Aaron Glenn said the offense, in general, wasn’t good enough. But Fields insists there’s a method to methodically testing teams on the ground.
“Of course, you want explosives, but like I said Saturday, we’re not going to force the ball down the field,” Fields said. “If they want to get depth on the second level, we’re fine with taking the 8-, 10-yard completion and taking time off the clock and just driving down the field and having 10-, 15-play drives. It gets the defense tired.”
One of the Jets’ strengths is their running game with the trio of Breece Hall, Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis in the backfield. They’ve all looked solid throughout training camp and the two preseason games, although Davis sat out against the Giants with an ankle issue.
The ground-and-pound approach was on full display Saturday night, when the Jets opened their second possession by running on 10 straight plays before an incompletion by Fields on third-and-2 to Garrett Wilson. The 11-play drive was capped by a 38-yard field goal by Nick Folk.
“It might not be as exciting on the offensive side of the ball for the fans,” Fields said. “Like I said, it’s efficient ball. It’s also getting the defense tired and, you know, just driving down the field like that.”
Left guard John Simpson welcomes it, saying he and his fellow offensive linemen light up a little more when they know it’s going to be a run play.
“The identity of this team is physicality,” Simpson said. “No matter what play it is — run, pass, whatever — I think coach does a good job at telling us that that’s what he wants. He wants it to be, whatever it is, to be physical.
“And if that means we’ve got to run the ball 12 times, 15 times in a row, that’s what it is, so I’m ready for it.”
Just as he was Saturday night when he and his O-linemates heard the play calls for almost the entire second series.
“Let’s go, yeah, I love it,” Simpson said with a laugh. “I just want to be as physical as I can and just dominate. It don’t really matter to me what the play is, but when I do hear a run call, I do get a little bit excited.”
Justin Fields completed 1 of 5 passes in the Jets’ Week 2 preseason game against the Giants. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
Fields would also appear to be a fine fit for a run-first system in new coordinator Tanner Engstrand’s offense. He has terrific scrambling ability, with a knack for turning what seems to be a broken play into a positive with his legs.
In his second NFL season with Chicago in 2022, Fields ran for a career-best 1,143 yards and eight scores. Simpson is used to playing with a quarterback who can run, having been teammates with Lamar Jackson in Baltimore during the 2023 season.
“It’s kind of not too different for me,” Simpson said. “At the end of the day, it’s just football. He’ll find an open hole if he’s got to get loose and run. It’s just us five (O-linemen) doing our job, protecting. And then if he’s got to get loose, he’ll get loose.”
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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