One day and 3,500 air miles later, New York Jets coach Aaron Glenn turned off the bristling and expressed his feelings about quarterback Justin Fields in a more conciliatory tone than he did Sunday in London.
This time, Glenn gave a blunt assessment of Fields’ historically poor passing performance.
“He took a step back,” Glenn said Monday from the Jets’ facility in Florham Park, New Jersey.
About 55 steps, to be exact — the number of yards he lost on nine sacks in their 13-11 loss to the Denver Broncos. It resulted in -10 net passing yards, the worst day in franchise history as the Jets dropped to 0-6.
Glenn got defensive after the game, scolding a reporter who asked if Fields would be his starter this week against the Carolina Panthers.
“I thought about this a lot [Sunday] night,” Glenn said Monday morning. “I thought about the question that was asked. When you look at what Justin did in the games that he played, listen, I didn’t think he was bad at all. I actually thought he did some pretty good things in those four games.
“This fifth game, he took a step back, and I’m with you guys 100 percent. We can’t have that. We have to be better than that, and he knows that. He knows that better than anyone. So I don’t think you just try to bench a player after having one truly bad game. I thought the other games he played fairly well.”
So, yes, Glenn is sticking with Fields, the team’s marquee addition in the offseason. The Jets gave him a two-year, $40 million contract, including $30 million guaranteed — essentially, a one-year audition to prove he could be their long-term answer.
It’s not going well — Fields is ranked 29th out of 33 qualified passers in Total QBR — but Glenn wants to give him every opportunity before turning to Tyrod Taylor. At the same time, Glenn risks losing the locker room if he stays too long with Fields, who has only four touchdown passes in five starts (he missed one game due to a concussion).
Even though the offense failed to score a touchdown against the Broncos, Glenn said he never considered an in-game quarterback change, not even a temporary switch. He said that would’ve created an unwanted “dynamic,” meaning Fields would always be looking over his shoulder.
Fields completed only 9 of 17 passes for 45 yards, often holding the ball too long or simply eating it for a sack. He was pressured on 16 dropacks, per NFL Next Gen Stats, but attempted a pass on only four of those plays.
“You’re right,” Glenn said, “he has to get it out.”
After the game, Fields acknowledged that he needed to make quicker decisions, but he also said, “They’ve got a good D-line. They got to the backfield fast. Once you get into that rhythm, you have to go one, two and get the hell up out of there.”
Glenn didn’t seem to have much faith in Fields at the end of the first half, when he chose the let the final 30 seconds run off the clock on a fourth down instead of running a play from their 47-yard line.
The first-year coach is receiving heavy criticism for not trying to be aggressive. Even star wide receiver Garrett Wilson said he was “disappointed” by the strategy. After the game, Glenn said he didn’t want to take a chance on giving the ball back to the Broncos. He also said there was “confusion” because the officials didn’t immediately signal whether it was fourth-and-1 or a first down. He opted to head to the locker room, receiving an earful from Wilson as they walked off the field.
On Monday, Glenn said he should’ve tried a Hail Mary with a few seconds left.
“That’s a mistake that I made, and I hold myself accountable for that,” he said.
Glenn, once a popular player with the Jets, no longer is enjoying a honeymoon with the fan base, which has turned on him. He remained steadfast in his belief that he will turn around the team, insisting there were many positives from the latest loss.
Owner Woody Johnson, Glenn said, is on board with the process.
“Me and Woody have had really good conversations, and he understands everything we’re trying to do,” Glenn said. “Obviously, everyone wants to make sure they have a winning record, but here’s the thing that wasn’t heard from the very beginning: We’re not talking about [the] Super Bowl, we’re trying to build a foundation, making sure we win consistently.
“To consistently win, I do know this: There has to be improvement and, to me, I saw improvement within that game. Does that mean we’re going to go on this deal of winning every one of our games? No, but I know this: It gives us a better chance to win.”
On the injury front, Glenn said he was awaiting word on Wilson’s MRI. He suffered a knee injury in the game.