The New York Jets are finally in the win column, as they earned a memorable 39-38 victory Sunday over the Cincinnati Bengals. The Jets had an 0-7 record as they traveled to the Queen City, and an eighth consecutive loss was all but assured as they trailed 31-16 after three quarters. However, they rallied behind beleaguered quarterback Justin Fields and rallied for the win.
The victory set off a huge celebration on the sidelines when the clock reached triple zero, and teammates were thrilled for Fields. They pounded him on the back and hugged him, and were not hesitant to congratulate him even as he was being interviewed on live television after the game.
Jets head coach Aaron Glenn picked up his first victory with the team and he made it a point to defend Fields. The quarterback had been criticized by team owner Woody Johnson and others in the days leading up to the Bengals game. Glenn clearly has respect for Fields as a quarterback and as an individual.
“Who he is as a person, his faith, and the way he goes about his business — he was primed to be able to handle situations like this,” Glenn said, per Jets beat writer Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic. “It’s so unfair to him that he gets criticized so much.”
Jets dominate fourth quarter to gain victory
The Jets scored three touchdowns in the final quarter to gain the victory. Running back Breece Hall scored two rushing touchdowns and threw an option pass for a touchdown for the winning score. Fields ran for a two-point conversion following the first touchdown and was successful in passing for a two-pointer after the second touchdown.
Fields had his best game of the year as did the Jets offense. The Jets quarterback completed 21 of 32 passes for 244 yards with 1 touchdown and he did not throw an interception. Hall had a dynamic game running the ball as he gained 133 yards on 18 carries and averaged 7.4 yards per attempt.
The previously sluggish Jets offense gained 502 yards against the yielding Bengals defense. The Jets had a 33:40-26:20 time of possession edge over Cincinnati.
