The Jets fell to the Steelers, 34-32, in a back-and-forth battle at MetLife Stadium on Sunday. Here are three takeaways from the game.
QB Justin Fields and WR Garrett Wilson Reignited Their College Connection
The former Ohio State teammates QB Justin Fields and WR Garrett Wilson took the field for their first regular-season NFL action together, and they picked up where they left off during their college days.
Wilson led the Jets with 7 receptions for 95 yards, and he hauled in a 33-yard touchdown pass from his former college quarterback to give the Jets the lead at the end of the first quarter.
"That boy is a dog," Wilson said of Fields. "That's the man I know. He comes out and puts everything on the field every time, every play. He doesn't give up on any play, he doesn't give up on anything. Stuff like that is inspiring to the dudes on the field with him and probably to the dudes watching. So, it felt good to be back out there with Justin and know that he's got my back and I've got his. And that's the mentality, the mindset, the relationship that we're going to take into every week."
Fields said of the touchdown: "It's Garrett. It's like we always talk about, it's nothing complicated. Simple. He had man on that play, and he won, just like Garrett does."
Breece Hall Leads Productive Run Game
After months of discussion about building a physical, run-first offense, that identity was on display during the season opener on Sunday. The Jets outgained the Steelers on the ground, recording 182 net rushing yards to Pittsburgh's 53. RB Breece Hall wasted no time in setting the tone.
On the first play from scrimmage, Hall took a handoff and picked up 18 yards before adding another 7 on the ensuing play. It was the beginning of a productive outing for Hall, who recorded 107 yards on the ground and added 38 receiving yards. His largest pickup of the day came via a 33-yard catch and run at the beginning of the second quarter.
"It was a good day in the run game," Hall said. "That's the standard we set in the running back room from the day the coaches got here. We take pride in trying to be the spark and being the guys that show up and do our job every day. Because the O-line has that standard and the receivers have that standard and Justin has that standard for himself so, it's just a standard we set as an offense."
Fields contributed 48 yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground, while RB Braelon Allen added an 8-yard rushing score.
See all of the best game photos from the Jets Week 1 game against the Steelers.
'There Are Some Things That We Can Definitely Build On'
After a high-scoring back-and-forth battle, HC Aaron Glenn said there are plenty of positives to build on, but several key things will need to be cleaned up as the season progresses -- most notably on defense.
"We gave up too many points," Glenn said. "Can't do that."
The Jets flashed potential with some strong pressure up front, and the defensive performance was highlighted by 4 sacks of Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers. Edge Will McDonald IV picked up right where he left off last season, taking down Rodgers twice, while brothers Quincy Williams and Quinnen Williams added a sack apiece.
But the Jets had 4 defensive penalties, including an unnecessary roughness call. The Green & White also turned over the ball via a Xavier Gipson fumble on a kick return. Glenn has preached discipline and homing in on details since his arrival, and his message was the same following Sunday's loss.
"The one thing to me that turned this game is, we can't have turnovers," he said. "We can't do it. And we have to be a more disciplined team. There were some penalties that happened in that game that were true discipline issues and that's something that will be addressed."
While the Jets limited the Steelers to 4-of-10 third-down conversions, Pittsburgh was 3 of -3 in the red zone in Sunday's victory. DL Quinnen Williams said the Jets will look to "delete the wrong things out of our DNA" as they aim to establish a high defensive standard moving forward.
"I will say this -- there's going to be no confidence lost from these guys," Glenn said. "These guys have been busting their butts for a long time. And again, there's no such thing as moral victories in my eyes. But, there are some things that we can definitely build on on both sides of the ball. Even though there's some things we've got to fix on defense, there are some things we can build on."
