The Jets ushered in a new era with a ton of promise, but the Pittsburgh Steelers escaped MetLife Stadium with a season-opening 34-32 win on Sunday. While Justin Fields was excellent in his home debut, Aaron Rodgers led the visitors back to a victory.

Fields, who went 4-2 as a starter last season in Pittsburgh, and Rodgers, the future Hall of Famer who joined the Steelers after spending 2023-24 with the Jets, dueled all afternoon. Fields hit on 16-of-22 passes for 218 yards and also ran 12 times for 48 yards and 2 TDs. He and the Jets offense could not get in position for a Nick Folk field goal attempt after Chris Bowell nailed a 60-yarder with 1:03 remaining for the Black & Gold.

The clean Week 1 game turned on a turnover when Ben Skowronek recovered a Xavier Gipson fumble on a kickoff. The turnover was forced by Kenneth Gainwell. Rodgers, who went 22- of- 30 for 244 yards with 4 TDs, capitalized with his second TD in 50 seconds to Calvin Austin following the takeaway and the Jets' 26-17 lead turned into a 31-26 deficit.

"The one thing we can't have is turnovers," said HC Aaron Glenn. "We have to be a more disciplined team. There were some penalties that happened in the game that were true discipline issues and again that's something that will be addressed because you will not be on this field with this team if you're going to cause us to lose games."

But Fields, undeterred, led the Jets right back down the field on a 12-play, 67-yard march. On third-and-goal from the 10, he ran for 9 yards before taking it home on a perfectly executed fourth-down boot run. After the Jets failed their second 2-point conversion, they held a 32-31 advantage until Boswell's clutch game-winner.

"I think as a team we were bouncing and kind of keeping each other in the fight," Fields said. "That one turnover they scored and on offense we came back and didn't let that faze phase us. A lot of fight from our team."

The Jets outgained the Steelers, 394 -to -271, and outrushed them, 183 -to -52, but had 7 penalties marked off for 72 yards.

While many pundits thought the Jets-Steelers contest was destined to be a low-scoring affair, nobody told the offenses. The teams traded shots and exchanged points on 7-of-8 possessions in the first half minus one Jets' defensive stop.

Fields was peerless against Pittsburgh from the outset, leading the Jets to 19 points on their first four drives. He hit on 9 of 11 for 134 yards with a 33-yard TD to Garrett Wilson and ran for 30 yards on 6 carries.

The Jets worked the ground on their first drive, running 8 times for 40 yards before Folk gave the club a 3-0 lead with a 35-yard boot. After Rodgers countered with a 22-yard scoring connection to Skowronek, Fields went to an old friend, Wilson, on a deep crossing route to put the Jets back on top.

"He had man on that play and he won just like Garrett does," Fields said of the Wilson TD. "The O-line did a great job of just holding up and I threw it to him."

The Steelers countered, jumping on top for the first time on Boswell's 56-yard field goal to make it 10-9. The Jets swung right back, getting 33 yards on a Fields screen to Breece Hall. Three plays later, second-year RB Braelon Allen (with a push from multiple offensive linemen) hammered in from 8 yards out. The Jets pushed their lead to 19-10 on Folk's 51-yarder.

The Jets had 5 plays of 15-plus yards in the first half as Fields accounted for 4 of them (3 through the air and a 15-yard run). Rodgers was up to the battle in his return to MetLife Stadium, hitting on 11-of-14 passes for 159 yards. His 3-yard touchdown pass to veteran TE Jonnu Smith made the score 19-17 at the break.

While the QB showdown provided the drama, Wilson (7-95-1TD) and Hall (18-105 and 2 receptions for 38 yards) were consistent all afternoon. The Jets racked up 4 sacks of Rodgers and CB Sauce Gardner battled with DK Metcalf on every snap.

"Exciting game, but I'm not into moral victories," said HC Aaron Glenn. "This was a game, man, that was back and forth, a lot of fighting."

Jetcetera

After RG Alijah Vera-Tucker (torn triceps) was placed on injured reserve Saturday, the Jets started stated Joe Tippmann in his place and Josh Myers got his first Green & White start at C. ... Will McDonald IV led the pass rush with 3 sacks while the Williams brothers, DT Quinnen Williams and ILB Quincy Williams, each had 1 apiece. … RB-KR Kene Nwangwu exited with a hamstring injury and was ruled out. … Both teams executed well in the red zone as the Jets went 3 -of -4 while the Steelers were a perfect 3 -of -3. … The Jets will complete their two-game opening homestand next week against the Buffalo Bills.