The New York Jets entered Week 8 with a 0-7 record. Standing lowest in the season, they entered the Sunday match against the Cincinnati Bengals with nothing to lose but the chance to gain their first win. While this game was about the team, for quarterback Justin Fields, it was a bit more personal.
The former Chicago Bear was the subject of criticism by the team’s owner, Woody Johnson, earlier in the week. After Fields was benched in favor of backup Tyrod Taylor against the Carolina Panthers in Week 7, Johnson took to the media to express his distaste for Fields’ performance.
Fields made sure to fire back at Johnson’s comments about his game after securing the team’s first win.
What did Justin Fields have to say?
“It’s hard when you have a quarterback with the rating that we’ve got,” Johnson said publicly. “He has the ability, but something is not jiving.” While these words were met with rage by analysts and former quarterbacks, they seem to have motivated Justin.
Fields helped lead the Jets to their first win of the season after beating the Bengals 39-38 in a comeback win. Following the performance in which he completed 65.6% of his passes for 244 yards and a touchdown, the quarterback took the opportunity to respond to Johnson’s comments after improving to 1-7.
“That’s outside noise at the end of the day,” Fields said in a post-game press conference. “I get that he’s the owner of the team, but it’s outside noise.” He added, “The biggest thing was my teammates believing in me and my coaches believing in me.”
“That’s outside noise at the end of the day. I get that he’s the owner of the team, but it’s outside noise.”
Justin Fields on Woody Johnson’s criticisms of his game: pic.twitter.com/QjFT2RwY4v
— Jets Videos (@snyjets) October 26, 2025
Fields has certainly struggled to maintain consistency as the Jets’ starting signal-caller, resulting in the 0-7 start and Johnson’s harsh comments. Entering Sunday’s contest, he sat towards the bottom of NFL starting quarterbacks in passing yards with just 845, while only averaging 140.8 yards per game.
What prompted Johnson’s comments?
Fields’ performances against the Broncos in London in Week 6 and the Panthers in Week 7 didn’t sit well with the owner. The former first-round pick only recorded 101 passing yards across both games without recording a single touchdown through the air or on the ground.
That version of Fields failed to show up as he helped lead the team back from a 31-16 deficit entering the fourth quarter by completing eight of his final nine pass attempts. It was a big improvement from past weeks and helps the young quarterback live up to the two-year, $40 million contract he signed with the team this past offseason.
According to PFSN’s Quarterback Impact (QBi) metrics, Fields has an impact score of 63.3, graded D. The Jets’ offense, on the other hand, is graded D+, with a score of 67.1, according to PFSN’s Offense Impact (OFFi) metrics.
The Jets are entering their bye week in Week 9, but will need Fields to continue to show improvement as they host the 2-6 Cleveland Browns in Week 10 on Nov. 9. It’s safe to say that the Browns have drama going on for themselves as well.Â
