Former Ohio State football player Justin Fields has had a roller coaster of an NFL career. He went from being a first-round pick of the Chicago Bears to possibly being a backup for the rest of his career after he was benched against the Panthers. Fields had to start this week because Tyrod Taylor had an injured knee.
Fields made the most of his second chance with the New York Jets. He was 21/32 for 244 yards and a touchdown through the air while adding 32 rushing yards on the ground. Playing against Joe Flacco and the Bengals, Fields had a chance to lead a game-winning drive in Cincinnati.
Fields was able to do that, leading the Jets to a 39-38 victory over the Bengals to give them their first win of the season. New York will not be the second winless team in the history of the NFL. Better yet, Fields may have just saved his job as the starting quarterback in New York.
Former Ohio State football player Justin Fields gets a massive win for the Jets
On a day that the Jets dealt with the crushing news of the passing of Nick Mangold, Mangold would have loved what he saw from his former team. The Jets allowed Fields to set up the running game for success. New York ran the ball for 254 yards against the Bengals in this one.
Fields is one of the most dynamic runners in the NFL from the quarterback position. That helped the running backs find open lanes and allowed Fields to effectively use his legs to give himself more time to find guys down field in the passing game. He finally has some confidence.
Confidence is what he exuded when he was with the Ohio State Buckeyes, leading them to a national championship game appearance. While the Buckeyes weren't quite able to win that game against Alabama, Fields established himself as one of the most beloved Buckeyes ever.
The Jets are hoping Fields can help lead them to more wins over the next few weeks. He likely will get the start next week after this win, even if Taylor is healthy enough to go.