The New York Jets broke their season-long losing streak Sunday, posting a shocking 39-38 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals – just days after team owner Woody Johnson publicly criticized quarterback Justin Fields.
In a display of cosmic irony that only the Jets could deliver, the team’s first win featured season-high marks in both points and total yards. The triumph came less than a week after Johnson pointed fingers directly at Fields for the team’s disastrous 0-7 start.
“It’s hard when you have a quarterback with the rating that we’ve got,” Johnson told reporters last week. “If you look at any head coach with a quarterback like that, you’re going to see similar results. If we can just complete a pass, it would look good.”
Johnson’s comments suggested the team’s struggles weren’t reflective of rookie head coach Aaron Glenn’s leadership but rather Fields’ performance under center.
The organization appeared ready to bench Fields in favor of veteran Tyrod Taylor for Sunday’s matchup against the Bengals. Taylor’s injury issues, however, forced the Jets to stick with Fields despite their owner’s public vote of no confidence.
Fields responded with his best performance of the season.
The maligned quarterback completed 21 of 32 passes for 244 yards and a touchdown while adding 31 rushing yards on 11 carries. His steady performance helped the Jets secure their first win in dramatic fashion on the road.
During his postgame press conference, Fields revealed the emotional toll of recent weeks, describing how Johnson’s comments and the team’s struggles had affected him personally.
“It’s been a lot for me emotionally, spiritually. When I was on the field, I was damn near about to start crying, not because we won but because of the goodness of God,” Fields told reporters. “Everything I’ve been through this past week, everything that we’ve been through as a team these past seven weeks, it was a lot of ups and downs.”
Fields then shared a particularly vulnerable moment from his difficult week.
“I’m going to get pretty vulnerable right here,” he continued. “This week I found myself in my closet crying on the ground, lying down. Not because of the hardships, not because of the troubles. I felt like I was built to handle that… Yesterday I was just praying over and over and over again, just one win.”
“It’s been a lot for me emotionally, spiritually. When I was on the field, I was damn near about to start crying, not because we won but because of the goodness of God.”
Fields continues, “I’m going to get pretty vulnerable right here. This week I found myself in my closet… pic.twitter.com/WrmgPUfmOc
— Jets Videos (@snyjets) October 26, 2025
The Jets (1-7) now head into their bye week with their first victory secured. They’ll return to action at home against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, November 9, where Fields will likely remain the starter despite the ongoing organizational turbulence.