Top 5 New York Jets Standouts in 34-32 Week 1 Loss To Pittsburgh Steelers
Here we go again, the New York Jets yet again prove they are the masters of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. They kicked off their season with a gut-wrenching 34-32 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and it’s a game they should have won. In a game that was far too entertaining for its own good, the Jets once again proved they can find soul-crushing ways to lose a football game.
1. Justin Fields is the Real Deal
Let’s get this out of the way: Justin Fields was electrifying. He threw for 218 yards and added another 48 on the ground, accounting for three total touchdowns (two rushing, one passing). He was poised, he was dynamic, and he gave the offense a pulse it hasn’t had since… well, let’s not go there. It’s only Week 1. For a moment, it felt like the Jets had a quarterback who could single-handedly will them to victory. And then, reality, in the form of the Jets defense, came crashing down.
2. The Breece Hall Show
An easy One, the Jets were always going to lean on their running game, and they didn’t disappoint. Breece Hall looked every bit the superstar, gashing a tough Steelers defense for 107 yards. He was explosive, decisive, and the engine that kept the offense humming. Not bad by Hall and hopefully he can keep this up.
3. Don’t Forget about Braelon Allen
Then there’s Braelon Allen, the designated battering ram. He did his job, punching in a short-yardage touchdown. However, in a moment that perfectly encapsulates the “Same Old Jets” experience, the team failed a critical two-point conversion with Allen, a mistake that, shocker, came back to haunt them. The ground game is potent, but it can’t overcome boneheaded play-calling and poor execution when it matters most.
4. This Was A Bad Game For Brandon Stephens
Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner is a stud. We know this. But one man can’t cover an entire field, and the rest of the Jets’ secondary looked like they were running in quicksand. Giving up 34 points is bad enough, but letting Aaron Rodgers toss four touchdowns is just embarrassing. It’s like they forgot he was good at this whole football thing.
Brandon Stephens, in particular, had a game he’ll want to forget. He was a penalty and big-play machine for all the wrong reasons, slipping, getting burned, and generally looking lost. This “leaky” secondary needs to be plugged, and fast, or it’s going to be a very long season of opposing quarterbacks feasting on this defense
5. Xavier Gipson Brutal Mistake
After fighting their way back, they gave up points in the 2nd half of the game, only to have return man Xavier Gipson fumble the ensuing kickoff. The Steelers, of course, capitalized immediately, scoring again to seize a lead they would never relinquish.
Good teams don’t make those kinds of back-to-back, game-altering mistakes and Gipson has had way too many. It was a brutal, self-inflicted wound that bled out all the hope Fields had just injected into the stadium. They need a new returner, because Gipson is not it.
Final Thoughts On New York Jets Week 1
Sure, there were positives. Fields looked great. The running game is a force. Quinnen Williams remains a one-man wrecking crew. But a loss is a loss, and this one stings because it was so winnable. The Rodgers factor adds an extra layer of salt to the wound. New head coach Aaron Glenn isn’t the type to pat his players on the back for “playing hard.” He wants wins. Real ones. This loss is a perfect, albeit painful, teaching moment.
