The New York Jets were back on the practice field for the latest session of organized team activities (OTAs) on Wednesday and it was an up-and-down showing for quarterback Justin Fields.
For the first time in OTAs, reporters got a look at Fields taking part in team periods and there were some positives and some negatives, according to Connor Hughes of SNY.
In seven-on-sevens, Fields stood out for the zip he put on his passes and had a pair of highlight passes to Garrett Wilson and Allen Lazard.
“(Fields) looked solid in the seven-on-seven portion of practice. There is undeniable zip on his passes. He had two highlights (one to Garrett Wilson, another to Allen Lazard) in the deeper middle portion of the field between a few defenders. Very pretty,” Hughes wrote of Fields.
However, things didn’t go as smoothly in the full-team period, although Hughes points out it wasn’t all on Fields, as the Jets’ defense got the better of the offensive line on several occasions.
Fields completed three of the four passes he got off in the period, but he did have a bad miss to a wide open Josh Reynolds.
“The full-team period didn’t go nearly as well,” Hughes explained. “That’s nothing against Fields. The Jets endured pretty consistent protection breakdowns. This Jets defensive scheme is much more active than Robert Saleh and Jeff Ulbrich’s. The front five had some issues diagnosing and picking it up. The defense sacked Fields on six of his 10 drop backs. Fields completed three of the other four. Two were dump-offs to Jeremy Ruckert. One was a short pass to Wilson.
“The miss was a little alarming,” Hughes added. “The Jets blitzed. Offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand dialed up a perfect beater that had Josh Reynolds open on a corner route without safety help. It seemed a pretty easy pitch-and-catch for a would-be long gainer (potential touchdown). Fields missed him pretty bad.”
One thing working against Fields was the weather, which was rainy, windy and in the 50s. Still, that’s something Fields is going to have to overcome plenty in New York.
The fact that the offensive line struggled as much as it did isn’t a great sign, but it’s way too early to panic. There’s still plenty of time for the group upfront to get situated.
