By Reese Patanjo,The SportsRush
Copyright yardbarker
The Pittsburgh Steelers started the season with a win against the New York Jets in perhaps the most thrilling morning game on Sunday. It was a Freaky Friday matchup that saw both teams’ former QBs facing off in Aaron Rodgers and Justin Fields. Both were neck and neck in terms of effort and production.
For Fields, he finished with 218 passing yards, a passing TD, and 2 rushing TDs. He also didn’t turn the ball over once. Rodgers, on the other hand, threw for 244 yards and 4 TDs, also without a turnover. It was a fun game that ended in a 34-32 Steelers win, completely unexpected considering the over-under for total points was set at 38.5.
Perhaps the biggest storyline coming out of the game was how good Fields looked despite the loss. He made big plays with his legs, adding 48 rushing yards at 4 yards per carry. We all know Rodgers can sling it. But with Fields both throwing and running, he looked like a dynamic player who had completely evolved.
Fields’ performance was so good that it even impressed Stephen A. Smith.
“Justin Fields shocked the hell out of me,” the analyst stated on First Take. “Because he was throwing some dimes out there. He wasn’t just running with the football… The offense was moving.”
Stephen A. was right on the money. Fields and the Jets weren’t just moving the ball on offense; they were thriving in a new system. They converted 23 first downs to the Steelers’ 19, and almost totalled 400 yards of offense. The only blemish on the report card was the 7 penalties they committed. But if they can clean that up, this Jets unit could be a lot better than expected.
