Jets stun Bengals 39–38 as Fields engineers fourth-quarter rally

Justin Fields walked into Sunday carrying much than an 0-7 record. He had conscionable spent days nether fire, with proprietor Woody Johnson publically questioning the passing crippled and his occupation information hanging by a thread. He admitted helium deed an affectional wall. “It’s been a batch for me, emotionally, spiritually,” helium said. “When I was connected the field, I was damn adjacent astir to commencement crying.”

He did not fold. Fields steadied the discourtesy and ran a textbook effect to adversity: 21-of-32 passing for 241 yards and a touchdown, positive a two-point tally and a falling, off-balance onslaught to Isaiah Davis connected different conversion. The Jets edged the Bengals 39–38 astatine Paycor Stadium, turning a 15-point fourth-quarter spread into 1 of the franchise’s biggest roadworthy rallies.

Fourth-quarter avalanche

The nighttime tilted erstwhile Breece Hall seized it. He broke scoring runs of 5 and 27 yards, past dropped a surprise: a halfback-option flip to rookie choky extremity Mason Taylor for the victor with 1:54 left. “I saw the defender with his backmost turned to me, truthful I said, ‘I’m going to propulsion it up to Mason and spot if helium goes and gets it,’” Hall said. The play marked lone the 4th clip since 1950 that a non-quarterback threw a go-ahead touchdown successful the last 2 minutes oregon overtime. Hall finished with 133 rushing yards connected 18 carries and 21 full touches aft telling coaches, “I request the shot this week.”

Fields acceptable the signifier against pressure, completing 11-of-15 for 183 yards erstwhile the Bengals sent other rushers. Inside the locker room, information Isaiah Oliver summed up the mood: “It seemed similar the satellite was benignant of crashing successful astir him… helium conscionable went retired there… and led america to the win.”

After the whistle

Coach Aaron Glenn, who kept his starter aft Tyrod Taylor’s precocious scratch, handed the recognition backmost to the players. “He’s primed to beryllium capable to grip situations similar this… He’s a cleanable idiosyncratic to beryllium capable to grip everything that’s been thrown astatine him. He’s a peculiar person.” Fields, meanwhile, kept the absorption narrow. “I get that he’s the proprietor of the team, but that’s extracurricular noise… The biggest happening was my teammates inactive believing successful me, my coaches inactive believing successful me, and God.”

For 1 Sunday, that content flipped the narrative—and the scoreboard.