The Jets put up 394 yards of offense in Justin Fields’ debut, the sixth-best mark across the league in Week 1. It was a sharp turnaround for a team that finished 24th in total yards last season with Aaron Rodgers under center, and a sign that the offense has a new gear.

Aaron Glenn’s head coaching debut and Tanner Engstrand’s first game as offensive coordinator added another layer of optimism, as the Jets rushed for 182 yards against Pittsburgh. Only three teams—the Ravens (238), Commanders (220), and Jaguars (200)—piled up more on the ground. But for all the progress made on offense, the end result was still a 34-32 loss to the Steelers.

Defense was the culprit. Pittsburgh broke through in the fourth quarter, leaving Glenn with a loss, and players like Brandon Stephens and Xavier Gipson with blame. Even in the middle of Justin Fields’ best NFL performance to date, Tanner Engstrand pointed the finger at himself. “It was exciting. It was fun for me to be out there,” he admitted. “There’s a couple calls that I would have liked back and a couple things that, you know, I can get the play calling to Justin a little bit quicker … that delay of game, you know, that we had in there. That was my fault, man. I got the play in a little bit too late for him.”

His honesty hit at the heart of Week 1—the offense wasn’t the problem, but the thin margins of execution mattered.

That’s what makes Fields’ outing stand out even more. He completed 16-of-22 passes for 218 yards, a touchdown, and no turnovers, while rushing for 48 yards and two touchdowns. His 90.4 PFF passing grade was the highest of his career, and his adjusted completion rate (88.9%) ranked third-best in any of his starts. By the numbers, the Jets had the highest successful play rate of any offense entering Sunday Night Football. Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall both scored touchdowns.

Engstrand added: “That was my fault … so I can be better at that. So, you know, I’ll improve and I’ll be better this week. But I had fun. It was good.”

The collapse came elsewhere. Kene Nwangwu’s hamstring injury put Xavier Gipson into kick return duty, and his fumble flipped the game. The Jets were up 26-17 when Aaron Rodgers threw his third touchdown of the night. On the ensuing kickoff, Gipson coughed it up, giving Pittsburgh the ball at the 22-yard line. Two plays later, the Steelers had a 31-26 lead. Fields answered with another touchdown drive, only for that momentum to be erased. That’s why Engstrand’s admission matters—because the offense actually worked. It just needs quicker communication and sharper situational calls to boost the performance level.

Justin Fields deserved better than the Jets’ discipline meltdown

Justin Fields gave the Jets enough juice to win, but discipline ripped it all away. Aaron Glenn didn’t hide it after the loss. “The one thing to me that turned this game, man, we can’t have turnovers,” he snapped, pointing straight at Xavier Gipson’s fumble and Quincy Williams’ reckless hit on the Steelers’ running back. When you’re fighting a team like Pittsburgh, you can’t hand them free lifelines. Yet that’s exactly what New York did.

And Glenn wasn’t bluffing. “You will not be on the field with this team if you’re gonna cause us to lose games,” he warned. Accountability isn’t optional. Gipson learned it the hard way. After a solid 40-yard return earlier in the game, he was benched in the fourth quarter for rookie Arian Smith. With Kene Nwangwu already sidelined, Glenn still benched his returner. His message? Talent gets you here, but discipline keeps you here. Fail that test, and you’re out.

Gipson’s fumble flipped the momentum. John Simpson’s penalty and Williams’ late hit extended a Steelers drive. And every one of those lapses chipped away at what Fields had built. Glenn summed it up bluntly: “Those things have got to be fixed or you can’t be on the field with us. That’s just what it is.” Now the challenge gets even tougher: a road trip to Buffalo against a Bills squad that just scored a league-high 41 points in a wild comeback win over the Ravens. For the Jets, consistency will be tested immediately.