Woody calls out Fields: It'd look good if Jets could 'complete a pass'
New York Jets owner Woody Johnson addressed his team's disappointing start to the season, showing faith in first-year head coach Aaron Glenn and blaming subpar quarterback play for their 0-7 record.
"I see what you see," Johnson said Tuesday before a two-day meeting among NFL owners in New York, according to The Washington Post's Mark Maske. "But I see more hope than you do. ... You can't win with hope. But it helps."
Johnson added, "I do believe in Aaron. ... If I were a player, I would respond to him because he's the real deal. He's no BS. ... I hug him every day."
Johnson didn't sound as optimistic about quarterback Justin Fields, though.
"It looks like (Glenn is) turning around parts of it," Johnson said. "It's hard when you have a quarterback with the rating that we've got. He has the ability. ... But if you look at any head coach with a quarterback like that, you're going to see similar results."
The owner added, "Defense, special teams are doing better. Defense is pretty good. If we just complete a pass, it would look good. We've got to complete some passes. You've got to convince them that you can do something."
Fields signed a two-year contract with the Jets in the offseason but hasn't come close to living up to the hype. The 26-year-old has posted a passer rating of 91.1, and his average of 140.8 passing yards per game ranks 33rd among quarterbacks. Fields, who was benched for Tyrod Taylor in Sunday's loss to the Carolina Panthers, also places 31st in EPA/play.
Though Johnson said it's "up to the coach" to make a quarterback decision, Glenn is moving toward choosing Taylor as his starter for Sunday's game versus the Cincinnati Bengals, sources told ESPN's Rich Cimini.
The Jets parted ways with Aaron Rodgers earlier this year after missing the playoffs for the 14th consecutive season. Rodgers has helped the Pittsburgh Steelers start the campaign 4-2 by passing for 14 touchdowns against five interceptions.
"I never look back," Johnson said about moving on from Rodgers after his disappointing two-year stint in New York.