Jets-Steelers Sport Preview | ‘It All Feels Completely different’ – New York Jets

Senior Reporter
The opening week within the Nationwide Soccer League is at all times distinctive. However the Jets-Steelers conflict Sunday at MetLife Stadium is the beginning of one thing traditionally new for a Jets membership that can face an opponent that has claimed six Tremendous Bowl titles and want to see a return to previous glory.
“It is an thrilling time yearly,” stated WR Garrett Wilson. “It is like Christmas beginning. That first week of observe, all of it comes collectively. All of it feels a bit of totally different. The coaches have a bit of totally different look on their face. The gamers as properly. I am simply excited. You understand, clearly we acquired a fantastic formidable opponent, and what else are you able to ask for?”
Whereas Aaron Glenn will lead the Jets for the primary time in regular-season play, Mike Tomlin is about to start his nineteenth marketing campaign with the Black & Gold. The Steelers have gone to the postseason 12 occasions underneath Tomlin whereas Glenn, a key determine within the Lions’ current turnaround underneath HC Dan Campbell, yearns to construct the Jets right into a workforce that may obtain sustainable success. Along with the intriguing teaching matchup, Justin Fields (Jets) and Aaron Rodgers (Steelers) will begin in opposition to the groups they performed for final season.
Fields, who went 4-2 as a starter final season in Pittsburgh, is the one QB since 1950 to enhance in completion proportion, INT proportion and passer ranking in every of his first 4 NFL seasons.
“He is an athlete, however he is additionally been in a position to throw the ball and make a few of these powerful throws and issues like that,” stated CB Sauce Gardner. “So, I’ve simply been studying how assured he’s. He is in all probability not going to do an excessive amount of speaking, however he is a type of guys the place it is like, he’d fairly be extra humble than simply be all caught up within the hype. So, it is at all times good to be round quarterbacks like that who’re extraordinarily humble, however when it comes time to get on that discipline – they will dominate.”
Issues Begin to Change
Aaron Glenn and Jets GM Darren Mougey view Justin Fields, 26, as an ascending expertise who regularly improved all through the summer season.
“All by means of coaching camp, simply understanding precisely who he’s and what he likes in relation to the passing recreation, in relation to the operating recreation – the place does he need receivers to be in sure spots on the sector to guarantee that connection is on level? And here is the factor, we’re additionally going to proceed to be taught because the season progresses,” Glenn stated. “These guys have had plenty of practices on the market in coaching camp, however when you get in video games, issues begin to change a bit of bit.”
The Jets need to be a bodily, aggressive workforce underneath Glenn they usually’ll place an emphasis on the run recreation with Fields and a three-headed backfield that includes Breece Hall and second-year backs Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis. However they have been handed some adversity early as RG Alijah Vera-Tucker (torn triceps) will miss the season and will not be obtainable to assist RT Armand Membou within the rookie’s first professional begin in opposition to edge T.J. Watt & Co.
Rodgers, who will grow to be the sixth QB since 1950 to start out for a brand new workforce at age 41 or older, picked up his play down the stretch for the Jets final season with 18 TDs and 4 INTs from Week 8-18.
“He is at all times been somebody that basically understands what the coordinator is considering,” Glenn stated. “You possibly can inform he does quite a lot of movie research. Mentally, that by no means goes away. Bodily, all of us begin to wane in some unspecified time in the future as we grow old. However I do know at that place, when mentally you might be on level, man, he makes it a problem. On tape, you’ll proceed to see that. When he was right here, you see that. The factor that we now have to do a very good job of is ensuring we give totally different appears and ensure we attempt to make it as exhausting as we will on him as a result of he is seen all of it.”
Alter because the Sport Goes On
Underneath Aaron Glenn, the Jets have emphasised physicality with the core rules of operating, blocking and tackling in thoughts.
“It is a easy cliche; fundamentals and method,” stated defensive coordinator Steve Wilks. “The primary recreation of the 12 months is at all times guys getting overly excited. You see sloppy play, you see quite a lot of missed tackles, these sorts of issues. We will not abandon our fundamentals and method, whatever the name. So, taking part in with our weapons, eyes, fingers, hips, and toes, being violent on the perimeter, which they are going to do a fantastic job of making an attempt to get there, whether or not it is toss, sweep, or a bubble display, and simply getting off blocks and making performs.”
Jets newcomer Harrison Phillips, who will line up subsequent to DT Quinnen Williams, stated in-game changes might be crucial.
“In Week 1, we do not actually know is it going to be extra of Rodgers’ offense,” Phillips stated. “Is it extra Arthur Smith? Is it what they did final 12 months? Is it what they might do within the preseason? So there are quite a lot of issues the place it is also hey we have a very gifted workforce that performs actually quick and we will simply learn our keys and go and so there’s a bit of component of that. Once more, you need to modify as the sport goes on and be a greater model of your self within the second half and within the fourth quarter.”
See the Jets gamers at observe Thursday forward of their Week 1 matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers at MetLife Stadium Sunday.
We Are All Maturing
Because the Jets get their begin underneath Glenn, he’ll do every little thing he can to place them in place to win. However he additionally selected a former Steelers legend this week to remind individuals of the massive image and the highway forward.
“To me, it is at all times been, I discovered this from Invoice Cowher years in the past, that typically you actually do not know what your workforce is till you get 4 or 5 video games down the highway,” Glenn stated. “Pay attention, we’re all maturing in that side of actually understanding actual true recreation motion, who’re we going to be as a soccer workforce? I am paying shut consideration to that.”
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