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Cincinnati – Woody Johnson took a lot of criticism this week for his negative comments about Justin Fields, but you know what, Woody channeling George Steinbrenner, actually helped the Jets cause, with Fields playing his best game as Jets, in the team’s 39-38 win over Cincinnati, throwing for 244 yards and a touchdown, and also scrambling for 31 yards. If you don’t think he was motivated after the owner questioned his ability to complete passes, you are kidding yourself.
Granted, the Bengals’ defense isn’t great, starting two rookie linebackers who need a lot of work, and also losing their best defensive player, Trey Henderickson, to a hip injury late in the first half. But still, Fields did a really nice job in Cincinnati . . .
The Jets’ offensive line was sensational in this game – dominating the trenches, with the Jets running for 254 yards.
The two young offensive tackles were superb – Armand Membou had two great blocks on off-tackle runs by Isaiah Davis and Breece Hall.
Membou faced defensive end Shamar Stewart quite a bit in this game, and he drew from his experience last year facing him, when Membou was at Missouri, and Stewart at Texas A&M, and Membou dominated his fellow rookie.
The humble, low-key Membou said this was, “one of my better games.”
Olu Fashanu shut down one of the game’s best edge-rushers, Trey Henderickson, for the entire first half, before the defensive end was ruled out for the second half with a hip injury.
“It was great to face one of the best,” Fashanu told JC. “I had a game plan.”
He certainly did.
Fashaun’s technique was sensational – textbook.
Revenge game for former Bengal Isaiah Williams, and he rose to the occasion. There is always extra juice when you face the team that cut you.
Williams had a 25-yard reverse, caught three passes for 31 yards, and was terrific in the return game.
You could tell you had a little extra pep in his step, and his play certainly contributed to the Jets’ win.
The former college QB has really grown as a receiver. He has impressive short-area quickness, allowing him to cut away from defenders in the open field, whether it’s as a returner or receiver . . .
Now to the defense.
Not good, but to their credit, they did a nice job on the last two series.
The run defense was pretty bad, with the Bengals rushing for 181 yards. There were major issues up the middle, with Jets defensive tackles, whether it was the starters or backups, got easily handled too often by interior offensive linemen.
Quinnen Williams didn’t have a good game against the run. He finished with one assisted tackle. That was all that was on the stat sheet.
Tough penalty by Williams late first half. On third-and-four, on the Jets’ 25, Williams jumped offsides, giving the Bengals a first down, and they scored a couple of plays later.
He also got locked up by one blocker on Samaje Perine’s 32-yard TD in the third quarter. That wasn’t the only big run up the middle that he struggled disengaging from a block.
If they get a good offer for Williams before the trade deadline, perhaps they should mull it.
Forget the media hype – based on the film, he’s a good player, but perhaps not elite, and when you pay a DT $24 million a year, you are paying for elite . . .
Safety Malachi Moore had a rough first half.
On a bomb to Tee Higgins down the right side for a 44-yard TD, he didn’t give cornerback AZ Thomas any help, leaving him on an island. Instead, he bit on something underneath that was already covered.
He was also late getting over to an out route to tight end Noah Fant that gained 16 yards, and he was dragged into the end zone on a Chase Brown 19-yard catch and run TD.
While the fourth-round pick is a nice prospect, with a lot of potential, perhaps he wasn’t ready to start just yet.
Just like linebacker Kiko Maulgoa, who started today’s game because Jamien Sherwood was held out of the first quarter for some reason, probably for disciplinary.
One reason it looked like it was for disciplinary reasons with Sherwood is that he was forced to play kick coverage in the first quarter while riding the bench of defense.
Aaron Glenn wouldn’t say the reason Sherwood was benched on defense in the first quarter.
Mauigoa had a rough first series, as often has been the case; he’s a tick late reacting in coverage. Not a lack of effort, but he’s not trusting his eyes.
This was also an issue when he was starting during some of Quincy Williams’ short stint on IR.
Why are they playing Mauigoa ahead of Mykal Walker, a 28-year-old six-year NFL veteran who is much better in coverage than Mauigoa? Makes little sense.
Football is such a poorly covered sport compared to the others.
People were told that Mauigoa was playing well, filling in for Quincy Williams, when he was struggling in coverage the entire time.
People were told he was playing well, so they believed it.
That doesn’t happen in baseball coverage, where you can’t hide in plain sight.
In football, you often can . . .
And all those people who claimed the Jets defense had a renaissance the previous two games, in close, low-scoring losses to Denver and Carolina, I have two names for you – Bo Nix and Bryce Young.
Case closed.
Great win for the Jets, but rough defensive outing today, though one bright spot was Thomas, who only gave up a couple of receptions (who doesn’t against Higgins/Chase), but for the most part played very well.
He had a terrific PD on Chase down the right sideline (that was almost a pick, but he didn’t reestablish his feet in bounds after going out of bounds).
Aside from his coverage, what was impressive about Thomas, just like last week, is that he tackles like a safety, always willing to “put his face in the fan” as scouts like to say about unfliching tacklers . . .
October 26, 2025
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