Jets Fans May See More Of Justin Fields In New Role
Justin Fields made nine starts for the New York Jets this season before the team ultimately went in a different direction and benched him in favor of the Tyrod Taylor.
Taylor is a 15-year veteran, who can potentially help to uplift New York's passing attack. But he doesn't have the same running upside as Fields. So, the decision to move from Fields to Taylor looks like an indication that the team wants to see what it has in the air. While this is the case, Fields did do some positive things on the ground as the team's starting quarterback.
Fields got benched after the Jets lost against the New England Patriots. Of all of the games this season, that one was not his worst of the season. Fields went 15-of-26 passing for 116 yards and a touchdown and added 67 yards on the ground and a rushing touchdown. New England has a tough defense, especially against the run, but Fields and the Jets were able to move down the field against it.
Will the Jets use Justin Fields?
Even though Fields is no longer the Jets' starting quarterback, it seems as though they know he can bring something positive with his legs and ESPN's Rich Cimini alluded to ongoing discussions about the possibility of using Fields in Wildcat packages.
"Not a fan: Fields said there's been some discussion about using him in a Wildcat role, but he has 'mixed feelings' about it. Going in cold, he said, creates the potential for a soft-tissue injury," Cimini wrote.
If the Jets are looking to shock an opposing defense at some point, bringing Fields onto the field out of the blue for Wildcat packages could do the trick. It would be a change of scenery from what Taylor can do at this point in his career.
It's a good idea to keep opposing defenses on their toes, but will New York actually implement the plays? That's another question. If you bench a guy and then a few weeks later start using him in gimmicky packages, it is an interesting look, to say the least.
Cowboys’ Dak Prescott Updates Week 12 Hip Injury
When you’re dealing with a 32-year-old quarterback who is in his 10th season, it’s always going to be a concern if his name crops up on the injury report days before a critical game. So when Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, all 32 years of him, was not a full participant in practice on Wednesday, and when he was officially listed as dealing with a hip injury, there was many a furrowed brow at The Star.
But coach Brian Schottenheimer on Wednesday tried to tamp down worries about the health of Prescott, who is in the midst of an outstanding season after last year’s injury-riddled debacle, which was torpedoed by a severe hamstring injury.
On Thursday, Prescott spoke to reporters and further quelled any hip concerns, saying that had the practice week been a normal one–the Cowboys were in action on Monday night–he would not have been on the injured list at all.
Dak Prescott: ‘I’m Fine’
Prescott was a full go at Cowboys practice on Thursday as the team gears up for Sunday’s showdown against the Eagles in Dallas. Through 10 games this season, Prescott leads the NFL with 253 completions, and 130 first downs. He has thrown for 2,587 yards, with 12 touchdowns and six interceptions.
He had 268 yards and four touchdowns on Monday despite suffering the hip injury early in the game.
“I’m fine,” Prescott said. “Got hit in the game, fell on it—happened, early in the game, played the whole game throughout it. Physical game, it’s sore. I’ve been full, I was a full participant today. I’ll be completely fine, I have played with much more soreness.”
Cowboys Looking at Must-Win Games
The Cowboys will be contending with an Eagles team that has had some adversity lately, on the offensive side of the ball. Defensively, they’ve been a nightmare, holding their last two opponents to 16 total points. Philadelphia has held two of its last three opponents below 200 yards passing.
At 4-5-1, the Cowboys have no margin of error, but Prescott is keeping playoff hopes alive, no matter how thin they may be.
“It’s the position we put ourselves in,” Prescott said. “Just understanding, to get into this postseason, what we have to do. Right now, sure, we can control it but it means we have to go win every game. Like CeeDee (Lamb) said, it is like a playoff game … all of these are must wins. But we gotta take them one at a time, and right now it’s Philly. Hell of an opponent, great division rival and no better place to start.”
Dak Prescott on Verge of Cowboys Record
In the bigger picture, Prescott is also nearing a significant milestone with the Cowboys–he is just 159 yards behind Tony Romo for the franchise’s all-time lead in passing yardage. Prescott has 34,024 in his career.
“I am humbled,” Prescott said of the record. “Thankful to be healthy and to be in this position to do it. I was on a production call earlier and they asked me the same thing, would I have thought this 10 years ago. And I said, yeah, I was very arrogant as a rookie.
“If you’re playing this game long enough and you can stay healthy, with my expectations of what my play is, that’s supposed to happen. Just thankful, humble, and super-grateful to be playing the game I love at this high a level. I look forward to keep going.”
