As if an 0-2 start to the season wasn’t enough of a challenge already, things will look different at quarterback when the New York Jets take the field in Week 3.
Sunday’s game will see Tyrod Taylor, not Justin Fields, make the start. Fields remains in concussion protocol following a Week 2 injury, and head coach Aaron Glenn ruled him out on Wednesday.
It isn’t the end of the world, however, especially after such a poor showing in Fields’ second game as a Jet. Many elements of Taylor’s profile, including his approach, should have Jets fans optimistic about the short-term transition.
Tyrod Taylor Mastering Balancing Act of Competitive Fire vs. Accepting Jets Role
Taylor certainly seems up for the challenge. This isn’t his first rodeo. Speaking to the media on September 17, the 36-year-old explained how he balances his strong desire to play with the need to be a quality teammate.
Serving as a backup can sometimes be a thankless job, but Taylor simply keeps his head down and stays ready.
“I embrace it,” Taylor said. “God has a plan for everyone. Obviously, you want to be out there playing, but there’s other ways you can affect the team in a positive way. And as I sit and wait my time for the opportunity to present itself, I can’t be a bad teammate. I can’t sulk in what if or what should happen. The reality of it is that I need to be in the moment, and I’ve learned to be more vocal over the years.
“I think as a quarterback, eyes are always on you. So, how you are when you’re up, when you’re down, when things aren’t going your way, it’s a reflection of your character. So, I’ve never been one to, I guess question why my time isn’t right then or right now, it’s more so just preparing myself for whenever it does happen that I make the most of it.”
In Week 2’s 30-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills, Taylor entered the game in the fourth quarter. To that point, Fields was just 3-of-11 for 27 passing yards. Taylor quickly found his footing, completing 7 of 11 passes and rushing for another 21 yards. The veteran signal-caller threw a final-frame touchdown — the Jets‘ only one of the afternoon.
Now, it’ll be his rodeo against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.
New York Is in Good Hands Given Taylor’s Extensive Experience
Fortunately for Gang Green, this isn’t a typical starter-goes-down scenario. Taylor, now in year No. 15, has tons of reps under his belt.
Entering Week 3, the former sixth-round pick has appeared in 95 regular-season games. Fifty-eight of those were starts. In his outings, Taylor’s attempted 1,763 passes and racked up 12,310 passing yards with 69 touchdowns and 29 interceptions. He boasts an 89.0 passer rating and is a threat on the ground, too (2,302 career rushing yards, 19 touchdowns).
He’s also no spring chicken when it comes to picking up offenses. Being a journeyman came in handy when he signed with the Jets last year. It makes adjusting to a new system relatively simple.
“I wouldn’t say there’s any challenges at this point,” Taylor said. “Obviously, when you get a new offense, it’s just forgetting old verbiage. A lot of the concepts have some carry over to it. Obviously, some coaches, some offensive coordinators are unique in their own way, but there’s a lot of similar concepts with a few different wrinkles, so it’s just about learning new terminology and forgetting old ones. But in the same breath, it’s also having familiarity with a concept and only having to just forget a word. It kind of gives me, I think, an advantage as far as learning the offense in the spring, so I don’t look at it as a challenge.”
Taylor is a veteran of the Jets, in addition to the Bills, Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Chargers, Houston Texans and New York Giants. That’s a ton of background knowledge to tap into.
Regardless of whether the results show it, New York should be in capable hands on Sunday despite Fields’ absence.
Jets Fans Will Love Tyrod Taylor’s Approach to Starting Week 3