Jets owner defends coach Glenn, blames winless start on QB Fields - ESPN

NEW YORK — The winless New York Jets are planning a quarterback change, sources told ESPN, with owner Woody Johnson weighing in Tuesday with stinging criticism of incumbent Justin Fields.

Johnson said the decision is «completely up to» coach Aaron Glenn, who is moving toward naming Tyrod Taylor the new starter, the sources said. But Johnson left little doubt about his view on the matter.

He praised Glenn for «turning around parts» of the team, but added, «It's hard when you have a quarterback with a rating that he's got. I mean, he has ability, but something just is not jiving.… You have to play consistently at that position, and that's what we're going to try to do for the remainder of the season.»

Johnson, speaking to reporters at the NFL fall meetings in Manhattan, said improvements on defense and special teams provide hope for a turnaround. Then he delivered this zinger: «If we can just complete a pass, it would look good.»

They gave Fields a two-year, $40 million contract, including $30 million in guarantees. The plan was to give him a full season to see if he could be their long-term answer.

After an 0-7 start, the Jets apparently have seen enough. Glenn, who benched Fields at halftime on Sunday, is expected to announce his decision on Wednesday. The Jets face the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.

«The offense is just not clicking, and you can't run the ball if you can't pass the ball,» Johnson said. «That's football 101.»

In six starts, Fields has posted a career-low 32.1 Total QBR, ranking 31st out of 33 qualified passers. He played one of the best games of his career against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1, but his performance regressed in recent weeks. The Jets have only seven touchdowns in the last six games,