In shocking turn, Justin Fields getting another chance to rewrite narrative

New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields has earned some harsh criticism for his play this season, perhaps none harsher from within his organization.

But with Tyrod Taylor (knee) officially out for Week 8 against the Cincinnati Bengals (3-4), the 2021 first-round pick gets a chance to silence his loudest critics.

Justin Fields has big opportunity against Cincinnati Bengals in Week 8

For the past two weeks, Fields has been among the league's worst quarterbacks. Before being benched at halftime of last Sunday's 13-6 loss to the Carolina Panthers (4-3), Fields was 15-of-29 for 91 yards (3.1 yards per attempt) while losing 76 yards on 12 sacks since the start of Week 6. 

Including his rushing totals, Fields accounted for 68 net yards on 52 plays. Among 31 quarterbacks with at least 30 plays from Weeks 6-7, Fields ranked last in expected points added (EPA) per play (-0.0562), via Rbsdm.com.

His play has significantly dipped after a promising start to the season. During his first four starts, which included a Week 2 loss to the Buffalo Bills (4-2) when a concussion limited him to 29 snaps, Fields completed 67 percent of his pass attempts for 754 yards (7.1 yards per attempt) and seven total touchdowns.

The Bengals present an excellent opportunity for Fields to get back on track. Cincinnati's defense has picked up where it left off last season despite swapping out defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, who is thriving with the Indianapolis Colts, for former Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden.

Cincinnati ranks second-last in the league in scoring and total defense, allowing 30.6 points and 394.4 yards per game. It has the fifth-lowest pressure rate (16.9 percent), per Pro Football Reference data, while only recording 11 sacks. The Bengals also have an NFL-high 81 missed tackles, 25 more than the next-closest teams (Seattle Seahawks, Washington Commanders).

If Fields can't have success against a hapless Bengals defense, then it could be officially time to deem the experiment a failure.

Johnson appears to have already thrown in the towel. Earlier this week, the Jets owner backed head coach Aaron Glenn, who is still seeking his first win, while throwing Fields under the bus, telling reporters, "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.

"The offensive is not clicking, and you can't run the ball if you can't pass the ball. That's football 101," Johnson added, via ESPN.

The past two weeks have put a significant dent in the thought of Fields being a permanent solution for the Jets (0-7) at quarterback. Sunday could be his last chance to change minds.