EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. —The New York Jets did not punt in the first half vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers — the first time that's happened in a game since at least 1991, acccording to the Jets public relations department.
The Jets scored via a field goal, touchdown, touchdown and field goal on four of their five possessions in the first half. The last possession was just three plays to end the half.
The Jets had their way on the ground, rushing for 106 yards on 21 carries (5.0 average) and one touchdown in the first half.
Fields scored on a 2-yard quarterback sneak to enhance the Jets' lead to 26-17 with 3:46 remaining in the third quarter. It was an eight-play, 68-yard touchdown drive led by Fields. A 17-yard run by running back Breece Hall and a 21-yard completion from Fields to Garrett Wilson were the big plays on the drive.
At the end of the third quarter, the Steelers defense has allowed 320 yards of offense, with 147 of those yards coming in the run game.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have stars at every level of their defense, and that had head coach Mike Tomlin believing the group can be very special in 2025.
In fact, Tomlin recently admitted that he thinks the Steelers defense could turn out to be one of the best ever.
"We feel really good about the prospects of this group. We do," Tomlin told the DVE Morning Show . "We've got to write that story. We've got enough talent, we've got enough schematics to do big, big things. When I say big things, I'm talking about historic things."
Pittsburgh has added some very intriguing players to the group this offseason. The team first signed veteran cornerback Darius Slay and safety Juan Thornhill in free agency.
Both players are former Super Bowl champions and bring some much-needed experience and championship pedigree to the Steelers secondary.
Pittsburgh then bolstered its defensive line by double dipping at the position in the 2025 NFL Draft, selecting Derrick Harmon in the first round and Yahya Black in the fifth.
However, general manager Omar Khan had one more trick up his sleeve as he executed arguably the biggest trade of the offseason, sending All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey and Pro Bowl tight end Jonnu Smith .
To say the least, it's been a rough first outing for a defense that has huge expectations. The Steelers also one again have the highest-paid defense in the NFL.
Entering the 2025 season, the Steelers have allocated the most salary cap space to defense of any team in the league, spending $158 million on Teryl Austin's side of the ball and only $93.7 million on Arthur Smith's offense. Not only are the Steelers No. 1 in defensive spending, they're an extreme outlier. No other team has spent even $140 million. It's the fourth straight season the Steelers have led the league in defensive spending.
Alan Saunders provided reporting for East Rutherford N.J.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Jets Offense Breaks Long-Standing Record vs. Steelers
Related Headlines
