The New York Jets lost 34-32 to the Pittsburgh Steelers in their 2025 NFL season opener in a game that still did inspire hope.
The Jets had a look at the win late but fell just short as the offense could not put up the final points. Even so, that side of the ball led by quarterback Justin Fields was impressive.
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A deeper look at one stat proves that.
Jets punter Austin McNamara was not busy until the second half of the contest. He punted the ball twice, both occasions taking place after halftime.
That’s the important context.
According to the Jets, it was first time since the 1991 season that the Green and White’s offense did not punt the ball in the first half of a game:
Fields finished the outing 16-for-22 passing for 218 yards with a touchdown. He also had two rushing scores.
Also impressing on the ground was running back Breece Hall. He averaged 5.6 yards per carry as he took 19 handoffs for 107 yards.
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All in all, the Jets won’t want to allow 34 points again this season on defense. However, the silver lining on offense in the loss to the Steelers was a positive change from recent years.
This article originally appeared on Jets Wire: Jets offense sets positive team benchmark despite loss to Steelers