EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. _ The Jets have a lot of problems to fix. A lot. What happened on Sunday against the Steelers doesn't change any of that.
But their 16-10 win over Pittsburgh is a reason to believe that maybe, just maybe the Jets can get this thing turned around more quickly than we might have thought.
With a quarterback that's still learning and offensive line that's still a complete mess, Sam Darnold and the Jets managed to do enough to win against one of the best defenses in the league. Darnold, despite struggling for most of the second half, made a couple of key plays on a field goal drive late in the fourth quarter that helped them pull out the win. Darnold finished 16-of-26 for 183 yards and a touchdown.
And though Pittsburgh was a mess on offense _ alternating their second- and third-string quarterbacks, and enduring several key injuries _ the Jets' patchwork defense continued to get the job done when it had to, keeping the Steelers out of the end zone on the final drive of the game _ Marcus Maye had a remarkable pass breakup in the end zone _ and allowing only one touchdown all day.
Sunday's game doesn't mean the Jets will be good in 2020. They still have so many key pieces to fill. But by beating the playoff-contending Steelers, there should be hope that if things swing right for them this offseason, they can be a much more competitive team in 2020.
