Justin Fields’ health will determine Jets’ starting QB in Week 4

There is only one quarterback controversy brewing in New York.

While the Giants try to determine whether to start Russell Wilson or Jaxson Dart in Week 4, the Jets are just trying to determine whether Justin Fields will be healthy enough to reclaim the reins from Tyrod Taylor in time to play Monday against the Dolphins.

Fields needs to gain medical clearance from an independent neurologist at the end of the NFL’s five-step concussion protocol.

He was not spotted at last Friday’s open portion of practice, which suggested he was still in the early stages of recovery.

“Justin came in as our starter. He’s been our starter,” head coach Aaron Glenn said. “Tyrod was the backup. I want to make sure I know exactly where Justin’s at. I don’t want to say anything until I know that Justin’s clear. So once Justin is clear, I’ll let you know exactly where we’re going.”

Sticking to the preseason pecking order makes sense given that Fields had a great 119.1 rating in Week 1 and an awful 39.6 rating in Week 2.

The Jets, who are back on the field for a walk-through Wednesday, should want their two-year, $40 million investment to unbalance the scales with a longer sample size before considering any broad changes like turning to the 36-year-old Taylor as more than a fill-in.

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The Jets are one of three teams without a takeaway so far.

Harrison Phillips’ strip-sack of Baker Mayfield was the fourth forced fumble by the Jets without a recovery in three games. 

“That is not due to a lack of effort,” Phillips said. “If you look on the tape, guys are flying around. Those punch-outs that we don’t fall on, that’s just fortunate. That football is shaped a really weird way, and it bounces a really strange way.”

So, what’s the solution?

“That’s something that we’ll emphasize extremely heavy this week by punching at the football,” Phillips said. “You guys out [at practice] I’m sure you will see a lot of our running backs with bruises up and down their forearms.”

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Glenn did not offer an update on the status of LB Quincy Williams, who missed the second half with a shoulder injury.

But teammate Marcelino McCrary-Ball was emotional thinking back on Williams’ injury.

“I’m happy he’s going to be all right and everything,” he said, “but any time you have those injury timeouts, you don’t want to see it.”

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Two minutes after Will McDonald IV blocked a field goal by broad-jumping over the long snapper and returned the loose ball for a touchdown, he was lined up back on the edge to try to block the game-winning field goal.

McCrary-Ball, a special-teams captain, didn’t have an explanation for the adjustment.

“We got this call, we’re going to try to execute it and try to block it just like we did the previous one and all the other ones,” McCrary-Ball said. “We shouldn’t have even put ourselves in that position to get all the way down there and kick that field goal.”