Aaron Glenn saves his job with season-altering statement Jets win

The New York Jets have done it. It's been 402 days since the Jets fan base has been able to (almost) universally celebrate a victory from their favorite football team. At times this season, it felt like this fan base would never be able to experience that feeling again.

But against all odds, without Garrett Wilson, Sauce Gardner, and a number of key players, the Jets battled back from down two touchdowns on multiple occasions to win the first game of the Aaron Glenn era.

It was a much-needed statement win for a head coach who had received endless criticism over the last couple of months, much of which was deserved. But Glenn pressed all the right buttons in this one and led his team to victory.

Glenn played to win. He was aggressive, and his team responded with their first victory of the season. You can't say enough good things about the performances of both Glenn and Justin Fields in this game.

Aaron Glenn and Justin Fields may have saved their jobs in the Jets' Week 8 win

Fields finished the game 21-of-32 for 244 yards and a touchdown, adding 31 yards on the ground. He looked confident and composed behind a Jets offensive line that was utterly dominant in all facets.

The Bengals managed just one hit on Fields the entire game, and the former Ohio State quarterback took advantage of a shoddy Cincinnati secondary. This was easily his best performance since Week 1, and perhaps his best of the season.

Breece Hall rushed for a season-high 133 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries, with Isaiah Davis adding 65 yards of his own, most of which came on a 50-yard second-half run.

It's impossible to overstate how significant this win is for Fields and Glenn. With all the noise and deserved outside criticism those two have received over the last few weeks, this game means everything to them and the rest of the players in the locker room.

The Jets won a football game, and football is fun again. It remains to be seen if the team can follow this up with success post-bye, but for one week, this was everything Glenn needed to reassure fans and media that this team is going in the right direction.

It wasn't perfect. There are still valid criticisms. But a win is a win — and winning heals all.