A little perspective
Sam Darnold does some good things in his NFL debut, but let’s not give him the Jets’ starting QB job just yet
Promising rookie quarterback Sam Darnold took his first big step Friday night toward winning the New York Jets starting job.
At least that’s the narrative being pushed by many in the Big Apple, after the Jets’ 17-0 defeat of the visiting Atlanta Falcons. Tabloid sports fronts breathlessly celebrated Darnold’s debut. “THE JETSIAH!” screamed the headline on the New York Daily News sports front. You get the picture.
A closer, critical analysis of Darnold’s overall play, however, falls short of exclamation marks.
On one drive Darnold was good. Maybe even great, for a rookie in his first pre-season game. The rest of the time, though, Darnold was nothing special. That’s being charitable. And that’s OK. He’s as green an NFL passer as the sweater he wore Friday night.
Darnold, the No. 3 overall pick in April’s NFL Draft, had entered the Jets’ first preseason game as the third of three passers on the depth chart. Josh McCown, 39, and Teddy Bridgewater, 25, both took reps Friday ahead of the 21-year-old from Southern Cal.
But all everyone was talking about late Friday night and Saturday in Jets circles was whether Darnold’s occasionally impressive play against Atlanta backups ought warrant some manner of promotion — be it more reps with first- and secondteamers in training-camp practices, or, hell, just anoint him No. 1 now and get it over with.
Jets head coach Todd Bowles didn’t exactly spray carbon- dioxide extinguishing fog on the praise blaze after the game. When will Bowles settle on a No.1QB?
“We’ll see how the preseason goes,” he said. “I’ll make my decision when it happens. I’m not going to jump to any conclusions after one game. I’m going to take my notes and watch practice and compare with the coaches, and we’ll come up with a decision. It’s a tough decision. We have three good players and we’re happy to have them.”
Hooboy. The fact Bowles didn’t underscore that Darnold remains the thirdstringer suggests he’s at least leaving the door open to raise Darnold up as far as the top of the heap. Which, in that media market, is akin to full-on confirmation that Darnold is rising faster than a Saturn V rocket.
In a token nod to sober assessment, Bowles at least said he “probably” won’t anoint a QB starter until after the fourth and final preseason game, Aug. 30.
McCown started Friday’s game but took only three snaps, completing his only pass, a four-yard dumpoff. The old man, who has a daughter only months younger than Darnold, could play and play quite well for as long as the Jets like, or need, until the youngster is ready.
So, it appears, could Bridgewater. He took the next 20 snaps, playing until 8:41 remained in the second quarter.
The former Minnesota Viking — who has yet to complete a regular-season pass since the last game of the 2015 season, because his left knee all but blew apart in a freak non-contact injury one the eve of the 2016 season — performed magnificently. Bridgewater hit on 7-of-8 for 85 yards and a touchdown. Not bad for a supposed second-option ‘bridge’ quarterback.
Then it was the Sam Darnold show.
While Darnold completed a 3rd-and-7 pass for a first down on a so-so first possession, it was his second drive that has Jets fans emboldened.
With 2:41 to go until halftime, Darnold piloted the Jets 64 yards in 10 plays for a touchdown, overcoming both false-start and offensive-pass-interference penalties, and completing passes of eight, nine, eight, one, 18 and eight yards before finally throwing an incompletion on 1st-andgoal from the Atlanta threeyard line.
After a running play lost a yard, Darnold on 3rd-andgoal hit receiver Charles Johnson for a four-yard touchdown.
The offensive PI penalty nullified it, but Darnold came right back and hit Johnson again for a score, from 14 yards out, on a quick out route just behind the front right pylon.
McCown went nuts on the Jets sideline. Bridgewater, too.
In the end, Darnold took 43 snaps (65% of all Jets plays in this game) and completed 13-of-18 for 96 yards, the one touchdown and no interceptions.
Apparently we are not supposed to notice or mind that Darnold did almost nothing of note in the second half. He completed just
4-of-7 for 24 yards.
Compare that to one night earlier, when two of his QB draft-class mates — No. 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield of Cleveland, and No. 7 pick Josh Allen of Buffalo — both made standout plays with, and against, third- and fourth-stringers.
For his part, Darnold admitted he was nervous, but more excited.
“I thought I played pretty good,” he said. “I think I just put the ball where it needed to be, tried to get it in the hands of our playmakers … I took care of the football, which was my main priority tonight.”