Jets open with blowout win
Darnold shines in NFL debut, New York sets team record in rout of Detroit
DETROIT — Sam Darnold made a stellar debut despite throwing a pick-6 on his first NFL snap and the New York Jets intercepted five passes while routing the Detroit Lions 48-17 on Monday night.
The 21-year-old Darnold became the youngest quarterback to start a season opener since the 1970 AFLNFL merger, and he got off to a shaky start. Quandre Diggs intercepted his ill-advised, across-the-field lob toward the left sideline on the first play from scrimmage and returned it 37 yards for a touchdown 20 seconds into the game.
“On that interception, I was pretty nervous,” Darnold said. “After that, I put it behind me.”
The former USC star shook it off and completed 16 of 21 passes for 198 yards and two touchdowns.
“He didn’t flinch,” Jets coach Todd Bowles said. “He didn’t even blink.”
Darnold helped the Jets set a franchise record for points on the road, surpassing the 47 they scored in 1967 against the Boston Patriots. He also outplayed 30-year-old Matthew Stafford.
Stafford threw four interceptions — one shy of his career high — and left the game briefly in the third quarter after being hit from the front and back. He was mercifully taken out midway through the fourth quarter and replaced by Matt Cassel with Detroit down 31. Stafford was 27 of 46 for 286 yards and a TD pass to Golden Tate early in the third quarter to tie it at 17.
The Jets dominated in all phases. They scored 31 straight in the third quarter to pull away, sending Detroit’s fans for the exits and setting off a jolly green party in the Motor City.
It was the highest-scoring third quarter in team history and trailed only the 34-point second quarter the Brett Favre-led team scored in 2008 against Arizona.
New York scored on the ground and through the air, on defense and on a punt return. The Jets could’ve piled on even more in the final minutes but turned the ball over on downs after kneeling to take time off the clock. Darnold flipped the ball to a referee after the final kneel down, and the official gave it right back before shaking the rookie’s hand.
It was a miserable coaching debut for Detroit’s Matt Patricia.
“Had a couple good plays,” Patricia
said. “But a couple good plays isn’t going to make a game.”
RAMS 33, RAIDERS 13: In Oakland, Calif., Jared Goff threw two touchdown passes and Todd Gurley ran for 108 yards to help Los Angeles beat Oakland and spoil the return of Raiders head coach Jon Gruden.
The Raiders opened the game with a 75-yard drive, capped by a Marshawn Lynch touchdown run, to take an early lead in Gruden’s first game as head coach of the Raiders since 2001.
Goff found Cooper Kupp for an eight-yard touchdown on the last play of third quarter to put the Rams up 20-13.
Derek Carr threw three interceptions for Oakland, including one in the end zone and one that was returned for a touchdown by Marcus Peters late in the fourth quarter.