Possible Jet Bruin up hope
THERE IS one critically important question surrounding Woody Johnson’s UK ambassadorship that could have seismic implications on his billion-dollar business: Will his cable TV subscriber inside the Winfield House at Regent’s Park have the PAC-12 Network?
The Jets owner might be knee-deep in preserving world peace for the next three years, but he’ll try to have his finger on the pulse of his wayward franchise, too.
Here’s the worst-kept secret in the NFL: The Jets will select a quarterback high in the 2018 draft if everything goes according to the owner’s plan. USC’s Sam Darnold and UCLA’s Josh Rosen are the leaders in the clubhouse to become the future Jets quarterback, an unenviable distinction since man first walked on the moon.
There’s no word on whether Johnson, who has technically ceded day-to-day control of the Jets to younger brother Chris (but will be in the loop for all major developments), watched the first weekend of college football. If not, he missed a doozy Sunday night. Rosen, the devil-may-care Bruins signal caller, pulled off a comeback for the ages that left the football world abuzz during the holiday weekend.
Rosen led UCLA to the secondlargest comeback in NCAA history in a 45-44 thriller over Texas A&M with a career-high 491-yard, fourtouchdown masterpiece, letting everyone in on a little secret: He’s good at football.
The scouting community was already fully aware of Rosen’s gifts. Now the rest of us know, too.
Rosen was knocked around like a piñata in a first half that would have sent lesser quarterbacks to the infirmary. He was sacked twice, hit eight times and knocked down seven times on 25 drop-backs before intermission. He was wincing, limping, dazed and confused at the slop around him. Poor pass protection coupled with a horrific defense put Rosen & Co. in a 44-10 hole with four minutes left in the third quarter.
Then, Rosen displayed the kind of magic that has NFL people drooling. The Jets were one of eight NFL teams in attendance to witness this miracle comeback, according to Yahoo sports. I’m guessing the Gang Green rep filed a favorable report.
Rosen was flammable during an unforgettable fourth quarter that added to his growing legend. The junior quarterback, who missed six games last season due to a shoulder injury, went 19 for 26 for 294 yards and four touchdowns in the final 15 minutes. Twenty-three years after Dan Marino’s fake-spike touchdown crushed the Jets’ soul, Rosen did the exact same thing to complete the miracle win.
Through it all, Rosen displayed toughness, resilience and a confidence that the Jets so desperately desire at the game’s most pivotal position. He blended savvy with a little luck (see: fourth-quarter touchdown pass that somehow sailed through a defender’s arms).
He made smart decisions, risky decisions and winning decisions.
He generated more excitement for Jets fans in one quarter than those poor folks can expect in 17 weeks. Rosen gave them a chance to dream about what life with a franchise quarterback might be like. He carried a suspect supporting cast to one of the most memorable games in the past decade. He exuded the kind of stardom that Johnson has been looking for since he bought the Jets 17 years ago.
Rosen was clearly atop the Future Jets Quarterback Power Rankings, but it’s important to keep in mind that it’s only one week. If you think I’m going to overreact to one game, you’re wrong.
The Rosen One has another three months to top this.
Meanwhile, Darnold should still very much be a part of the equation for the Jets. The Heisman Trophy favorite went 23 for 33 for 289 yards and two interceptions in USC’s 49-31 victory over Western Michigan. Darnold played better than his numbers indicated. He might not have wowed us in the opener, but he still has franchise-quarterback hair.
Wyoming’s Josh Allen looked overmatched (23 for 40 for 174 yards, no TDs, 2 INTs) in a 24-3 loss to Iowa on Saturday.
Darnold and Allen will have their moments in what promises to be a fun season for Jets fans looking at the bigger picture. n a Jets weekend highlighted by cutting a long-snapper and picking up a quartet of nobodies on the waiver wire to solidify the bottom of the worst roster in the NFL, three college quarterbacks provided the most intrigue for Johnson’s fan base. Rosen stole the show. “Love my team,” Rosen tweeted after his masterpiece.
Woody Johnson can only hope the kid will say the same thing next year.
I