IT’S A SAM THING (NOT THE SAME THING)
Darnold’s poise, leadership and talent separate him from Gang Green’s failed QBs J
JETS FANS have been here before.
They have been teased by young quarterbacks who look like they could be the one.
They have been fooled by onegame wonders who made them dream of f inding that elusive franchise quarterback.
They have been burned by the flameouts of the careers of Browning Nagle, Mark Sanchez and Geno Smith. The scars are still there. You can feel that this week as the biggest question going around Jets fans’ heads is: To Believe or Not To Believe?
That is the question with Sam Darnold, the Jets’ rookie quarterback who showed resiliency Monday night when he bounced back from throwing an interception that was returned for a touchdown on the first play of his career. He put that play behind him and threw two touchdowns and played a big role in the Jets’ 48-17 win over the Lions.
It is OK, Jets fans. You can buy in. This kid is for real. Now, that is not to say off of one game we should compare him to Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers. There will be plenty of hiccups to come this season. As for the future, so much else has to go right for Darnold to realize his potential. But the foundation is there.
Darnold is different. That is not just based off Monday’s game, but what he has shown since the draft in April.
He is more mature than Sanchez, Smith or Nagle were. He is a more instinctive player than any of them. His poise is something that is rarely found in someone who only reached the legal drinking age three months ago.
“He’s the same guy every day,” coach Todd Bowles said Tuesday. “I think that’s important at the quarterback position for you to be the same guy every day whether it’s good or bad.”
Darnold won over the locker room this summer with his demeanor, talent and work ethic. Nagle had a cannon for an arm, but never worked at his craft. Smith was similar. Darnold wowed the Jets on his first day of training camp after ending his three-day contract impasse, practicing less than an hour after signing his contract and looking like he had not missed a meeting.
Then, there is the way he plays. He has instincts Sanchez lacked. Sanchez was a good quarterback when things went as designed. It was when things broke down that he could get himself in trouble. Darnold can play “off schedule,” as coaches say. He keeps his eyes downfield and he naturally feels the pass rush. He is mobile enough to extend plays and has a strong enough arm to then make the play.
The best of Darnold was on dis- play on one play Monday night. On third-and-7 from the Lions’ 14 in the first quarter, Darnold was in shotgun. Lions linebacker Jarrad Davis blitzed up the middle, beating guard James Carpenter. Darnold took a small step to his left to avoid Davis, then ran toward the right sideline to keep the play alive. He threw across his body to the left to Quincy Enunwa, who caught the ball for a first down. The Jets scored on the next play.
The win left his teammates searching for descriptions of him.
“He’s a stud,” tackle Kelvin Beachum said.
“He has that ‘it’ factor,” cornerback Trumaine Johnson said.
Even Bowles, who is not one for hyperbole, can’t hide his excitement about Darnold.
“He’s got an old soul, but he’s young in age,” Bowles said. “He understands the game very well. He works at it the right way.”
One game is not enough to put Darnold in Canton. There are so many things that could go wrong. The Jets must still build around Darnold. The Jets failure to do that around Sanchez doomed him. Darnold must stay healthy, of course. Chad Pennington looked like he was the answer before the injuries piled up.
But Darnold has traits that can’t be coached. He has talent that should make Jets fans excited about the future. If he stays healthy and the Jets do this right, they have their guy.
Go ahead Jets fans, believe. You have found your franchise quarterback.