Learning by losing
Jets find positives in Darnold’s so-so stats
On paper, it was a dud, not the kind of performance that screamed breakthrough. A 50 percent completion rate, 4.9 yards per completion and only 167 yards through the air aren’t numbers Sam Darnold will remember fondly.
But the Jets, notably head coach Todd Bowles and offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates, saw otherwise in Sunday’s ugly loss to the Jaguars. They saw a young player adjusting to the speed of the game, making quicker decisions, faster reads, fighting against arguably the best defense in the NFL and taking shots down the field.
“It was a step forward in a lot of things for Sam,” Bates said. “I just think he was more comfortable as far as in the game. He was seeing things a lot clearer than the Thursday night game [against the Browns].”
After the Jets’ impressive opener against the Lions, Darnold has predictably regressed, dealing with the usual rookie struggles. The third overall pick in the draft has thrown just two touchdown passes in that span, four interceptions and completed 57-of-106 passes for 670 yards.
For a player used to winning so much — in two years at USC, Darnold was 20-4 as the starter — it’s not easy to find glimmers of hope in a one-sided defeat, especially when the numbers are meager.
But in quarterback meetings this week, that was illustrated to him by Bates and veteran backup quarterback and mentor Josh McCown. His progress was pointed out. McCown believes it’s one of the biggest challenges for a rookie quarterback starting right away, to not let the losses impact his play. “You can’t let it beat you down,” McCown said. “That’s the other thing, what you do when times get tough, and the games go the way they have the last few weeks. You have to continue to fight back, continue to come back and get better, and have that focus. I think that’s the best thing he’s done so far. “As you’re learning to play this position and grow in this position, especially early on, you may not win every game. Things may not necessarily happen. But you can’t go outside of what it takes to grow, and get outside what you’re being asked to do. That’s the [great] thing about Sam. He’s been disciplined and done everything he’s asked to do and the coaches are asking him to do. I think that will pay dividends down the road.” That’s not to say the Jets or Darnold should be thrilled with his most recent performance. There were big plays he narrowly missed, points left out on the field. Still, the Jets have been encouraged by how Darnold has dealt with the first quarter of this season. The losses haven’t defeated him. His demeanor has re- mained steady, the same after the three losses as the lone win.
“I see the same person every day,” wide receiver Jermaine Kearse said. “I don’t think he’s losing confidence.”
Added Bowles: “I mean, that’s why we got him, that’s why he’s playing and I think he’ll get better each week.”
He’s faced a demanding schedule. His first three games were in the span of 11 days. Three of the Jets’ four games have been on the road. The Browns and Jaguars feature strong defenses. There may not be a tougher defensive coordinator to face for a rookie than Cleveland’s Gregg Williams. And the Jets believe he’ll be stronger for it in the long run.
“He’s starting to make better decisions, better reads and taking chances,” Kearse said. “He’s just seeing a lot of stuff, certain blitzes, who’s dropping, who’s coming, who’s rolling — coverage stuff. That’s what I think he’s starting to see faster, and anticipate where he wants to go [with the ball].”
It has yet to show in the results. The numbers remain pedestrian. But the Jets are convinced he’s making strides, and they expect to see that tangibly soon — they hope, Sunday against the Broncos.
“Those incompletions,” Bates said, “will turn into completions.”