Darnold’s future is in doubt
The most maddening, frustrating and annoying part of Sam Darnold’s development is that we might never find out he could be as long as he’s shackled by this organization.
Darnold’s three-interception nightmare is on the marquee of the Jets’ latest stinker Sunday, but the root of the problem must be addressed.
Although the third-year quarterback obviously isn’t blameless in Gang Green’s embarrassing 36-7 loss to the Colts, nearly everyone around him has failed him so far.
From the general manager who made empty offseason promises to the head coach unfit to lead a Pee Wee team to the owner’s younger brother waxing poetic about the perennially losing coach, Darnold has been set up to go up in flames.
Sure, the 23-year-old has tried his darndest to fight the avalanche of ineptitude, flashing his special gifts in moments, but it’s not enough. It’s not nearly enough.
The Son of Jor-El couldn’t overcome this environment.
Darnold went 17-for-29 for 168 yards and three interceptions, including two pick-sixes and a costly mistake in the end zone.
“I just got to play consistent,” said Darnold, whose 47.0 passer rating was in the bottom five of his career. “I’m not playing consistent enough to play well in this league… Make the plays when they’re there. When they’re not, just get rid of the ball. Check it down. Do all the right things I need to do.”
Although Darnold predictably didn’t point the finger at this embattled coach and insisted that “we’ve been put in great positions to go out there and succeed,” it just doesn’t pass the eye test.
Darnold was tasked to do the near-impossible in Indianapolis against an opponent that, frankly, has its you-know-what together. He was tasked to win a professional football game with a collection of laughably subpar wide receivers. He was tasked to win it all by himself, because Lord knows his head coach wasn’t going to help him out.
Darnold started the game without his best running back, top three receivers, center and right tackle. He lost his starting left tackle along the way, setting the stage for a cringeworthy second half that included a second pick-six and sack for a safety.
He couldn’t do anything because there were no lifelines.
Adam Gase did what Adam Gase does best: Shrink in the face of a challenge.
Never before and never again will you witness a coach that waves the white flag quicker when things aren’t optimal than this guy.
Expecting Gase to help his young pupil is a lost cause.
Gase fell to 30-38 as a head coach, including 30 double-digit losses, 25 of them by at least two touchdowns. So, the CEO’s hand-picked “brilliant offensive mind” who’s “coaching football to where it’s going” has the same number of double-digit losses as career wins. Only the most gullible would continue to believe his excuses for his repeated failings.
“I’m going to do what I always do,” Gase said after the loss. “Come back to work tomorrow and try to get things fixed. It’s something I can’t worried about. I got to focus on getting our guys right.” Here’s what Gase is: A good salesman. Here’s what Gase isn’t: A leader of men. Remember when things went sideways for Darnold early last season?
It took the kid being proactive to try the solve the problem.
Gase was perfectly content hiding out in his office rather than actually leading men out of trouble. It’s why Gase isn’t respected by players or coaches even if they won’t say it out loud.
It’s also why this franchise should never entrust Gase with another young quarterback if they ultimately move on from Darnold, who doesn’t deserve to be a part of this mess.
On a day when Josh Allen rallied the Bills with an electrifying four-touchdown performance, Darnold was running for his life and forcing the matter in an attempt to jumpstart a lifeless team that has become the league laughingstock after three games. The Jets have lost three games by a combined 57 points.
They’re a punchline.
Darnold’s pick-six on a pass intended for an undrafted rookie that was just elevated from the practice squad set the tone on the opening drive. Darnold teased all of us with a brilliant 16-yard strike to Braxton Berrios on the second drive. Darnold escaped two defenders and fired a bullet on the run to tie the game in the first quarter.
That was just about it.
Darnold, who had his first multi-interception game since Week 8 at Jacksonville last season, threw an ill-advised pass that was picked off in the end zone on first and goal later in the first half. Then, he topped it off with his second pick-six after intermission.
By the end, he was running for his life, right, left and anywhere to avoid a rush of defenders behind a leaky offensive line.