Broncos’ Miller a big fan of Jets rookie Darnold
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) >> Von Miller acknowledges he’s no draft guru and is far from any kind of expert when it comes to quarterbacks. Well, except for sacking them, of course.
But the Denver Broncos star linebacker knew there was something special about Sam Darnold long before the New York Jets made him the No. 3 overall pick.
“I don’t know nothing about drafting a quarterback or anything like that, but I thought he was the No. 1 pick, for sure,” Miller said. “I thought he was the best offensive player in the draft.”
The Jets sure thought so, even if the teams ahead of them took guys on offense ahead of Darnold. Cleveland made quarterback Baker Mayfield the No. 1 overall pick, while the Giants went with running back Saquon Barkley with the next selection.
The Jets pounced on Darnold when their turn came up, and Miller can’t blame them.
“Baker Mayfield was the No. 1 pick, and rightfully so,” Miller said. “But in my opinion, watching everything, from a pass rusher’s point of view, I just felt like (Darnold) was the No. 1 pick in the draft. He wasn’t the No. 1 pick, but he’s definitely playing like it.”
Well, not quite. But Miller will get a chance for an up-close evaluation Sunday when the Broncos (2-2) travel to MetLife Stadium to take on Darnold’s Jets (1-3).
Darnold had a terrific NFL debut with two touchdown throws in New York’s win at Detroit, but has struggled a bit in the three games since — all losses — along with the rest of the Jets’ offense. He has just two TD passes in that span and four interceptions, although he didn’t toss one last Sunday at Jacksonville.
“As a team, I feel like we are really close, and for me personally I feel like I’m just on the edge,” Darnold said. “I’ve just got to continue to find completions, hit my guys deep when they’re there. It’ll come, it’s just a timing thing. It’s going to click one of these games, I know it is.”
This might be a tough week to get things going, though. Especially while facing a defense led by Miller, who has four sacks and two forced fumbles this season.
And, Darnold realizes Miller will be looking to add to those totals — despite all the high praise.
“It’s pretty cool that he said it,” Darnold said. “It’s definitely very humbling, very flattering, but at the same time, we’re going up against him . ... I’m just going to go out there and we’re going to handle him the way that we need to and go about our business that way.”
Here are some other things to know about the matchup between the Broncos and Jets: ON THE CASE Broncos quarterback Case Keenum had three touchdown passes in Denver’s 27-24 season-opening win against Seattle.
He has none in the three games since.
Keenum, who signed a two-year, $36 million deal with Denver in March, is the first Broncos QB since John Elway in 1986 to go three straight games with at least 20 throws and no TDs. SKIDDING The Jets are looking to snap a three-game losing streak and avoid their fourth four-game skid under coach Todd Bowles.
New York ended last season by losing four in a row, and also dropped that many twice in 2016 — with the team finishing 5-11 both years. Bowles is in his fourth season with the Jets and the heat has been turned up a bit under his seat. New York is 1-7 in its past eight, and 3-12 in the past 15. ON NOTICE The Broncos are coming off their first loss in 66 home games in which they held a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter, and nobody is spared criticism over Denver’s Monday night meltdown in a 27-23 loss to the Chiefs.
“We need more from our main guys on both sides of the ball,” coach Vance Joseph said of the Broncos’ cratering in crunch time.