Jets’ Darnold focused on now, but excited about the future
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) >> Sam Darnold knows this is only the beginning.
It has been an up-anddown rookie season for the New York Jets quarterback, marked by some costly mistakes, flashes of brilliance, promising progress and invaluable experience.
Darnold can also scratch fourth-quarter comeback off the list after directing the Jets past the Buffalo Bills last Sunday.
“I always say that I’m taking it one game at a time and that’s definitely true, but at the same time, I do think about where I’m going to be at in a year or two from now,” Darnold said Tuesday. “I’m really excited about where I can go from here and really optimistic about the future and what it holds.”
So are the Jets, who are 4-9 after snapping a six-game skid with a 27-23 victory. It
was Darnold’s first game in over a month because of a foot injury, and it put the No. 3 overall draft pick back on track for a positive finish to the season.
There was an early scare when Darnold had to leave the game for X-rays after it appeared he re-injured his foot. A sense of relief — by Darnold, the Jets and fans — followed when he was able to return to the field. And he got better as the day went along, even in the coldest game of the California kid’s career.
“I prepared really hard,” Darnold said. “I thought I had a really good week of practice, my foot felt great. So, obviously, I had the hiccup there after the first drive but after that I came back out and felt fine. So it felt good, it wasn’t too cold or anything out there.
“Yeah, I felt really good and I was confident in our guys, like I always am, and felt really good about going out there and slinging it.”
Darnold made plays with his right arm and both of his feet against the Bills, capped by the comeback that had everyone in the organization feeling good again about the face of the franchise.
And he has three more games to improve, something in which he puts a lot of stock.