DESHAUN OF THE DREAD
Jets’ tall task of keeping Houston QB Watson in check today is far from elementary:
The beauty of Sam Darnold's fourth-quarter magic last weekend was more than just a few highlight-reel moments to replay on an endless loop. No, the coolest part of all was that it gave us a window into what might become of this talented kid.
Jets fans have been fooled before in their desperate search for a differencemaking quarterback. They've been riddled with heartache one disappointment at a time, but there's something about Darnold that even the glass-half empty crowd must concede: He actually believes in himself.
It's easy to spot fake bravado and phony self-confidence. I've been around enough quarterbacks to know when a guy is trying to convince everyone, especially himself, that he can handle the responsibility and pressure of living up to heightened expectations.
Darnold is genuine. He's unflappable.
While so many players were hootin' and hollerin' like giddy schoolboys let out for recess in the wake of the Jets first win in nearly a month last Sunday, Darnold was his typical cool self, enjoying the moment without saying a word.
Think about that. He was the engine of the comeback win, the driver of the bus, yet he was Steady Eddie.
It was his first game in a month. He had just destroyed the narrative that he couldn't thrive in the big bad cold. He had just erased that four-interception nightmare from the last time he was on the field four weeks earlier. He had just silenced Bills Mafia and beaten their own golden boy quarterback in his backyard.
Yet there he was, going about his post-game routine like a guy who had been there and done that even though he had never actually been there and done that on this stage.
Darnold offered a slight smile, tossed out a few awesomes and cools (unofficially his two favorite words) and credited his teammates for every good thing that happened on that happy day.
When Josh McCown waxed poetic about what makes the kid special, the kid stood a couple feet away, packing up his stuff and going about his business.
That's Sam Darnold… and that's why a star-crossed franchise that has gotten it wrong more times than they've gotten it right should be bursting at the seams that this 21-year-old is on their side.
“I always say that I'm taking it one game at a time and that's definitely true,” Darnold said in the run-up to Saturday's game against the Texans. “But at the same time, I do think about where I'm going to be at in a year or two from now. I'm really excited about where I can go from here and really optimistic about the future and what it holds.”
While Darnold is nowhere close to being fitted for a gold jacket, it's silly for fans to rob themselves of enjoying the present. If anyone tells you to temper your excitement about this kid, kindly give them the middle-finger salute. God forbid a loyal fan base actually has some fun during this otherwise frustrating season.
“He showed a lot of great things in that fourth quarter,” wide receiver Quincy Enunwa said. “Great throws. Great leadership. If nothing else, that's a confidence booster for him going forward that he can lead us back.”
Darnold has had the proper mindset from the moment he arrived. He enjoys the good plays, but doesn't fall in love with them. So, yeah, it was awesome and cool to run around for 47 yards during his ridiculous scramble that resulted in a pivotal seven-yard touchdown pass to Robby Anderson. But it's not like he's watched the play 100 times (like most of the rest of us).
Sure, he dropped a 37-yard dime to Anderson on the gamewinning drive, but he wasn't on the injury report this week with an elbow injury for patting himself on the back. Darnold appreciates those moments, puts them in the proper perspective and moves on.
That's the exact right mentality for the centerpiece of the franchise.
There's value in the final month even if the Jets will miss the playoffs for an eighth consecutive season and undergo a coaching change in a few weeks.
“(We're) trying to get as much momentum as we can going into next season,” Darnold said. “I think it'll be huge for this team and really awesome for us to build off a good end of the season. But for me, I think it's just staying consistent. That's the biggest word for me these next few games.”
Nobody is expecting miracles from Darnold in the final three games, but he has the right approach. Sure, he'd like to have fewer than his league-leading 15 interceptions in 10 games, but the worst thing he could do is let that number influence his play.
“You definitely don't want to turn the ball over…” Darnold said. “But if the play is there and I feel like the play is there, I'm going to try to make it. I'm definitely not going to flinch if I feel like something is there. If I throw an interception, I'm definitely going to be pissed off about it for a little bit but at the same time move on. If a play is there and I see it's there, I'm going to rip it again. That's just kind of the way I am and how I've played my whole life.”
Stay tuned: There's more magic to come.