COULDA BEEN WORSE
Sam Darnold might not be the most consistent quarterback, but Jet fans should still be optimistic about his future.
Yes, he ranks near the bottom of most efficiency statistics in his second year, but he’s shown enough flashes with a subpar supporting cast to elicit hope. Darnold’s confidence in the offense has grown and his ability to take command of Adam Gase’s system should be seen as a positive in a rough year for the Jets.
“Every time he takes a snap in a game it’s more experience for him,” Gase said about his 22-year-old signal-caller. “He’s seeing things that he might have seen earlier in the year that look cleaner to him now, it slows down. He knows what to do, he knows what his problems are, he knows what his outs are. Especially his communication has improved so much.”
Darnold ends his season Sunday at Buffalo, where he’ll be looking to improve upon his Week 1 performance against the Bills, when he averaged just 4.3 yards per attempt.
Darnold followed that with a bout of mononucleosis.
“It’s kinda weird playing a team in Week 17 compared to Week 1,” Gase said. “Like, we’re watching a lot of that stuff and he’s able to say, ‘Hey we should have done this’ or “Hey we should do this.’ It’s pretty cool to see how far everything has come since then.”
Darnold’s highs were as good as anybody’s. During the Jets’ three-game winning streak from Week 10 to Week 12, he averaged 9.4 yards per pass attempt and the Jets averaged 34 points per game. Of course, there were performances on the other end, like his four-interception debacle against New England or his three-interception game against Jacksonville, but Darnold looks like a better quarterback on tape. He’s been able to improve his play in the pocket and isn’t so heavily reliant on plays that require him to play chaotic, backyard football.
The game against Buffalo will give Darnold a chance to put a bow on a wild second season. From the highs of throwing four touchdown passes against Washington to dealing with mono, Darnold’s sophomore season has not lacked action.
“I think our offense has come a long way since then,” Darnold said about the Jets’ Week 1 performance. “I feel like I’ve come a long way. You know, I thought just as a whole we’ve gotten better. We’ve learned from our mistakes that we’ve made. That’s what it’s about, it’s about continuing to get better. There’s a lot that we need to continue to improve on every single week and this game is just another step in the right direction.”
The offensive output hasn’t been what any Jets player, coach, or fan hoped for this season. Still, not all is lost in Gase’s first year as the head coach. The playcalling has been unnecessarily conservative at times, but when the plays are aligned with the skillset of his quarterback (and the supporting cast steps up), Darnold’s potential is clear.
INJURY REPORT
Offensive lineman Tom Compton (calf ), running back Kenneth Dixon (illness), offensive lineman Alex Lewis (ankle), and wide receiver Demaryius Thomas (hamstring/ knee) didn’t practice on Thursday.
Safety Jamal Adams (ankle), defensive lineman Henry Anderson (knee/shoulder), wide receiver Robby Anderson (calf ), offensive lineman Kelvin Beachum (ankles), defensive lineman Steve McLendon (knee/hip), and cornerback Brian Poole (ankle) were limited. Gase said Anderson was held limited with “leg tightness” as a precaution.