SAM AT THE HALF WAY POINT

[14 in Green]

The Jets have played 8 games, and Sam has started them all. The team sits at 3-5, which sadly, is about where most of us thought we'd be. This year wasn't supposed to be one where we worried too much about our record, but about developing our rookie QB. Statistically, it doesn't look good for Sam or the other 3 rookie QBs taken in the 1st round in last years draft. We've gotten to watch Darnold closely for half a season now, and here's my question. Do you see any progress being made by him so far? If so, in what way do you feel he's improved from week 1? If you aren't happy with his development, what do you feel he or the coaching staff needs to change? Lets not try to turn this into a "we need to get him a new HC" fest, and just keep the conversation about Sam and the offense.

[Patriot Killa]

Progress from day one? Oh yeah. I think Sam will finish about 22 TD’s 15 INT’s and 3,000-some yards. 

He’s look up and down as I expected. The other guys have looked up and down too but none look better than Sam at the moment - when considering the weapons he has to work with.

[joewilly12]

Hard pressed for Sam Darnold to improve as the season goes on as the talent around him gets worse as the season goes on. 

[Jets723]

5 minutes ago, 14 in Green said:

The Jets have played 8 games, and Sam has started them all. The team sits at 3-5, which sadly, is about where most of us thought we'd be. This year wasn't supposed to be one where we worried too much about our record, but about developing our rookie QB. Statistically, it doesn't look good for Sam or the other 3 rookie QBs taken in the 1st round in last years draft. We've gotten to watch Darnold closely for half a season now, and here's my question? Do you see any progress being made by him so far? If so, in what way do you feel he's improved from week 1? If you aren't happy with his development, what do you feel he or the coaching staff needs to change? Lets not try to turn this into a "we need to get him a new HC" fest, and just keep the conversation about Sam and the offense.

If you aren’t happy with Sam then I guess you will never be happy.  He is 21 the youngest ever to start since the merger. He has a bad oline which makes it tough for him.  He has had to deal with injuries from his favorite targets like Enunwa and Robby.  Has he made rookie mistakes? Of course but it’s normal.  Honestly half his interceptions were screwups by his receivers. Also so many drops.  Despite all the obstacles he has shown mental toughness and flashes of being a gamer

[nico002]

In every game we’ve played this year I’ve felt that the jets either had the advantage or were evenly matched with the other team at qb. Funnny enough maybe the exception is the second half of the browns game, but I’d say that was more the perfect storm of events for Baker.

He shown innate ability that you just can’t teach. Throwing with anticipation, throwing from different lower body angles, elite accuracy on the move, stepping up in pocket, keeping eyes downfield while escaping the rush. 

I love his on field personality and demeanor.

he hasn’t fumbled a single ball all year- something we all feared would be a huge issue.

he has 10 turnovers, that’s like 1 more than Brady. 

his completion percentage is low but that is more of a function of the stuff around him- the guy has elite accuracy skills. every short pass I’ve seen him thrown has been on the money with anticipation.

 he’s played a very tough schedule for fantasy purposes, facing basically every good defense in the NFL and many of them on the road in crappy conditions.

nothing has been easy for Sam. I watach mahomes and guys are running wild wide open and he’s racking up TDs with screen and shovel passes. How many “gimmie” TDs does sam have this year? NONE- basically all of his production has been earned the hard way.

[PS17]

I think he's been as good as one could hope, as now we currently have the worst offensive (emphasis on offensive) supporting cast in the league. I just hope the lack of playmakers doesn't stunt his development too much. We need Enunwa back immediately. And a new general manager.

[14 in Green]

2 minutes ago, Jets723 said:

If you aren’t happy with Sam then I guess you will never be happy.  He is 21 the youngest ever to start since the merger. He has a bad oline which makes it tough for him.  He has had to deal with injuries from his favorite targets like Enunwa and Robby.  Has he made rookie mistakes? Of course but it’s normal.  Honestly half his interceptions were screwups by his receivers. Also so many drops.  Despite all the obstacles he has shown mental toughness and flashes of being a gamer

Since I am the OP, I'm in a position to play devils advocate to keep the conversation going. I never said I wasn't happy with Sam, don't make it into that. Your answer then, from what I gather is after 8 games "he's shown mental toughness and flashes of being a gamer". Would you have been happy if someone told you before the season that was going to be all you would see?

[14 in Green]

7 minutes ago, nico002 said:

In every game we’ve played this year I’ve felt that the jets either had the advantage or were evenly matched with the other team at qb. Funnny enough maybe the exception is the second half of the browns game, but I’d say that was more the perfect storm of events for Baker.

He shown innate ability that you just can’t teach. Throwing with anticipation, throwing from different lower body angles, elite accuracy on the move, stepping up in pocket, keeping eyes downfield while escaping the rush. 

I love his on field personality and demeanor.

he hasn’t fumbled a single ball all year- something we all feared would be a huge issue.

he has 10 turnovers, that’s like 1 more than Brady. 

his completion percentage is low but that is more of a function of the stuff around him- the guy has elite accuracy skills. every short pass I’ve seen him thrown has been on the money with anticipation.

 he’s played a very tough schedule for fantasy purposes, facing basically every good defense in the NFL and many of them on the road in crappy conditions.

nothing has been easy for Sam. I was mahomes and guys are running wild wide open and he’s racking up TDs with screen and shovel passes. How many “gimmie” TDs does sam have this year? NONE- basically all of his production has been earned the hard way.

Great post nico. I knew which side you'd come down on LOL, but you made a lot of excellent observations. Good stuff.

[14 in Green]

4 minutes ago, PS17 said:

I think he's been as good as one could hope, as now we currently have the worst offensive (emphasis on offensive) supporting cast in the league. I just hope the lack of playmakers doesn't stunt his development too much. We need Enunwa back immediately. And a new general manager.

The lack of help for him is a big concern. I feel like the last 2 weeks were almost a waste of time development wise. He wasn't able to perform well in the wind last week, and this week he had no chance with the guys he had out there with him.

[Patriot Killa]

12 minutes ago, nico002 said:

In every game we’ve played this year I’ve felt that the jets either had the advantage or were evenly matched with the other team at qb. Funnny enough maybe the exception is the second half of the browns game, but I’d say that was more the perfect storm of events for Baker.

He shown innate ability that you just can’t teach. Throwing with anticipation, throwing from different lower body angles, elite accuracy on the move, stepping up in pocket, keeping eyes downfield while escaping the rush. 

I love his on field personality and demeanor.

he hasn’t fumbled a single ball all year- something we all feared would be a huge issue.

he has 10 turnovers, that’s like 1 more than Brady. 

his completion percentage is low but that is more of a function of the stuff around him- the guy has elite accuracy skills. every short pass I’ve seen him thrown has been on the money with anticipation.

 he’s played a very tough schedule for fantasy purposes, facing basically every good defense in the NFL and many of them on the road in crappy conditions.

nothing has been easy for Sam. I watach mahomes and guys are running wild wide open and he’s racking up TDs with screen and shovel passes. How many “gimmie” TDs does sam have this year? NONE- basically all of his production has been earned the hard way.

Lol I give you a ton of sh*t but good post.

[14 in Green]

1 minute ago, Patriot Killa said:

Lol I give you a ton of sh*t but good post.

He got us there, huh?

[The Crimson King]

Let's give Darnold some kudos for the following:

He has gone 8 straight games and yet no Jets fans are calling for his replacement or to draft another franchise QB next year

That is actually quite an accomplishment with this fan base. 

[bealeb319]

Offensive line is the top thing sam needs. It is nice to have receivers but a decent qb with time to throw makes a average guys look good. Look at rodgers, he goes through a ton of meh talent on offense but they look pretty decent under him. Sam is alright but unless we can give him time to throw he is going to keep scrambling around like a chicken and I don't think we will see his real potential. On top of that he needs to cut down on interceptions.

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[Matt39]

He's been ok. The talent around him stinks. The coaching staff stinks. However he hasnt been good enough to not scout the incoming class, especially if Bowles and Macc get canned. There hasnt been any "he's definitely the guy" moments.

[The Walrus]

The QB position has been a complete flip in it's status.

It's gone from 'we need one' to the most settled position likely for years to come.

Sam has been just fine for his experience and the expectations of him. I've no doubt the QB position is figured out player wise. He just needs to play and learn.

[Grandy]

Overall I'm impressed with him. I expected him to be playing significantly worse at this point, but my goodness am I excited with what I'm seeing. He's also been able to improve and work on his game week in and week out, so I expect him to play even better soon. IMO he's already made more strides in 8 games than Sanchez did in 4 years with a much worse supporting cast than him as well. He's definitely the savior we've waited so long for. All we really need to do is give him a better team and I believe he'll do the rest.

His stats are pretty solid for a rookie, but they're not the best indicator on how he's performed so far, I mean almost half of his picks weren't even his fault. Based on pure game film I think he's performed at an extremely high level for a rookie. He has the arm strength, can force it into tight windows, pull off jaw dropping throws, and throw well out of the pocket. We've seen more than enough so far to prove that he can be a top tier QB. I mean he was just ranked the best QB in the entire game in week 6 by PFF, and top 5 the week before and he's barely of drinking age. That does bring up a concern however which is consistency. We've seen games of 100+ rating, multiple TDs, and 80% CMP, but also games of 30 rating with low YPA, and CMP. However the more he advances the more we'll see of the super games, and less of the dud games. 

[Patriot Killa]

8 minutes ago, Matt39 said:

He's been ok. The talent around him stinks. The coaching staff stinks. However he hasnt been good enough to not scout the incoming class, especially if Bowles and Macc get canned. There hasnt been any "he's definitely the guy" moments.

Maybe we can scout and draft someone from here

https://www.quarterbackacademy.com/alaska-quarterback-camps/

QBA's Quarterback Academy is proud to serve athletes in Alaska. We offer quarterback camps and QB training in Anchorage, Wasilla

[Jets723]

21 minutes ago, 14 in Green said:

Since I am the OP, I'm in a position to play devils advocate to keep the conversation going. I never said I wasn't happy with Sam, don't make it into that. Your answer then, from what I gather is after 8 games "he's shown mental toughness and flashes of being a gamer". Would you have been happy if someone told you before the season that was going to be all you would see?

Did I say that you said that?  I was talking in general.  Going into the season given his age and lack of talent it would of been near impossible for him to be great off the bat.  Yes he makes rookie mistakes but I feel when next year with more time/protection and another couple weapons its gonna be a lot of fun around here

[Patriot Killa]

14 minutes ago, 14 in Green said:

He got us there, huh?

Yep. I went back and watched most of his throws from today and I won’t lie, Nico is right. His pocket presence looks pretty solid. He stood in there and he threw some good passes. That rope to Herndon for the touchdown was NICE! I also thought the crazy pass to Burnett was on point. He throw it high enough and far enough away from the corner(Who was taller than Deontay) to give him a great chance to snag it. The USC chemistry definitely showed there.

[14 in Green]

@The Crimson King and @Matt39 both made points that I was thinking more people would bring up. Sam has kept a difficult to please fan base in his corner so far, despite not having any definitely the guy moments. 

[Matt39]

5 minutes ago, Patriot Killa said:

Maybe we can scout and draft someone from here

https://www.quarterbackacademy.com/alaska-quarterback-camps/

QBA's Quarterback Academy is proud to serve athletes in Alaska. We offer quarterback camps and QB training in Anchorage, Wasilla

Keep posting that heat.

[Patriot Killa]

3 minutes ago, Matt39 said:

Keep posting that heat.

Sorry no heat only cold weather QB’s. 

[14 in Green]

16 minutes ago, Patriot Killa said:

Maybe we can scout and draft someone from here

https://www.quarterbackacademy.com/alaska-quarterback-camps/

QBA's Quarterback Academy is proud to serve athletes in Alaska. We offer quarterback camps and QB training in Anchorage, Wasilla

Thanks, but we might not want to go quite that far killa. Not YET anyway. I'm thinking Sam is safe at least until the local draft gurus break down the 2020 QB class. LOL.

[Creepy Lurker]

20 minutes ago, The Crimson King said:

Let's give Darnold some kudos for the following:

He has gone 8 straight games and yet no Jets fans are calling for his replacement or to draft another franchise QB next year

That is actually quite an accomplishment with this fan base. 

I’ve seen a few call for his replacement. But yeah for the most part everyone is on board. Anyone who watches the game sees that he’s handling the pros fine, especially given all the issues/injuries. The potential is there with the right coaching and players on offense. He’s done fine in a terrible situation. 

[MDL_JET]

23 minutes ago, Matt39 said:

He's been ok. The talent around him stinks. The coaching staff stinks. However he hasnt been good enough to not scout the incoming class, especially if Bowles and Macc get canned. There hasnt been any "he's definitely the guy" moments.

You’re the absolute worst. ?‍♂️

[paulyjet]

every game he goes out and plays, regardless of the outcome... is progress

[Patriot Killa]

10 minutes ago, 14 in Green said:

Thanks, but we might not want to go quite that far killa. Not YET anyway. I'm thinking Sam is safe at least until the local draft gurus break down the 2020 QB class. LOL.

Lol im making fun of Matt for wanting a top 3 QB next year who can throw in cold weather

[Matt39]

8 minutes ago, MDL_JET said:

You’re the absolute worst. ?‍♂️

a river in egypt

[ASH1962]

Good:

Overall impressed with his pocket skills and awareness, demeanor and football smarts. He seems to be able to extend plays and once the switch flips in his head, and he gets some guys around him that know how to get open, I am sure he will thrive. Sam has touch and has shown the ability to throw a beautiful deep ball. Happy he has not fumbled yet this season which is huge as he has been under constant pressure all season. He has gained invaluable experience going up against some of the leagues best defenses in the first 8 weeks. I think once we start to block for him, he is going to be a great one.

Concerns

Sam in cold weather. Last week, someone said he looked cold. I though he looked cold today, he had his hands in those mufflers and it was not as cold today in Chicago as it is going to get up here in the next few weeks. 

The lack of speed and urgency he / the offense plays at. Teams that work quickly up tempo usually have success and if nothing else, it changes the D up and tires them out a bit. If he plays faster, the whole unit will play faster. Maybe in the  coming weeks or next year it will start to happen.

I am concerned as to whether or not this CS will be able to put him in the best position to succeed. That is not on him, that is on Bowles and Company.

 

[nico002]

2 minutes ago, ASH1962 said:

Good:

Overall impressed with his pocket skills and awareness, demeanor and football smarts. He seems to be able to extend plays and once the switch flips in his head, and he gets some guys around him that know how to get open, I am sure he will thrive. Sam has touch and has shown the ability to throw a beautiful deep ball. Happy he has not fumbled yet this season which is huge as he has been under constant pressure all season. He has gained invaluable experience going up against some of the leagues best defenses in the first 8 weeks. I think once we start to block for him, he is going to be a great one.

Concerns

Sam in cold weather. Last week, someone said he looked cold. I though he looked cold today, he had his hands in those mufflers and it was not as cold today in Chicago as it is going to get up here in the next few weeks. 

The lack of speed and urgency he / the offense plays at. Teams that work quickly up tempo usually have success and if nothing else, it changes the D up and tires them out a bit. If he plays faster, the whole unit will play faster. Maybe in the  coming weeks or next year it will start to happen.

I am concerned as to whether or not this CS will be able to put him in the best position to succeed. That is not on him, that is on Bowles and Company.

 

Did did you think Trubisky looked cold? Cause he had his hands in the warmers too. The fact that he doesn’t use a glove in the bad weather sort of tells you how he can handle the elements- he’s a gamer...

[14 in Green]

11 minutes ago, MDL_JET said:

You’re the absolute worst. ?‍♂️

Sorry to single you out, I'm only quoting you to make this point: I started this thread to get opinions GOOD AND BAD on Sam's development so far this season. If people start piling on the only guy here who made a SLIGHTLY critical observation of Sam's season so far, this thread is going to become nothing but a echo chamber. Just for something different why don't we not do the personal attacks and butt fumbles, and just let everyone get a say?

[Matt39]

8 minutes ago, 14 in Green said:

Sorry to single you out, I'm only quoting you to make this point: I started this thread to get opinions GOOD AND BAD on Sam's development so far this season. If people start piling on the only guy here who made a SLIGHTLY critical observation of Sam's season so far, this thread is going to become nothing but a echo chamber. Just for something different why don't we not do the personal attacks and butt fumbles, and just let everyone get a say?

Fair analysis is not allowed when talking about the golden child. He's been ok all season. Didnt play well today, but had a nice TD pass.. Played great against Indy. He looks cold when it isnt that cold, which is concerning. He looks like he could be the guy, but the talent is so bad you have to figure Maccagan is fired. New GM shouldnt have to be married to Darnold if the Jets have a top 8 pick.

[Adoni Beast]

Overall I think he’s been great...for the youngest rookie QB to ever start, and given the circumstances:

- Has made wow throws and plays in every game including his poor ones. 

- Marginal offensive talent to start the season. Currently, probably the worst offensive roster after the injuries.

- A Head Coach / Coaching Staff that puts him in impossible situations with overly predictable and conservative game plans.

I think overall he’s been great, especially when compared to other rookies from previous years. 

This kid is the future for us, and hasn’t wilted under the sh*t storm this team currently is. 

[HelenOfTroy]

33 minutes ago, MDL_JET said:

You’re the absolute worst. ?‍♂️

Don't worry....he'll be bitter and complaining about Sam for the next 10 years.  How delicious. ?

[nico002]

11 minutes ago, Matt39 said:

Fair analysis is not allowed when talking about the golden child. He's been ok all season. Didnt play well today, but had a nice TD pass.. Played great against Indy. He looks cold when it isnt that cold, which is concerning. He looks like he could be the guy, but the talent is so bad you have to figure Maccagan is fired. New GM shouldnt have to be married to Darnold if the Jets have a top 8 pick.

Wha the eff does “looks cold” mean? He played bad today... how? Did you see him miss wide open receivers?