Sam Darnold is ready to be everything Jets envisioned

[NYJ1]

By Steve Serby

July 20, 2019 | 11:32pm

The Jets threw Sam Darnold to the wolves, and he survived. He survived the growing pains rookie quarterbacks endure, survived and advanced with a flourish by the time the season ended.

They all have to crawl before they can walk, and now there is no reason why Darnold should not be ready to run.

He arrived to great fanfare a year ago as the quarterback of the future for a franchise with a tortured and tormented past, and the future is now.

He was Boy Wonder a year ago, the youngest quarterback — 21 years, 97 days — to start an NFL season opener since 1970, and now new coach Adam Gase’ Jets look for him to be a man.

The teams are different, the circumstances are different, the landscape is different … but if Eli Manning, after just nine rookie starts, could steer the Giants to the playoffs in his second season, why shouldn’t Darnold be expected to end the Jets’ eight-year playoff drought? Such is the mandate of the franchise quarterback, old and young, in a quarterback-driven league. And such is the desperate plea from the army of long-suffering Jets fans.

Former general manager Mike Maccagnan didn’t give Darnold enough help in the draft, and former coach Todd Bowles and former offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates didn’t give Darnold enough help on game days. But 2018 was never viewed as anything more than a transition year with a rookie quarterback starting in Week 1.

2019 is when the Sam Darnold Era officially begins in earnest.

In Gase, Darnold has a creative offensive mind and playcaller who has drawn rave reviews from Peyton Manning.

In new running back Le’Veon Bell, Darnold has a dual-threat safety valve who will keep defensive coordinators up at night.

There is no reason why Darnold should not boost his completion percentage to 65, or higher, from 57.7.

Consider this: Under Gase, former Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill’s completion percentages were 61.9, 67.1, 64.2.

The second-year leap: Mark Sanchez improved his touchdown:interception ratio from 12:20 as a rookie to 17:13.

Eli Manning: 6:9 to 24:17. Peyton Manning: 26:28 to 26:15, and from 3-13 to 13-3 and the playoffs.

Carson Wentz: 16:14 to 33:7 and 7-9 to 11-2 before Nick Foles won the Super Bowl. Jared Goff: 5:7 to 28:7, and 0-7 to 11-5 and the playoffs under rookie coach and offensive whiz kid Sean McVay.

Don’t you worry about any sophomore jinx for Darnold.

The fact Maccagnan failed to fix the Jets offensive line as well as Dave Gettleman has fixed the Giants offensive line will be mitigated somewhat by Darnold’s off-schedule, improvisational prowess. Go review the game-winning, two-minute drive in Buffalo — when a scrambling Darnold laughed in the face of danger and found Robby Anderson with a 37-yard dagger.

Darnold returned from his foot injury to finish the season with a streak of 113 consecutive passes without an interception. Watching Josh McCown from the sideline was an invaluable respite for him. His TD:INT ratio was 6:1 over the last four games of the season. Joe Namath raved about him. So did Aaron Rodgers. He was a drawing card for Gase and GM Joe Douglas. He worked diligently on holding the ball with two hands in the pocket to ease fumbling concerns.

He will be coached hard by Gase and offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Dowell Loggains. He will be tested at every practice by defensive coordinator Gregg Williams. Darnold will be a more confident leader. He will see the field better and process information faster and make quicker decisions. Wide receivers coach Shawn Jefferson: “He’s a f——g dude with a f——g arm.”

 

Darnold never flinched under the New York spotlight. Same guy every day, win or lose. His first NFL pass was a pick-six in Detroit. He yawned. He got back up and shredded the Lions, 48-17.

No Broadway Sam here: More comfortable with a playbook in his hand than a Johnnie Walker Red. Or a blonde. Mature beyond his years. Wired the right way.

The Giants are thrilled they drafted Saquon Barkley with the second pick of the 2018 draft. The Sam Darnold Jets are thrilled they did, too

 

 

[FidelioJet]

Serby writes one of these every year.  A story just before camp that gets you all pumped up for the season.

It works on me every year too. 

I'm really hoping Darnold has a breakout season.  He's def. shown me enough to say he can.

[NYJ1]

12 minutes ago, FidelioJet said:

Serby writes one of these every year.  A story just before camp that gets you all pumped up for the season.

It works on me every year too. 

I'm really hoping Darnold has a breakout season.  He's def. shown me enough to say he can.

All due respect, I don't think is another one of those fluff pieces. This is for real. You know if Sammy had struggled like Sanchez did in 2009, I'd be singing a very different tune. I'll be damned if I'm going to allow myself to drink the BS Kool-Aid. 

However, Sammy in sharp contrast to just about every other USC QB, played top shelf football down the stretch. 6 Touchdowns, 1 Interceptions and he stayed unfazed facing Bellichick. Had a very tough outing, but you could see him learning even as the game was in progress.

I'm psyched that this kid is a Jet. If he stays on his current trajectory, he'll own the AFC East very soon. Brady is a geriatric and his play is steadily falling into the sh*tter. If you don't believe it this second? Wait a while. He's playing on borrowed time.

[FidelioJet]

15 minutes ago, NYJ1 said:

All due respect, I don't think is another one of those fluff pieces. This is for real. You know if Sammy had struggled like Sanchez did in 2009, I'd be singing a very different tune. I'll be damned if I'm going to allow myself to drink the BS Kool-Aid. 

However, Sammy in sharp contrast to just about every other USC QB, played top shelf football down the stretch. 6 Touchdowns, 1 Interceptions and he stayed unfazed facing Bellichick. Had a very tough outing, but you could see him learning even as the game was in progress.

I'm psyched that this kid is a Jet. If he stays on his current trajectory, he'll own the AFC East very soon. Brady is a geriatric and his play is steadily falling into the sh*tter. If you don't believe it this second? Wait a while. He's playing on borrowed time.

I agree...I mean it is a fluff piece and designed to get you excited for the season but it carries a lot of truth- because most of us believe Sam is the real deal.  and yes, given some time and legitimate talent around him Sam will be the best QB in or division.

[The Crusher]

O/U 34

[freestater]

16 minutes ago, The Crusher said:

O/U 34

bannings?

[Patriot Killa]

He’s ready for it. Sam is going to make people turn their heads this year.

[BCJet]

Its really hard to comprehend where Sam is as a player when you see his age - he wasn't even 22 as a rookie, with only 3 full years starting before his first NFL Game.  

15 years of a franchise QB here is too much for me to wrap my head around.

[BROOKLYN JET]

Sam should get better this year, but he is learning a new offense, and we still have weaknesses to fill. It may be 2 seasons before he fully takes the next step. I hope he continues to progress like he did last year.

[New York Mick]

1 hour ago, FidelioJet said:

Serby writes one of these every year.  A story just before camp that gets you all pumped up for the season.

It works on me every year too. 

I'm really hoping Darnold has a breakout season.  He's def. shown me enough to say he can.

This one I actually believe can happen. Normally I think he’s stoned. 

[Embrace the Suck]

When is he posing in a swimsuit for the cover of GQ?

[slats]

Looking forward to the preseason. I wanna see Sam shine while Allen and Rosen continue to struggle. 

[slats]

4 minutes ago, BROOKLYN JET said:

Sam should get better this year, but he is learning a new offense, and we still have weaknesses to fill. It may be 2 seasons before he fully takes the next step. I hope he continues to progress like he did last year.

Trubisky and Goff both made big sophomore jumps under new head coaches. 

[BROOKLYN JET]

1 minute ago, slats said:

Trubisky and Goff both made big sophomore jumps under new head coaches. 

I hope it happens, he certainly has the ability, but it's going to take everyone around him being better too.

[Losmeister]

fluffer

[NYJ1]

7 hours ago, BCJet said:

Its really hard to comprehend where Sam is as a player when you see his age - he wasn't even 22 as a rookie, with only 3 full years starting before his first NFL Game.  

15 years of a franchise QB here is too much for me to wrap my head around.

Well, you'd better get wrapping then. I honestly think this is it. We've finally found that ever elusive franchise QB. My only concern is the Jets front office? They had better not hamstring this kid anymore. The fact is, after this season, I believe the Jets can be in contention for the SB every year so long as the front office doesn't become a bunch of cheap a$$holes that get skimpy on talent. Right now I believe that's EXACTLY what's happening. But this years sh*tshow is courtesy of Mac and Douglas simply doesn't have enough avenues at his disposal to fix this season.

[BurnleyJet]

Sam had to contend with Todd Bowles as his Head Coach, and Jeremy Bates as his Offensive Coordinator. It’s amazing he did so well in year one, with those clowns running the show.

[14 in Green]

10 hours ago, NYJ1 said:

All due respect, I don't think is another one of those fluff pieces. This is for real. You know if Sammy had struggled like Sanchez did in 2009, I'd be singing a very different tune. I'll be damned if I'm going to allow myself to drink the BS Kool-Aid. 

However, Sammy in sharp contrast to just about every other USC QB, played top shelf football down the stretch. 6 Touchdowns, 1 Interceptions and he stayed unfazed facing Bellichick. Had a very tough outing, but you could see him learning even as the game was in progress.

I'm psyched that this kid is a Jet. If he stays on his current trajectory, he'll own the AFC East very soon. Brady is a geriatric and his play is steadily falling into the sh*tter. If you don't believe it this second? Wait a while. He's playing on borrowed time.

The AFC East (post Brady) could be incredibly competitive for years. You’ll have Darnold, Allen and Rosen all playing against each other 2x each year.

There’s nothing wrong with getting excited about having a young QB prospect. Just remember there are 2 other fan bases that feel exactly the same way about their young guy. I agree we should feel optimistic, and that Darnold should improve with more talent around him, but guess what? They have every right to feel the same way in Buffalo and Miami.

 

[BCJet]

2 hours ago, NYJ1 said:

Well, you'd better get wrapping then. I honestly think this is it. We've finally found that ever elusive franchise QB. My only concern is the Jets front office? They had better not hamstring this kid anymore. The fact is, after this season, I believe the Jets can be in contention for the SB every year so long as the front office doesn't become a bunch of cheap a$$holes that get skimpy on talent. Right now I believe that's EXACTLY what's happening. But this years sh*tshow is courtesy of Mac and Douglas simply doesn't have enough avenues at his disposal to fix this season.

I agree, I firmly believe he is more then a franchise Qb (like Goff or Stafford) I think he has a ceiling of being a perennial SB contender like Ben, Wilson, etc.

Im also not worried about the front office now that we have Douglas, he has been part of too many winning organizations to be as inept as some of the people we have had in here.

The biggest thing, and this probably deserves its own thead, is that they need to build offensive line and defense.  With an elite QB there is no reason at all to waste picks on offensive skill position players.  The QBs job is to make those guys better and that is what QBs like Brady and Rogers can do.  A QB as good as Rogers can win a SB, can win in domes, etc. but to win in the AFC you are going to have to win a cold, bad weather game and you need defense to do that.  Lets hope we give Sam the defense and Oline to compete every year. 

[14 in Green]

8 minutes ago, BCJet said:

 

The biggest thing, and this probably deserves its own thread...

@BettyBoop

[Matt39]

12 hours ago, FidelioJet said:

Serby writes one of these every year. 

Serby 1996 Jets Preview

These Jets Look Super

[Lith]

14 hours ago, NYJ1 said:

Consider this: Under Gase, former Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill’s completion percentages were 61.9, 67.1, 64.2.

Consider this: Ryan Tannehill only played two seasons under Gase, having missed the entire 2017 season due to injury.  Something that Serby and his editors seemed to have missed.

[Peace Frog]

The Golden Era is upon us. 

Lets bump this thread in 2032 and count all the rings. 

Legit ones, not those cheaty ones. 

[jetspenguin]

The AFC East (post Brady) could be incredibly competitive for years. You’ll have Darnold, Allen and Rosen all playing against each other 2x each year.
There’s nothing wrong with getting excited about having a young QB prospect. Just remember there are 2 other fan bases that feel exactly the same way about their young guy. I agree we should feel optimistic, and that Darnold should improve with more talent around him, but guess what? They have every right to feel the same way in Buffalo and Miami.
 

This.

As much as I like our prospect and this years team should be in a better position to support Sam, I'm sure that Buffalo's fan base feels the same. They made a lot of upgrades, have a returning coaching staff and for all the hell I gave Allen he looked better than I thought he would. I thought he had the best chance to bust of all the QB's that year, still might.

Rosen in the other hand I believe is gonna get a raw deal again with Fitzmagic on full display this year. Just enough to get him another contract and enough for the Fins not to see enough to make a valid evaluation on him. Hopefully they are smart enough to keep him around, we all know the magic fades.

Either way none of the young QB's in our division will have as easy a path to multiple championships as Brady did. He is a good QB, came into the league at a time when all the other teams in the division were lost at the position leading to annual opportunities for home field advantage. Moving forward whoever wins will have a heck of a fight to be the best in the AFC east.

Sent from the Suicide Watch desk.

[slats]

11 hours ago, jetspenguin said:

As much as I like our prospect and this years team should be in a better position to support Sam, I'm sure that Buffalo's fan base feels the same. They made a lot of upgrades, have a returning coaching staff and for all the hell I gave Allen he looked better than I thought he would. I thought he had the best chance to bust of all the QB's that year, still might.

If Allen's passing numbers this year match Darnold's passing numbers from last year, Buffalo's fans will be very pleased because Allen will have improved in virtually every statistical measure. I'm certain that Bills fans think that he's a potential franchise guy, but he really still has a long way to go as a thrower. What he brings to the field is excellent athleticism and running ability. Being a running QB isn't sustainable. If both Mayfield and Darnold were off the board, I would've crossed my fingers and taken Allen based on that athleticism, but he's still boom or bust, IMHO. 

11 hours ago, jetspenguin said:

Rosen in the other hand I believe is gonna get a raw deal again with Fitzmagic on full display this year. Just enough to get him another contract and enough for the Fins not to see enough to make a valid evaluation on him. Hopefully they are smart enough to keep him around, we all know the magic fades.

Rosen has already gotten a raw deal going from one terrible organization to another. Coming out, he was supposed to be the exact opposite of Allen: a great thrower incapable of moving. Unfortunately for him, only the incapable of moving part was on display his rookie year. He had a slightly worse passer rating than Allen, largely because his 5.8 ypa was by far the worst in the league. That fact that Allen could bail the pocket and run when things broke down, but Rosen was stuck back there to make the best throw he could find definitely hurt him. 

I'd put the odds somewhere less than 50/50 that he's on the fish beyond this year. Between Fitz and his own level of play, he has an uphill battle. 

11 hours ago, jetspenguin said:

Either way none of the young QB's in our division will have as easy a path to multiple championships as Brady did. He is a good QB, came into the league at a time when all the other teams in the division were lost at the position leading to annual opportunities for home field advantage. Moving forward whoever wins will have a heck of a fight to be the best in the AFC east.

So not really meaning to put my homer hat on here, but Darnold should be a much better QB than Allen, and I also think that the fish's young QB will be found in next year's draft. If this Douglas/Gase tandem is the real thing, the Jets should have a leg up based on Sam Darnold alone. He needs to build off of that impressive finish last year and make that big second year jump that the true franchise guys do first, but the optimism is real. 

[Jetsfan80]

On 7/21/2019 at 8:25 AM, NYJ1 said:

I'm psyched that this kid is a Jet. If he stays on his current trajectory, he'll own the AFC East very soon. Brady is a geriatric and his play is steadily falling into the sh*tter. If you don't believe it this second? Wait a while. He's playing on borrowed time.

 

 

+

 

 

+

 

 

[Jetsfan80]

16 hours ago, 14 in Green said:

The AFC East (post Brady) could be incredibly competitive for years. You’ll have Darnold, Allen and Rosen all playing against each other 2x each year.

There’s nothing wrong with getting excited about having a young QB prospect. Just remember there are 2 other fan bases that feel exactly the same way about their young guy.

Except that Josh Allen only completed 56 % of his throws in college and Josh Rosen was dumped by the team that took him in the 1st round after one season. 

Bills and Dolphins fans have no business believing in their young QB's like we believe in ours. 

[Bruce Harper]

I have spent some time on a Bills board (I guess I have too much time on my hands) and while there are some homers that think Allen is the greatest thing since sliced bread there is a good amount of skepticism.  They are no way as high on him overall as Jets fans seem to be on Darnold.  And I think Dolphin fans are pretty wait and see with Rosen, given his rookie year.

[14 in Green]

3 hours ago, Jetsfan80 said:

Except that Josh Allen only completed 56 % of his throws in college and Josh Rosen was dumped by the team that took him in the 1st round after one season. 

Bills and Dolphins fans have no business believing in their young QB's like we believe in ours. 

Yada yada yada my friend ? We are on a site filled with die hard Jets fans who are over the top enthusiastic about our new QB.

I live in an area where people relocate and /or visit from all over the country. Trust me when I tell you nobody outside of the Jets bubble is anywhere close to being convinced of Darnold’s superiority over anyone from the class of 18. 

Especially based off his rookie year. We like to think “we’ve seen things” that are enough to have convinced us about our guy. Browns, Bills and Ravens fans feel exactly the same way.

Dolphin fans don’t have as much reason to be excited yet, but let’s be honest. They now have a prospect who’s only a 2 or 3 months older then Darnold, with just about the same level of innate talent, and they got him really cheap. I’d feel pretty damn good about getting him if I were a Miami fan.

[Klecko73isGod]

The Jets are hoping Sam is everything they envisioned? 

I certainly hope he is better than that.

[Peace Frog]

Just now, Klecko73isGod said:

The Jets are hoping Sam is everything they envisioned? 

I certainly hope he is better than that.

That’s impossible for me. 

Unless he wins EIGHT Super Bowls. 

[Klecko73isGod]

Just now, Peace Frog said:

That’s impossible for me. 

Unless he wins EIGHT Super Bowls. 

I meant better than the JETS envisioned.

Remember, he was drafted by McCagnan and Bowles.

[Peace Frog]

3 minutes ago, Klecko73isGod said:

I meant better than the JETS envisioned.

Remember, he was drafted by McCagnan and Bowles.

I will allow this. 

[Jetsfan80]

1 hour ago, 14 in Green said:

Yada yada yada my friend ? We are on a site filled with die hard Jets fans who are over the top enthusiastic about our new QB.

I live in an area where people relocate and /or visit from all over the country. Trust me when I tell you nobody outside of the Jets bubble is anywhere close to being convinced of Darnold’s superiority over anyone from the class of 18.  

Especially based off his rookie year. We like to think “we’ve seen things” that are enough to have convinced us about our guy. Browns, Bills and Ravens fans feel exactly the same way. 

Dolphin fans don’t have as much reason to be excited yet, but let’s be honest. They now have a prospect who’s only a 2 or 3 months older then Darnold, with just about the same level of innate talent, and they got him really cheap. I’d feel pretty damn good about getting him if I were a Miami fan. 

 

I'm not just talking about his rookie season.  I'm talking about his body of work in college.  He checked basically every box you look for before taking a QB.  He was the QB I wanted most long before we traded up with the Colts. 

Meanwhile, everyone here knew Josh Allen would be a bust before he was taken by the Bills.  It's not like that would have changed if he was taken by a team in the NFC rather than a divisional team.  And if the Jets had been the ones to take him (thanks to the Giants, we'll never know if that would have been the case), I'd have been livid. 

Rosen is a more nebulous situation.  He was billed as the most "pro-ready" QB prospect and still might turn into something.  But getting dumped by a team after just 1 season, for a 2nd rounder, and entering into a battle with Ryan Fitzpatrick for the starting job aren't very good signs. 

No, we don't know if Darnold will be the best QB prospect of the group.  But after Year 1 it would be hard to argue his stock isn't the highest.  He's still with the team that drafted him and beat Allen by every available metric his rookie season. 

[14 in Green]

26 minutes ago, Jetsfan80 said:

 

I'm not just talking about his rookie season.  I'm talking about his body of work in college.  He checked basically every box you look for before taking a QB.  He was the QB I wanted most long before we traded up with the Colts. 

Meanwhile, everyone here knew Josh Allen would be a bust before he was taken by the Bills.  It's not like that would have changed if he was taken by a team in the NFC rather than a divisional team.  And if the Jets had been the ones to take him (thanks to the Giants, we'll never know if that would have been the case), I'd have been livid. 

Rosen is a more nebulous situation.  He was billed as the most "pro-ready" QB prospect and still might turn into something.  But getting dumped by a team after just 1 season, for a 2nd rounder, and entering into a battle with Ryan Fitzpatrick for the starting job aren't very good signs. 

No, we don't know if Darnold will be the best QB prospect of the group.  But after Year 1 it would be hard to argue his stock isn't the highest.  He's still with the team that drafted him and beat Allen by every available metric his rookie season. 

Your first paragraph is very reasonable. The only thing I’m surprised about is you thinking his “body of work... checked every box”. 

I looked at it differently. Sam had a great sophomore season, so good that the “Suck for Sam” thing was born before our ‘17 season. His junior year wasn’t that great at all, in fact he basically played himself out of the top pick in the draft, a spot he was a lock for prior to his final season at USC. I simply don’t see that as checking every box, but I’ll agree to disagree.

I won’t even try to discuss Allen with you. You’re a smart person, and I enjoy talking with you. I just think you stray a bit off the reservation when you talk about him. I mean it’s not like he’s Robinson Cano or anything...? It’s all good though, in a couple of months we’ll see how the next chapter plays out.