Jump to content

Sam Darnold giving Jets what they've craved for way too long


Recommended Posts

Sam Darnold giving Jets what they’ve craved for way too long

August 7, 2019 | 7:24pm

 
Enlarge Image
Sam Darnold
Bill Kostroun 

 

Remember when you crossed your fingers and hoped Mark Sanchez wasn’t getting as bad as he looked; or when you prayed Geno Smith might be the Jets’ answer at quarterback before he got punched in the face.

Remember when you hoped to squeeze another good season out of Ryan Fitzpatrick or capture some late magic from Josh McCown? Remember those nights when the Jets quarterback situation kept you up late fearing the worst on Sunday?

When the Jets play the Giants on Thursday night at MetLife Stadium it will be the first time since heading into Sanchez’s second season in 2010 that the Jets aren’t uncertain about their quarterback situation. Thanks to Sam Darnold these aren’t the Same Old Jets.

It’s just the first preseason game, but the Jets look different, they feel different and they act different. For so many years they’ve been built on straw. Whether it was a coach on the hot seat or no real franchise quarterback on the roster or age giving way to injuries, the Jets haven’t been as stable as they are now since those early Rex Ryan years. Give Darnold credit for that.

The third-overall pick in the 2018 draft had a solid rookie season and has followed with a strong training camp. He seems to be clicking with new head coach Adam Gase, who was brought here specifically to develop Darnold into an elite quarterback that can carry the Jets to postseason success.

That journey unofficially begins Thursday night when Gase and Darnold communicate through headsets for the first time under game conditions.

 
    “You just try not to give him too much,” Gase said. “At the same time you want to try to give him a little nugget ever once in a while just to make sure that he understands why you’re calling certain things.”

You know these aren’t the Same Old Jets when it’s the Giants who enter the preseason with quarterback questions. First-round pick Daniel Jones will presumably start the season as the backup to Eli Manning and time will tell whether there’s a point in the season when change will be needed or demanded.

Jones will probably get more attention Thursday night from a Giants home crowd, trying to understand why he was selected with the sixth-overall pick when he might have been available in the second round.

The Jets don’t have to deal with those questions. Darnold won a mock training camp battle with McCown last year to become the starting quarterback. There were growing pains amid a lame-duck year for head coach Todd Bowles, who didn’t have a good enough team to support a rookie quarterback.

image.gif.db76a82280576a0b7935c4af121de074.gif

 

But while the Jets went 4-12 and Bowles was fired, Darnold gained valuable experience starting 13 games. He threw 17 touchdowns passes against 15 interceptions. He was sacked 30 times, but should get better protection from an offensive line bolstered by the additions of Kelechi Osemele, Alex Lewis and Ryan Kalil.

 

Darnold should also benefit from having Gase as his head coach. It’s not ideal for a quarterback to have to learn an entirely new offensive scheme in his second year, but the long-term benefits should be good for Darnold.

“I just have to go out there, execute, do my job and that’s really it,” Darnold said. “Do that to the best of my ability and if I do that, I think I’ll be all right.”

It’s just the first preseason game, but these already aren’t the Same Old Jets. Le’Veon Bell and free-agent linebacker C.J. Mosley are in their primes at 27. Pro Bowl safety Jamal Adams will only get better. The offensive line has plenty of experience; the defense has a mixture of youth and age and should excel under defensive coordinator Gregg Williams. Most importantly, nobody has to cross their fingers about the Jets quarterback anymore.

image.gif

  • Upvote 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 minutes ago, joewilly12 said:

Remember when you crossed your fingers and hoped Mark Sanchez wasn’t getting as bad as he looked; or when you prayed Geno Smith might be the Jets’ answer at quarterback before he got punched in the face.

When posting articles, try using the "post as plain text" option so that they're, you know, readable. 

Reposted the text of the article above just so I could see it. 

  • Upvote 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, slats said:

When posting articles, try using the "post as plain text" option so that they're, you know, readable. 

Reposted the text of the article above just so I could see it. 

Not sure what you mean?  Reads perfectly fine on my computer as posted. 

Your re-post is smaller than what I originally posted. 

  • Thumb Down 1
  • WTF? 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Very earlier in year 3 of sanchez you saw the regression.  It happen quick and got ugly real fast.  You knew it was over.

Not once did i ever think geno was any good so there was never hope there.

Fitzy and McCown were always stopgaps. You never thought there was a future there.

Sam struggled mightily year one but there was some rays of sunshine at the end of the year.  I think he comes out of the gate guns blazing this year.

  • Upvote 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, joewilly12 said:

Sam Darnold giving Jets what they’ve craved for way too long

August 7, 2019 | 7:24pm

 
Enlarge Image
Sam Darnold
Bill Kostroun 

 

Remember when you crossed your fingers and hoped Mark Sanchez wasn’t getting as bad as he looked; or when you prayed Geno Smith might be the Jets’ answer at quarterback before he got punched in the face.

Remember when you hoped to squeeze another good season out of Ryan Fitzpatrick or capture some late magic from Josh McCown? Remember those nights when the Jets quarterback situation kept you up late fearing the worst on Sunday?

When the Jets play the Giants on Thursday night at MetLife Stadium it will be the first time since heading into Sanchez’s second season in 2010 that the Jets aren’t uncertain about their quarterback situation. Thanks to Sam Darnold these aren’t the Same Old Jets.

It’s just the first preseason game, but the Jets look different, they feel different and they act different. For so many years they’ve been built on straw. Whether it was a coach on the hot seat or no real franchise quarterback on the roster or age giving way to injuries, the Jets haven’t been as stable as they are now since those early Rex Ryan years. Give Darnold credit for that.

The third-overall pick in the 2018 draft had a solid rookie season and has followed with a strong training camp. He seems to be clicking with new head coach Adam Gase, who was brought here specifically to develop Darnold into an elite quarterback that can carry the Jets to postseason success.

That journey unofficially begins Thursday night when Gase and Darnold communicate through headsets for the first time under game conditions.

 
    “You just try not to give him too much,” Gase said. “At the same time you want to try to give him a little nugget ever once in a while just to make sure that he understands why you’re calling certain things.”

You know these aren’t the Same Old Jets when it’s the Giants who enter the preseason with quarterback questions. First-round pick Daniel Jones will presumably start the season as the backup to Eli Manning and time will tell whether there’s a point in the season when change will be needed or demanded.

Jones will probably get more attention Thursday night from a Giants home crowd, trying to understand why he was selected with the sixth-overall pick when he might have been available in the second round.

The Jets don’t have to deal with those questions. Darnold won a mock training camp battle with McCown last year to become the starting quarterback. There were growing pains amid a lame-duck year for head coach Todd Bowles, who didn’t have a good enough team to support a rookie quarterback.

image.gif.db76a82280576a0b7935c4af121de074.gif

 

But while the Jets went 4-12 and Bowles was fired, Darnold gained valuable experience starting 13 games. He threw 17 touchdowns passes against 15 interceptions. He was sacked 30 times, but should get better protection from an offensive line bolstered by the additions of Kelechi Osemele, Alex Lewis and Ryan Kalil.

 

Darnold should also benefit from having Gase as his head coach. It’s not ideal for a quarterback to have to learn an entirely new offensive scheme in his second year, but the long-term benefits should be good for Darnold.

“I just have to go out there, execute, do my job and that’s really it,” Darnold said. “Do that to the best of my ability and if I do that, I think I’ll be all right.”

It’s just the first preseason game, but these already aren’t the Same Old Jets. Le’Veon Bell and free-agent linebacker C.J. Mosley are in their primes at 27. Pro Bowl safety Jamal Adams will only get better. The offensive line has plenty of experience; the defense has a mixture of youth and age and should excel under defensive coordinator Gregg Williams. Most importantly, nobody has to cross their fingers about the Jets quarterback anymore.

image.gif

 

 

I tried reading the article, but I can't stop thinking about how I wish the helmet was white.

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Peace Frog said:

future HOF SS

John Lynch isn't making the Hall of Fame. Neither is Kam Chancellor or Harrison Smith. Adams isn't as good as any of those players. Derwin James is better than Jamal Adams, and neither of those guys are close to being as good as Eddie Jackson. Is Jamal even as good as Tyrann Mathieu? No. No, he is not. 

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, Joe W. Namath said:

Very earlier in year 3 of sanchez you saw the regression.  It happen quick and got ugly real fast.  You knew it was over.

Not once did i ever think geno was any good so there was never hope there.

Fitzy and McCown were always stopgaps. You never thought there was a future there.

Sam struggled mightily year one but there was some rays of sunshine at the end of the year.  I think he comes out of the gate guns blazing this year.

At this point of there career. Darnold is Mark Sanchez. A QB who struggled his rookie year but with rays of sunshine at the end. Only for Mark, it was in the playoffs.

I need to see that Sam is improved before he gets anymore than cautious optimism from me. Sorry, been down this road too many times. Those fans saying the'd be disappointed with less than 10 wins, or the playoffs, are settling themselves up for a kick to the nads that any long-time Jets fan can see coming a million miles away.

I prefer to keep expectations in check and hope for upside.

  • Upvote 1
  • Thumb Down 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 minutes ago, jgb said:

At this point of there career. Darnold is Mark Sanchez. A QB who struggled his rookie year but with rays of sunshine at the end. Only for Mark, it was in the playoffs.

I think the difference is that in Mark's second training camp, the defense was still "winning" every day in practice, while Sam has only had a couple days in which the offense didn't win. It looks like he's making that second year jump that other recent highly regarded QB prospects have made. 

19 minutes ago, jgb said:

I need to see that Sam is improved before he gets anymore than cautious optimism from me. Sorry, been down this road too many times. Those fans saying the'd be disappointed with less than 10 wins, or the playoffs, are settling themselves up for a kick to the nads that any long-time Jets fan can see coming a million miles away.

I prefer to keep expectations in check and hope for upside.

This I agree with. I think every first year head coach since Parcells came in has had a winning record, but past performance is no guarantee of future earnings. It all comes down to Sam, and the health of some key players around him. While trying to keep expectations down, I think I'll still be disappointed with less than 8-8 this season. 

  • Upvote 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 minutes ago, slats said:

I think the difference is that in Mark's second training camp, the defense was still "winning" every day in practice, while Sam has only had a couple days in which the offense didn't win. It looks like he's making that second year jump that other recent highly regarded QB prospects have made. 

This I agree with. I think every first year head coach since Parcells came in has had a winning record, but past performance is no guarantee of future earnings. It all comes down to Sam, and the health of some key players around him. While trying to keep expectations down, I think I'll still be disappointed with less than 8-8 this season. 

That is fair (Mark still losing against defense in TC) but that was an elite defense. At least I remember that was the big argument here against those fans who were not Sanchez truthers after year one.

I hope he's Tom Brady part two. But I'm at the point in my life (older yes, wiser debatable) where I need to see it, concretely. I no longer believe in magic like I was a kid and that somehow any team I root for would go on to a Hollywood ending if I wanted it bad enough.

And the incompetent GM who never had a hit, suddenly finds the franchise savior because the team picking ahead of him screws the pooch as he's being thrown out the door, sure seems like a Hollywood setup to me. I'm watching, but I'm not buying. Yet.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, jgb said:

That is fair (Mark still losing against defense in TC) but that was an elite defense. At least I remember that was the big argument thrown into my face here when I was not a Sanchez truther after year one.

I hope he's Tom Brady part two. But I'm at the point in my life (older yes, wiser debatable) where I need to see it, concretely. I know longer believe in magic like I was a kid and that somehow and team I root for would go on to a hollywood ending if I wanted it bad enough.

I hear you, and to each their own. I enjoy setting myself a little bit. Gotta be happy about this team at some point in the year, and it seems to rarely happen during the regular season. 

That said, Sanchez' numbers his second year were worse than Sam's rookie year almost across the board, while playing on an 11-5 team and throwing to Edwards, Holmes, Cotchery, and Ladainian Tomlinson. For all the talk of lack of weapons around him, that's a lot better than Sam had last year (and probably this one, too) on a 4-12 team. Sanchez should've been able to stack a couple practices with that cast around him. 

I guess I  just think calling Sam, "Mark," is way off the mark. 

  • Upvote 3
  • Sympathy 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 minutes ago, slats said:

I hear you, and to each their own. I enjoy setting myself a little bit. Gotta be happy about this team at some point in the year, and it seems to rarely happen during the regular season. 

That said, Sanchez' numbers his second year were worse than Sam's rookie year almost across the board, while playing on an 11-5 team and throwing to Edwards, Holmes, Cotchery, and Ladainian Tomlinson. For all the talk of lack of weapons around him, that's a lot better than Sam had last year (and probably this one, too) on a 4-12 team. Sanchez should've been able to stack a couple practices with that cast around him. 

I guess I  just think calling Sam, "Mark," is way off the mark. 

Nice pun in the last sentence whether intended or not!

They are the same archetype so far. Struggled early and middle rookie year, strong finish, lotta hype during second off season. That's where I hope the comparisons end, and the divergence begins.

The one main difference for me, granting the TC difference you cite above, is that the media was never all-in on Sanchez like it is Darnold. It's pretty obvious to us now that a lot of the Sanchez optimism was reflected, spillover from the general optimism surrounding the Jets (especially the defense) for his second year. It's a positive sign (to me) that the guys who analyze this sport for a living seem universally bullish about Sam, and only Sam. No spillover team hype muddying the waters this time.

Here's hoping.

  • Upvote 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, T0mShane said:

John Lynch isn't making the Hall of Fame. Neither is Kam Chancellor or Harrison Smith. Adams isn't as good as any of those players. Derwin James is better than Jamal Adams, and neither of those guys are close to being as good as Eddie Jackson. Is Jamal even as good as Tyrann Mathieu? No. No, he is not. 

John Lynch is a 9 time pro bowler, 4 time all pro, and super bowl champ. Not to mention an iconic player. He’s 10,000% making it in. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, Joe W. Namath said:

Very earlier in year 3 of sanchez you saw the regression.  It happen quick and got ugly real fast.  You knew it was over.

Not once did i ever think geno was any good so there was never hope there.

Fitzy and McCown were always stopgaps. You never thought there was a future there.

Sam struggled mightily year one but there was some rays of sunshine at the end of the year.  I think he comes out of the gate guns blazing this year.

Geno went 8-8 his rookie year, threw the ball on a rope. Game 1, his running ability saved the game in a game against Buffalo we should have lost.   Season 2, we had a HUGE lead against Green Bay week one (two maybe).  THEN the real Geno showed up.  I thought after season 1, Geno would be a top 10-12 QB.  Boy, did he fall off a cliff.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Let me also say that despite being conditioned by this team (and the Mets) to take the cautious route, I love the optimism around here. It definitely beats arguing over McCown's contract! 

I hope to join the sunshiner camp soon. Keep one cold for me!

  • Sympathy 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 minutes ago, nico002 said:

John Lynch is a 9 time pro bowler, 4 time all pro, and super bowl champ. Not to mention an iconic player. He’s 10,000% making it in. 

Agree he deserve it, but he has some hurdles.

Why there's reason to worry about John Lynch's Hall-of-Fame candidacy

by Clark Judge

Feb 9-edited

Former safety John Lynch once seemed a Hall-of-Fame certainty. But now? Not so much. What happened? Good question.

I’m beginning to worry about John Lynch.

No, I’m not talking about what he does as general manager of the San Francisco 49ers. I’m talking about what he’s not doing as a finalist for the Pro Football Hall-of-Fame.

And that’s moving forward.

For the second straight year, Lynch last weekend failed to reach the Final 10 in Hall-of-Fame voting. And, yeah, I know: It happens. But it’s not supposed to happen to someone this close to crossing the threshold to Canton two years ago.

That’s when John Lynch was a Top-10 finalist for the second straight year, leading many then to believe he was all but a cinch to graduate to Canton in 2018. Except he didn’t. Instead, of moving forward, his candidacy went in the other direction. And now it’s stuck there.

Which is why I’m beginning to worry.

Look, I know what we’ve been told – namely, that 89 percent of two-time finalists for the Hall eventually are inducted. But tell that to Joe Jacoby. He was a three-time finalist and a Top-10 finisher in 2016.

Nevertheless, he failed to make it to the Top 10 in his 20th – and last – year of eligibility and was banished to the senior pool, there to reside with dozens of other all-decade choices that have been ignored, forgotten or both.

So multiple finalists can … and do … fail to take the last step.

Then there’s this: Steve Atwater. Like Lynch, he was a safety. Unlike Lynch, he hadn’t been in the room multiple times. In fact, before last weekend he’d been there only once – in 2016. And not only didn’t he make the first cut to 10; he disappeared altogether, never to reappear as a finalist until this year.

OK, no big deal. Except, as it turns out, it was. Atwater last weekend moved forward where Lynch did not, passing Lynch to finish as one of five Top-10 choices not elected to the Class of 2019.

And that tells me something: It tells me his candidacy has the momentum that Lynch’s does not.

Don’t ask me why. The presentations for John Lynch are compelling, informative and persuasive. And they should be sufficient to clinch the deal for someone who was a Super Bowl champion, who was named to the Rings of Honor of two franchises (Tampa Bay and Denver), who was chosen to as many Pro Bowls (9) as Hall-of-Famers Ed Reed and Brian Dawkins and who was as important to Tampa Bay’s 2002 Super Bowl defense as Hall-of-Famers Warren Sapp and Derrick Brooks.

They should be sufficient. But they’re not.

Which leads me to another issue: How do presenters fast-forward Lynch’s candidacy when his case has been sliced, diced and spliced the past six years? I mean, what's left to say that hasn't already been said? Selectors have heard it all before. And now, it seems, they’re moving on. Because while they keep making Lynch a finalist, they don’t support his candidacy once he’s inside the room.

In fact, Lynch is one of only two Hall-of-Fame candidates to be a finalist six consecutive years and fail to be elected. The other: Former Miami offensive lineman Bob Kuechenberg, who died last month.

Granted, there’s always next year … except there’s not. Not really. Look at the players eligible for the Class of 2020, and you’ll find Troy Polamalu front and center. No, he’s not a first-ballot cinch like Reed this year. But he is the most noteworthy name in the class, and, like Reed, played the same position as Lynch.

Not that long ago, that was a problem. The Hall inducted safeties as often as trains run on time. But that changed in 2017 when Kenny Easley was named as a senior inductee. That was a breakthrough. A year later, Dawkins made it as a modern-era candidate in only his second year of eligibility. That was a breakthrough, too. Prior to Dawkins, the last modern-era safety to play was Kenny Houston … and he retired after the 1980 season.

Then, last weekend, two safeties – Reed and Johnny Robinson – were elected in the same class. Another breakthrough. So safety no longer is a blind spot for voters.

But that hasn’t helped John Lynch, and that’s a concern. Where others are moving forward, he is not. Plus, it’s not just Polamalu that is next year’s competition at safety. It’s Atwater, too.

Someone must find a way to wake up voters to John Lynch, otherwise he one day may be known as the Cliff Harris or Ed Meador of this milennium – the best safety not to reach Canton.

And that would be a shame.

https://mavensports.io/talkoffame/nfl/why-there-s-reason-to-worry-about-john-lynch-s-hall-of-fame-candidacy-sSxnItgOO0SkB-8jXkgnRQ/

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 minutes ago, southparkcpa said:

Geno went 8-8 his rookie year, threw the ball on a rope. Game 1, his running ability saved the game in a game against Buffalo we should have lost.   Season 2, we had a HUGE lead against Green Bay week one (two maybe).  THEN the real Geno showed up.  I thought after season 1, Geno would be a top 10-12 QB.  Boy, did he fall off a cliff.

Geno's shortcomings were never physical. He has Baker Mayfield's mouth and Ryan Leaf's emotional constitution.

  • Upvote 1
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...