The Jets After Week Six

Through six weeks, the Jets–at the very least–have proven themselves as the best NFL team in New York.  The Giants, at 1-5, are plagued by the inadequate Eli Manning, who is a shell of the Super Bowl MVP he once was.  Saquon Barkley may be a generational talent, but Manning’s unwillingness to throw deep limits the Giants’ offense and makes them predictable to opposing defenses. The Bills, at 2-4, will have to play Derek Anderson (who was benched for Nathan Peterman–yikes) until Josh Allen returns.  While the Bills have been stronger defensively than many realize, their offensive struggles will hold them back.  The Jets, at 3-3, possess potential unlike any other New York team.

Isaiah Crowell totals 219 rushing yards and a touchdown against the Broncos (Via Mike Stobe/Getty Images)

With Sam Darnold, Gang Green has already scored 40 points twice; the last time the Jets had two 40-point games in a season was with Brett Favre in 2008.  Offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates has challenged Darnold by opening up the playbook, and the rookie has exceeded expectations.  Over the past two weeks Gang Green has scored 76 points, led by Sam Darnold with 5 TDs to 2 INTs.  To place Darnold’s performances into perspective, Pro Football Focus attributed Darnold a 89.1 QB grade during these two weeks–a rating only topped by Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers.  Darnold’s numbers should fall back down to earth, but fans should be excited at the production from the offense.

The Jets face a tough Vikings team at Metflife this Sunday.  This game will show spectators the true character of this team; if the Jets finish their three-game home stretch with three victories, then playoffs become a closer possibility than many predicted during the offseason.  Adam Thielen leads all wide receivers in receptions at 58 and recieving yards 712; needless to say, he will pose threat to a Jets’ secondary lacking Trumaine Johnson, Marcus Maye, and Buster Skrine.  However, Sam Darnold gives hope that the Jets can get aggressive and compete offensively.  The potential for an upset may be more likely than people think.

Jets Magically Upset the Lions

With the first play of his NFL career, Sam Darnold threw a pick-six to Lions’ defensive back Quandre Diggs. But, he proved his resilience by leading the Jets to a 48-18 victory in Detroit. Last week I suggested that Darnold’s reactions to mistakes would define his NFL career — here, Darnold showed that failure does not faze him. Following the terribly misjudged pick-six, Darnold chuckled off the mistake and threw for 198 yards with two touchdowns; more impressively, he completed 76.2% of his passes. Darnold had a promising game and looks to improve against the Miami Dolphins in Week 2.

It would be foolish to only credit Sam Darnold for the victory; all sides of the ball contributed in major ways: Isaiah Crowell and Bilal Powell combined for 162 rushing yards, Andre Roberts scored a punt-return touchdown, and the defense intercepted five passes (yes, you read that right). Even the Jets fans, led by legend Fireman Ed, were chanting louder than the Detroit residents. For once, everything went right for the Jets. Before the 3rd quarter even ended, the Jets had set a franchise record for most post scored in an away game. If the Jets can replicate some of this success throughout the season, they might compete for a playoff spot.

    Darron Lee fields an interception (via Getty Images)

Linebacker Darron Lee stepped up in a major way. The 20th overall selection in the 2016 NFL Draft caught two interceptions, and took one home for a touchdown. He also led the team with 7 total tackles. Lee responded to harsh criticism he received during the summer from former Jet Bart Scott, who questioned “his willingness to play the position”, adding that Lee “[seems] a little plush”. Lee let his play speak for himself, and cited film study as a catalyst for the two interceptions. While Lee’s first two seasons with the Jets have not been spectacular thus far, hopefully this performance is a taste for the future. Lee is 23 years-old, and will only improve with more experience.

Lee was not the only promising player on the defensive side. Second year safety Jamal Adams was ferocious against the run and found his first interception late in the game, which Adams claimed would be the “first of many more to come”. Though Jamal is younger than many players on the team, he acts as the heart and soul of the defense. His fiery passion for football is matched by no other. Todd Bowles has prioritized finding healthy locker-room personalities in his personnel acquisitions since he became head coach (by trading Sheldon Richardson, cutting Muhammad Wilkerson, etc.), which has formed a fresh identity for the Jets. In addition to Jamal Adams, players like Leonard Williams, Trumaine Johnson, and Avery Williamson will make the Jets’ defense exciting to watch. Watch out for “New Jack City”!

The New York Jets start the season 1-0, and there is immense hope for Gang Green.

Sam Darnold Named Starter

While other rookie quarterbacks Baker Mayfield, Josh Rosen, and Lamar Jackson will sit week 1, Sam Darnold has been given the nod to start in his first NFL game against the Detroit Lions. Despite missing the first 3 days of training camp, Darnold quickly caught up with the offense and finished with the most first team reps of all quarterbacks on the roster. In preseason, Darnold went 29-for-45 with 244 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. He stayed poised in the pocket and was able to offset mediocre offensive line performance with his ability to make plays off-schedule. Clearly, there is much optimism in New York surrounding the rookie quarterback.

In fact, earlier this week the Jets traded quarterback Teddy Bridgewater to the New Orleans Saints. The former Pro-Bowl player showed promise in the preseason with his 104.7 QBR rating. The excellent performance by Bridgewater should only indicate fans that the Jets are extremely confident in Darnold’s ability. By trading away the qualified Teddy Bridgewater, the Jets are putting all their eggs into the Sam Darnold basket.

Sam Darnold scrambles for the first down on 3rd & 13

Darnold shined most in the preseason game against the New York Giants. Playing the entire first half with the starting team, Darnold led two touchdown drives. “I’ve seen Sam perform tonight better than I’ve seen any rookies that I can remember, really,” said Hall of Fame inductee Joe Namath, who won Super Bowl III with the Jets in 1968.

As the highest quarterback selected in the NFL Draft by the Jets since Joe Namath in 1965, the pressure is on for Sam Darnold. He holds the potential to become the franchise quarterback, but expectations should be tampered. Facing NFL defenses for the first time, Darnold will certainly make mistakes – his reaction to these mistakes will be what define his outlined potential. For instance, Peyton Manning threw a league high 28 interceptions in his rookie season with the Indianapolis Colts, but went on to have a legendary career by learning from his mistakes. It will be exciting to watch the Jets’ rookie compete in his first year, but his performance in the second year may be more crucial in his journey.

For the first time since Rex Ryan and Mark Sanchez lead the Jets to back-to-back AFC Championships in 2009 and 2010, the Jets finally have hope for the future. Trading up for Sam Darnold with the #3 pick will forever define the current Todd Bowles era in New York.  Do the Jets finally have their answer at quarterback?