Strong WR Group Could Make Life Better For Darnold, Quarterbacks
By Steve Silverman
It hasn't taken Sam Darnold very long to impress his teammates with his arm, instincts and ability to move around the pocket.
However, a couple of impressive practice sessions and a decent showing in the team's Green-White scrimmage does not mean that Darnold will be the starting quarterback when the season kicks off on the road against the Detroit Lions September 10.
The hype train is off and running with Darnold, and while that is to be expected, the rookie from USC has a long way to go before he becomes the team's No. 1 quarterback. While Josh McCown didn't see much action in the scrimmage, he is a confident and capable leader who should be able to do a competent job until Darnold is ready.
Darnold's ability to move and escape the pass rush has impressed wide out Jermaine Kearse. "He's an athletic guy," Kearse said. "He's just as accurate on the run as he is in the pocket. It allows us to find areas to get open."
But as the Jets prepare for the season, there is reason to believe that the receivers may be far more effective than many observers perceive.
The Jets' foursome of Kearse, Robby Anderson, Terrelle Pryor and Quincy Enunwa have the ability to cause issues for opposing defenses because they have all been productive in the past. Kearse appears to be the leader of the group, and he earned a reputation for toughness and single-mindedness during his run with the Seahawks, and he sets the example for the receivers with his ability to go over the middle, make the catch, take the hit and stay on his feet.
Anderson, who caught 63 passes for 941 yards and seven touchdowns a year ago, has made steady progress in each of his two seasons. He caught 21 more passes last year than he did as a rookie in 2016, and offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates has every reason to think that Anderson will provide even more production.
Pryor was a remarkable receiver in 2016 when he caught 77 passes for 1,007 yards and four touchdowns and he flashed his speed on a consistent basis for the Cleveland Browns. However, Pryor never got it going last year with the Redskins after contending with a sprained ankle for much of the season, and he caught just 20 passes.
Enunwa has a thumb injury and will miss another week to 10 days as a result. While it's not a serious injury, he didn't play last year because he needed surgery to repair a bulging disc problem in his neck. The Jets have reason to believe that Enunwa can get back to his 2016 form when he caught 58 passes for 857 yards and four scores.
If you look at the Jets' situation at the wide receiver position, they don't have any superstars. However, there are four strong and competent options that will help McCown, Bridgewater and eventually Darnold produce on a consistent basis.
The Jets ranked 28th in yards per game in 2017 and 24th in passing yards, and there are real reasons to believe that they will be able to improve on both figures – and perhaps substantially.
The Jets have been lacking on offense for years, but there are weapons to work with and Bates has to be sure that the wideouts produces at a high level on a consistent basis.
The situation is similar at the running back spot because the Jets don't have superstars, but the combination of Bilal Powell, Isaiah Crowell, Thomas Rawls and Elijah McGuire could be competent. However, if you look at the WR foursome and compare it to the four running backs, the receivers are the more dangerous group.
The success of the receivers and running backs is likely to have an impact on the quarterback decision. The more options that are working productively, the easier it will be for the coaching staff to turn to Darnold.
If Bowles and Bates know that they are getting excellent production from multiple receivers and running backs, that will make life easier for Darnold. However, if the options are limited, that's when the team will have to lean on McCown or Bridgewater.
It's way too early to make judgements or come to any conclusions about the offense, but potential is there for a far more exciting offense than the Jets have seen in years.