Darnold Has An Opportunity To Make A Claim On QB1 Position
By Steve Silverman
The Jets may have the quarterback situation that they dared not even dream about.
They have a steady veteran in Josh McCown whom they can count on to move the ball with consistency once the regular season starts. Backup Teddy Bridgewater is coming off nearly two full years of inactivity based on a brutal knee injury suffered in the summer of 2016 while with the Vikings. He shook off all that rust and doubt to completed 7-of-8 passes in the Jets preseason opener against the Atlanta Falcons, and he led the offense to two scores. Bridgewater looked relaxed, relieved and happy in his work, and he even took a hit and came out no worse for wear.
Positive development with Bridgewater, but the real news is that rookie Sam Darnold passed his first test and he looks very much like a starting NFL quarterback. Darnold completed 13-of-18 passes for 96 yards, and that included a touchdown pass to Charles Johnson. That scoring pass came as he rolled to his right and hit the receiver in the end zone. While the numbers were solid, it was the way that Darnold went about his business that was most impressive demonstrating the poise the Jets hoped he would show when they drafted him last April, as well as the arm strength, accuracy and athleticism they were sure he had.
"I thought I played pretty good," Darnold said. "I think I just put the ball where it needed to be, tried to get it in the hands of our playmakers."
A veteran's answer, but it must be a completely different feeling on the inside. While a rookie quarterback has several more tests to pass before he can become a legitimate starter, he could have easily fallen far behind by now.
Jets fans can feel confident that Darnold is no Christian Hackenberg, who never looked like he belonged in an NFL lineup, not even for a second. So what does a good performance in his first game mean for Darnold? Well, it is quite reasonable to think he will be the Jets' No. 1 quarterback this year, and perhaps a lot sooner than expected. He is in a legitimate quarterback competition, and one that is not likely to be decided until the Jets play their third preseason game of the summer against the Giants.
Head coach Todd Bowles has said that the competition could come down to the fourth and final game against the Super Bowl champion Eagles, but that's not the way the NFL game is played anymore.
Teams are too worried about the injury factor to go at it hard in the last preseason game. Bowles may not make his announcement until after that game, but he will likely decide on his quarterback before then.
It will take plenty of guts to go with a rookie quarterback from the start of the season, even if he outplays the competition convincingly throughout August. That could be the decision that defines Bowles' coaching career if the rookie plays better against the Redskins than he did against the Falcons, and better than that the following week against the Giants.
Preseason games may not count in the standings, but they are very important for rookie quarterbacks who want to show they are capable of leading a franchise to a winning record. There can be no hesitation and the desire to win the QB1 job has to be obvious in every practice, every meeting and every snap on the field.
That does not mean that Darnold has to be perfect in his execution, but he must be sure of himself and can't second-guess. Leaders are not going to equivocate, make excuses or look to take the easy way out. They must go all out and always drive forward.
That is Darnold's mission from now through the time the starting quarterback decision is made. It's something that he certainly knows, having been an elite quarterback at USC. While it's clearly much tougher in the NFL, Darnold understands what leadership is all about.
He has taken the first step with a very sharp opening performance. It's now time to build on that with every subsequent opportunity. If he can do that, he will force Bowles to make the gutsiest decision of his coaching career.
