Instant Analysis: Sam Darnold’s blunders prove costly in Jets’ loss to Colts

Jets Wire breaks down New York’s Week 3 loss to the Colts.

Football is all about capitalizing on opportunities. No matter how talented your team is or how hard they play, missed opportunities usually result in a loss.

The Jets learned that lesson firsthand against the Colts in Week 3, as a pair of Sam Darnold interceptions proved costly in a 36-7 loss to Indianapolis. New York lost its first drive to a pick-six and Darnold cost the Jets points again later in the first half with an interception in the end zone. The second half featured much of the same, as Darnold tossed another pick-six, effectively burying any chance of a comeback.

Give the Jets credit. They played tough and hung around a lot longer than they did against the 49ers last weekend. For this team, being competitive beyond the first 13 seconds of a game can be considered progress. Maybe they can parlay that into a complete game against the Broncos on Thursday Night Football in Week 4.

Game Balls

WR Braxton Berrios: Berrios hauled in four passes for 64 yards and a first-quarter touchdown reception. The Miami product has done a fine job for New York since entering the starting lineup in Week 2.

Quick Thoughts

-Another week of struggles for Gregg Williams’ defense, which was supposed to be the strength of the Jets in 2020. Instead, they have been exploited both on the ground and through the air.

-The Jets need Mekhi Becton to be okay. He has been one of the lone bright spots on New York’s offense so far this season and has the makings of a future star at left tackle. Gang Green cannot afford to have him miss any time.

-Obviously, it did not give the Jets any momentum, but a great job by Sam Darnold to bounce back and march the Jets down the field for six after throwing a pick-six to begin the game. It’s unfortunate that he could not overcome the turnover bug and take advantage of that strong second drive.

-Darnold’s at his best when he uses his legs to extend plays and stretch out the defense. It’s not ideal when he is forced out of the pocket before he has time to go through his initial reads, but at least he has a skill set that allows him to make something out of nothing when he has to.

-Do the Jets have something in Berrios? That could be the case. He has displayed a knack for getting open the last couple of weeks.

-Henry Anderson’s string of underwhelming play finally caught up to him, as he was benched to start the game. Frankly, it’s about time. The Stanford product has simply not produced.

-Week 3 marked the first time the Jets did not trail after the first quarter in 2020. You could call that baby steps for New York.

-The Pierre Desir experiment has been an utter disaster so far. From getting benched in his Jets debut to constantly getting beat and flagged in key moments, he has gotten off to a rough start in the Big Apple.