Sam Darnold was granted an unexpected opportunity to make a statement against the Bills on Sunday — and he blew it.
Big time.
With Adam Gase handing over play-calling duties to Dowell Loggains, Darnold was finally free of the poor coaching decisions that had supposedly been hindering him the last two seasons. He had the chance to channel his inner Ryan Tannehill and break out without Gase feeding him plays. More importantly, he had the chance to prove to Joe Douglas and the rest of the Jets organization that he has what it takes to be the face of the franchise under center without his head coach holding him back.
Instead of seizing the opportunity, Darnold turned in the typical middle of the road performance with flashes of potential and maddening mistakes that Jets fans have become used to. He looked better than he had all season in the first half against Buffalo, marching his offense down the field with ease against one of football’s elite defenses. New York only put 10 points on the board in the half, but Darnold and the offense looked significantly improved with Loggains in charge.
Then, the second half rolled around and Darnold reverted to his old ways. He looked like the same middling signal-caller the Jets have seen on a weekly basis the last three years, pioneering three and outs with regularity. In fact, New York’s offense was even more stagnant with Darnold leading the way, netting only four yards of total offense in the second half.
Four yards in two quarters. How is that even possible in today’s NFL? The answer: Poor quarterback play. It’s as simple as that.
Darnold said after the game that the Jets failed to adjust to Buffalo’s halftime adjustments, but his role in New York’s struggles was evident. He only looked Denzel Mims’ way once in the second half — inexcusable after the rookie hauled in four passes in the first half. Sure, Mims had a tough assignment with Tre’Davious White shadowing him, but why not challenge him and give your most productive receiver a chance to make a play?
There were plenty of positives from the Jets’ loss to the Bills. Mims looked like he has the potential to become a big-time weapon for New York, while La’Mical Perine was explosive running the ball. Unfortunately, Darnold wasn’t among the positives. He was a big, fat negative.
It remains to be seen if Loggains will call plays for the Jets moving forward, as Gase has yet to decide who will orchestrate New York’s offense against the Chiefs this weekend. If Gase reassumes the reigns, Darnold will go back to working with the head coach that has done little to aid his development.
Sunday was arguably the biggest opportunity of Darnold’s career, but he missed out on it. That has been the story of his career so far and it’s tough to see the status quo changing anytime soon as whispers about what the Jets should potentially do with the No. 1 pick get louder.