Tag: Sam Darnold development

How can Sam Darnold be fairly evaluated when the Jets have done nothing but fail him?

Jets Wire breaks down why it is nearly impossible to properly evaluate Sam Darnold considering how the Jets have failed him.

The old adage in football is that a good quarterback makes those around him better, but there is only so much a single player can do lead his team to victory — especially when his supporting cast is lackluster at best.

It’s hard for a quarterback to do his job to the best of his ability when he doesn’t have much help. A quarterback can throw perfect passes, but if he doesn’t have receivers who can catch those passes, there is not much he can do. If a quarterback doesn’t have protection from his offensive line, he’ll spend the majority of his time running for his life instead of going through his reads. If a quarterback doesn’t have a running game to help balance the offense, the majority of his throws will come against defenses dropping seven or eight players into coverage.

That has been the story of Sam Darnold’s career. The former No. 3 overall pick has shown flashes of potential in his two seasons with the Jets, but he has not yet been able to put it all together. It’s tough to blame him for this considering how little he’s had to work with, but that has not stopped pundits from questioning if he has what it takes to be New York’s quarterback of the future.

ESPN, Sporting News and For The Win have all recently questioned Darnold’s chops under center. ESPN’s Bill Barnwell wondered if 2020 would be Darnold’s last chance to prove he can be a starting quarterback. For The Win’s Steven Ruiz cautioned the Jets to not let Darnold’s flashes of promise set the organization back. Sporting News’ Jordan Heck gave Darnold an honorable mention on a list of quarterbacks who could be benched this upcoming season.

Questioning Darnold’s ability as a passer seems to be the easy thing to do these days. One look at his stats and a brief film breakdown of his worst moments under center give credence to the thought that he might not be the answer for the Jets. However, it should be noted that the Jets have played a significant role in Darnold’s struggles.

For example, Darnold has been sacked 63 times since entering the NFL, which is a reflection of how putrid Gang Green’s offensive line has been the last two seasons. To put that number into perspective, Drew Brees has been sacked only 36 times since 2018, while Tom Brady has gone down 49 times over that span. That’s not to say that Darnold is actually a future Super Bowl winner and Hall of Famer in disguise, but having some protection sure would help.

The best quarterbacks in football benefit from excellent offensive line play. How exactly is Darnold supposed to make plays when his offensive line makes it nearly impossible for him to take a simple three-step drop? How is he supposed to consistently make the right read when pass-rushers are breathing down his neck by the time the ball gets to him?

New York’s running game and wide receiver play have not helped Darnold’s cause, either. Signing Le’Veon Bell in free agency last offseason was a major step in the right direction for the Jets’ ground attack, but, like Darnold, he couldn’t accomplish much in 2019 running behind a porous line. Jamison Crowder provided Darnold a bit of relief last season, but New York’s other wide receivers left plenty to be desired.

Again, the question must be raised: What is Darnold supposed to do with such an underwhelming supporting cast? He can’t line up at running back and burst into the second level for big gains. He can’t throw the ball up to himself and then catch it. He can’t fend for himself in the trenches, either.

Darnold is far from being a polished quarterback. He still has plenty of shortcomings and a long way to go in his development to get to where he needs to be. How, though, is he supposed to improve when the Jets have failed him throughout his career?

The 2020 campaign could be the first season the Jets get to see what kind of player Darnold really is. General manager Joe Douglas spent the offseason bulking up New York’s offensive line, so the pass protection should not be anywhere near as horrific as it was the last two seasons. The wide receiver position could use a little more depth, but at least two talented players in Breshad Perriman and Denzel Mims are entering the mix.

Until the Jets can see how Darnold plays with a competent supporting cast, any declaration that he cannot get the job done is premature. Unless he falls flat on his face with an improved group in 2020, it is simply unfair to anoint Darnold as the latest failed Jets quarterback until a proper evaluation can be made.

Former Jets QB Chad Pennington praises Sam Darnold’s ‘considerable improvement’ in second season

Chad Pennington praised Sam Darnold’s progress in his second season as Gang Green’s starting quarterback in an interview with Eric Allen.

Chad Pennington knows a thing or two about getting the job done for the Jets under center.

Before injuries brought an end to his time in the Big Apple, Pennington led the Jets to three playoff appearances and retired as the NFL’s all-time leader in completion percentage. Now a high school football coach in Kentucky, Pennington has had ample time to watch Sam Darnold play on Sundays and evaluate his game from year one to year two.

“Although we would say it’s been up and down, I would say there’s been considerable improvement,” Pennington told Jets reporter Eric Allen. “Earlier in the year, you’d probably see four to five decisions that you would question. Now, you’re only seeing one to two decisions that we’re questioning.”

Pennington found himself in a similar position to Darnold at the beginning of the century. As a first-round pick out of Marshall in 2000, Pennington entered the league at a young age and had to learn on the fly in a major media market filled with intense scrutiny on a daily basis.

As Pennington navigated the waters and learned how to play in New York, he progressed and turned into a passer the Jets could rely on. He believes Darnold is following a similar path with his second professional season nearly in the books.

“Remember, he’s 22 years old,” Pennington said. “It’s only his second season being an NFL quarterback. I think as fans, we should be happy with his progress.”

Pennington has also been impressed with Darnold’s ability to face adversity head-on. The USC product has been hit with a lot in his sophomore season, as mononucleosis kept him sidelined for a month. That, combined with poor offensive line play, has put Darnold behind the eight ball at times in his first season running Adam Gase’s offense.

“I think what we’re seeing is the maturation of a young quarterback,” Pennington said. “We’re able to see that right in front of our eyes. When I was playing back in the day, you didn’t see these things happen because most of the time quarterbacks were kept on the shelf for a couple of years. Those mistakes were made behind closed doors. Unfortunately for Sam, we’re able to see his mistakes made in front of us. At the same time, we’re able to see his progress.”

Darnold has come on nicely at the end of 2019, leading the Jets to a 5-2 record over their last seven games. Where he goes in his progression in 2020 and beyond remains to be seen, but either way, it looks like he has a fan in Pennington in his corner for the long run.