New York Jets: 3 Things to watch for in Preseason Week 2

2. When will Sam Darnold enter the game?

Todd Bowles had steadfastly said it will be an open competition for the Week 1 starting quarterback job in Detroit. In Week 1, after three series, Sam Darnold played the rest of the game — mostly with second and third string players.

The third week of preseason is usually referred to as the “dress rehersal” game. It’s when the starters play the most to get a feel for one another before not seeing much actions in Week 4. That said, Week 2 things do begin to take shape for that game.

Early on in camp, Darnold didn’t see a lot of action with the “ones.” However, as time progressed, reports surfaced that he saw more and more time with the starters. If the preseason games mirror that, maybe we’ll see a rotation of Teddy Bridgewater, Darnold, and Josh McCown, in that order.

If we do see that, Darnold will get more time with the starters in games — just like practice — which could signal that coaches may be ready to lean on him Week 1. In the end, it’s a matter of where Bowles and Bates think Darnold is in his development. When he enters the Week 2 matchup with the Redskins could be the telling sign as to what the plans are.