New York Jets: 3 Big takeaways from Preseason Week 3
2. Sam Darnold is the Week 1 starter in Detroit
Darnold didn’t have big numbers (8-of-16, 86 yards). That said, he did have a touchdown pass, and he made good decisions throughout the first half. This included one where he ran for a first down after the pocket collapsed around him and there was a huge opening in the middle of the field. He even slid on the play just past the first down marker.
Darnold is definitely not fazed by the bright lights of the NFL. He also understands NFL defenses and what they are throwing at him. What teammates and coaches — other than Todd Bowles — have been saying about him during practice seem to be accurate. He’s showing poise in the pocket, and throw the ball to the right receiver.
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He did have one mistake, though, and that was throwing the ball away leading to an intentional grounding penalty. That said, he’s shown enough this preseason — and from what has been said about him throughout practice — to warrant starting Week 1 in Detroit.
The Sam Darnold era will being on Monday, Sept. 10, 2018, and hopefully for Jets fans, it won’t end for a long time. It’s Darnold’s time, and no one else should be the quarterback come Week 1.