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QB Sam Darnold, MIN (1 Viewer)

Good game Sam. I can't wait to see you when you're not running for your life and you have some weapons to throw to. 

 
I love Matt Waldman's take on Darnold this week:
 

Sam Darnold remains Sam Darnold

One of the most common questions readers have about rookie quarterbacks is, "How has the player changed since you studied his college tape?" The usual answer is, "not much."

Think about a rookie quarterback's transition from college football to the NFL. He's usually the star of his team and campus and in an environment where everything is monitored, including waking, eating, workouts, class schedules, studying, practice, and bedtime.

There's only so much time that a college player has to work on his game because of the college environment. Once he declares for the draft, his priority becomes getting picked as high as possible to make as much money as possible. This does not always coincide with him getting better as an athlete, a leader, or a passer as much as it does getting the right individuals to "teach him the test," of the Senior Bowl, team interviews, the NFL Combine, the Pro Day, and team visits, and draft day.

Once on a team, that player has to learn a more complex offense, become better at diagnosing defenses, adjust to the highest level of athletic play they've ever seen, and acclimate to the increased pressure of performing with and against grown men playing to support their families for season that's much longer than the college game. For the first time, there's no break from football or from public scrutiny.

It's usually why most teams are wise not to address mechanical issues with hardcore work until the end of the season if that rookie is the starter. It's also why you probably won't see a ton of emotional or conceptual growth from all but the rarest prospects at the position.

This is why Sam Darnold remains Sam Darnold: A rookie quarterback with physical skills and awareness to make off-script plays that would be more impressive in any other year prior to Patrick Mahomes II but also the unrefined conceptual component that places his team at risk.

Darnold is another year or two away from becoming a more refined player. He could thrive sooner (while still learning) if he had an environment that Dak Prescott earned as a rookie but don't count on it. Along the way, expect some exciting highs from this talented option after hopefully, a productive off-season.
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Anyone starting him this week vs GB?  I have J. Allen penciled in as the starter right now but I'm considering Darnold over him.  Green Bay has given up a lot of points on the road this year (at least 24 points) and giving up an average of 2.1 TD (27th), 249 yards (21st) on the road.

 
Steeler said:
Anyone starting him this week vs GB?  I have J. Allen penciled in as the starter right now but I'm considering Darnold over him.  Green Bay has given up a lot of points on the road this year (at least 24 points) and giving up an average of 2.1 TD (27th), 249 yards (21st) on the road.
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I'm going to put in for him tonight. He is the only qb available with the crazy rules where anyone dropped after week 10 is off limits. I have Newton who may be shut down and Keenum. I may seriously roll with Sam.

Ordinarliy I'd say you'd be better off with Allen but he is at N.E.

 
Is it just me or was everyone saying how great Darnold was after the first couple games, then everyone seemed to be saying he sucked and now after the last game everyone's saying the 'Jets have their franchise QB' again...

 
He's 21 years old... it's a process...  as a jets fan i am excited to have a guy to root for and watch develop...

 
Tool said:
Is it just me or was everyone saying how great Darnold was after the first couple games, then everyone seemed to be saying he sucked and now after the last game everyone's saying the 'Jets have their franchise QB' again...
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I think this post is a microcosm of his career to date and IMO will be one of his career moving forward.

 
Tool said:
Is it just me or was everyone saying how great Darnold was after the first couple games, then everyone seemed to be saying he sucked and now after the last game everyone's saying the 'Jets have their franchise QB' again...
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Yep that's pretty much how it unfolded. He did look impressive vs the Texans. He is still a work in progress and there have been some injuries as well. They're not all going to be Mahomes

To answer previous question, I'm considering starting him as my other options are Cousins and Lamar Jackson. Packers d definitely a softer matchup than chargers, and I don't trust Cousins anymore

But starting Darnold in a championship match is not an appealing prospect

 
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Tool said:
Is it just me or was everyone saying how great Darnold was after the first couple games, then everyone seemed to be saying he sucked and now after the last game everyone's saying the 'Jets have their franchise QB' again...
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He's played very well the last two games - but anyone really making positive or negative comments about what kind of career he will have are not being very wise. He's young and not a finished product.

 
Tool said:
Is it just me or was everyone saying how great Darnold was after the first couple games, then everyone seemed to be saying he sucked and now after the last game everyone's saying the 'Jets have their franchise QB' again...
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Never wavered,  have felt Jets have had their franchise QB since the moment they drafted him and nothing has made me stop thinking that at anytime.

I'm a Steeler fan and I distinctly remember Bradshaw's last game, against the Jets no less. I was a kid and little did I know 20 years and my childhood would pass before the Steelers would have a franchise QB again.  No coincidence that despite some outstanding and very complete Cowher led teams in the 90's they could not win the SB again until they got another franchise QB. Sure O'Donell had some solid years and Kordell once even finished in top 5 of MVP voting but these guys are not franchise QB's.

What Steeler fans had to wait a little over 20 years to get back the Jets fans have had to wait a little over 40 years.  Enjoy this.

On a somewhat related note I don't consider Pennington a franchise QB but a good one and saw someone bring this up a few months ago but is it possible in the entire run of this Patriot dynasty that the second best QB in their division was in fact Pennington? I think so, and that is why if you don't have a QB you don't have anything.

 
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Tool said:
Is it just me or was everyone saying how great Darnold was after the first couple games, then everyone seemed to be saying he sucked and now after the last game everyone's saying the 'Jets have their franchise QB' again...
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Maybe getting hurt and missing a few games was a blessing, but I don't know how anyone could say that he sucked even after his bad games. The Jets have a terrible o-line, lack of weapons, and poor coaching. It's hard to make a fair assessment given his current environment, but he has shown great potential. 

Like all kids, they make mistakes and it gets put under a microscope. Yet, even the great ones make bad passes or other mistakes. Brady blew a fg chance 2 weeks ago by taking a sack before the half. Any of the rookie QBs do it and they will get a million talking heads point it out as something they will need to overcome going forward.

To me, Darnold has the intangibles to succeed in NY. He can create plays and escape pressure. He's got a good arm and accuracy. Sometimes he tries to do too much on his own because he doesn't get much help and it gets him in trouble. I think he's going to be a great QB, but to get there he's going to need more experience and some help at o-line (always running for his life) and offensive weapons. 

 
I’m probably rolling him out this week in my ship. Cam owner and I don’t think he plays and if he does I don’t think I could trust him. I could see Darnold getting into a shootout of sorts if Rodgers plays and I’ve been impressed with him a few times this year. Hopefully he can get me more than the 5-12 Cam has the past 3 weeks.

 
Every throw from his last game.

-------------------------------------------------

ICYMI: Every throw from Sam Darnold's Saturday nigh

New York Jets‏Verified account @nyjets

ICYMI: Every throw from Sam Darnold's Saturday night

#HOUvsNYJ: Every Sam Darnold throw

11:26 AM - 17 Dec 2018

---------------------------------------------------

Kid looked good.  Effective rolling and throwing outside the pocket,  nails sideline patterns.  Would be perfect in a Shanahan 'rolling' boot type of system.

Probably bails from the pocket too soon, not as effective on crossers or hitting vertical seem patterns over the middle of the field.  Does OK on comebacks and/or when the receiver has very-clean separation.

He is improving but that O-Line is bad and I'm not sure about his WRs/TEs.  

Also not sure of the offensive system he's in, could be tweeked, improved,  or overhauled and tailored to his skills but he's improving.

 
Cobbler1 said:
I’m probably rolling him out this week in my ship. Cam owner and I don’t think he plays and if he does I don’t think I could trust him. I could see Darnold getting into a shootout of sorts if Rodgers plays and I’ve been impressed with him a few times this year. Hopefully he can get me more than the 5-12 Cam has the past 3 weeks.
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Cam owner too. I picked him up along with Foles, Carr and I have Keenum. Yeeeesh....I think I like Sam's upside which I'll need against my opponent.

 
Kwai Chang Caine said:
Cam owner too. I picked him up along with Foles, Carr and I have Keenum. Yeeeesh....I think I like Sam's upside which I'll need against my opponent.
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I added Carr as well but seeing as I have/had Odell, Todd, Gordon, Alshon, J. Williams, Ware I had to make an early call to make other precautionary arrangements with my roster. I wanted no part of Keenum and Foles is rostered already. So Darnold it is for me, let’s get this bread. 

 
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Kwai Chang Caine said:
Cam owner too. I picked him up along with Foles, Carr and I have Keenum. Yeeeesh....I think I like Sam's upside which I'll need against my opponent.
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I have all those guys and considering keenum but likely won’t. Rolling Sam Darnold out there right now. I’m sure I’ll change it 6 times and still be wrong. 

 
I posted that GB is giving up 249 yards and 2.1 TD per game on the road this year.  I also looked at each game individually and saw that only T. Brady threw fewer than 2 TD against them so it's been pretty consistent.  I'm a 7 point dog this week but I would be happy with 250 and 2TD - especially since I think there is room for more.  Also, stacking with R. Anderson FWIW.

 
Which Jets Players Have Stood Out to Adam Gase During OTAs?

Excerpt:

Flipping to the offensive side of the ball, Gase continued to rave about quarterback Sam Darnold before covering a few more skill position talents and finally moving up to the line.

“Watching him progress through this thing, it’s really exciting. I think Quincy (Enunwa) and Robby (Anderson) are really starting to come around with what we’re doing,” he said. “We’re trying to keep doing variety and keep pressing them, seeing how much we can do there. Chris (Herndon) has done a good job of coming along in the offense as well. I think the line has done a good job of gelling together and really playing well off each other.”
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Donald is overrated because the alt-right media wants to see a ginger QB succeed.

 
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2019 NFL minicamp live: Best of rookies, veterans from around the league

Excerpt:

A few takeaways from Jets minicamp: QB Sam Darnold performed better than Tuesday, but it still was an uneven practice. He appeared frustrated during a red-zone period. Remember, he's a second-year QB learning a new offense. The offense is having "growing pains," per Adam Gase ... DC Gregg Williams emphasizes turnovers more than most. "Take the ball away," he said throughout practice ... Solid day for WR Robby Anderson, who seems more assertive on shorter routes. Contract year ... Rookie Chuma Edoga was the LT2 after working Tuesday at right tackle ... Converted CB Jeremy Clark, playing safety, intercepted a Trevor Siemian pass ... TE Chris Herndon made one nice reception, but is struggling with consistency in the new offense.

Rich Cimini, ESPN Staff Writer
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The Athletic's Connor Hughes notes the Jets offensive pace is "significantly higher" than it was in prior years.

Hughes also notes Sam Darnold has looked athletic while running read options and describes the offense as being set up to feature each player's talents instead of molding players to a scheme. Of course, the Jets moving quicker will elevate the ceiling for the entire offense, adding more gasoline to the Darnold breakout hype. Last year, Darnold averaged a nice 6.9 yards per attempt while tossing 17 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. With a better supporting cast, Darnold should have no problems increasing his touchdown and yardage production in 2019.

SOURCE: The Athletic

Jun 14, 2019, 11:28 AM ET
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Jets' tumultuous offseason ends with positive vibes and Sam Darnold love

Excerpt:

It's June 16, and the Jets have a clear-cut No. 1 quarterback who has the support of the entire organization: Sam Darnold. When is the last time that happened? No, not 2016. Even though Ryan Fitzpatrick was coming off a career season, he was embroiled in a nasty contract dispute, creating uncertainty. Plus, no one looked at Fitzpatrick as The Answer. You probably have to go back to 2011, Mark Sanchez. Darnold still has a way to go, but he made strides in the offseason despite some uneven practices. Remember, he's learning a new offense. Gase loves Darnold's innate skill as a passer, his ability to find windows that don't appear to be open. He made "how'd-he-do-that?" passes that left grizzled coaches shaking their heads.
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The Jets believe Sam Darnold's arm strength has increased over his rookie season.

Arm strength is usually the sort of thing that remains static once a player reaches the NFL, but the Jets insist that's not the case. "It's interesting because a lot of people in the spring were saying that to me, that it looked like he was throwing with a lot more velocity," coach Adam Gase said Monday. For his part, Darnold believes it might be the result of playing faster with more confidence. Darnold has reportedly been limiting his turnovers through the early days of camp. That is definitely his first order of business as he looks to make a sophomore leap.

SOURCE: ESPN.com

Aug 5, 2019, 3:44 PM ET
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Sam Darnold completed 4-of-5 passes for 68 yards and one touchdown in the Jets' preseason opener Thursday.

It was Darnold's first game action in new coach Adam Gase's offense, and Darnold lit up the Giants. He side-stepped some pressure on a 3rd-and-6 to complete a seam pass to Chris Herndon for a 32-yard pickup before later finishing off the drive with a three-yard touchdown to Jamison Crowder on a rollout to the right. Darnold finished his rookie year on a high note with six touchdowns to one pick Weeks 14-16 and will look to carry that over into year two. There's a realistic chance he'll be a weekly fantasy contributor this season.

Aug 9, 2019, 10:56 AM ET
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Dan Schneier @DanSchneierNFL

Tony Romo from “NFL on CBS Media Day” loves him some Sam Darnold:

“I just think he’s got that thing the great ones have. The ability to process information very quickly, and his spatial awareness. He sees angles quicker than other people. He’s going to be a good one.” 

#Jets
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Buck Bradcanon said:
Yeah time to start considering this guy in redraft as a late round target.
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Yep. I think there's mention somewhere in this thread (if not then the jets thread?) of Darnold's terrible short-passing-game numbers last year. Bell & Crowder should have a huge impact there and the Jets WR core comes in healthy(ish) vs. last year when they were all banged up. Pieces from this offense not named Bell are cheap, and worth a flier.

 
Coach Adam Gase confirmed that Sam Darnold (mono) won't suit up for the Jets' Monday night matchup against the Browns.

Gase added that Darnold could miss several weeks. The Jets will move forward with Trevor Siemian under center. It's far from an ideal offensive situation, particularly with Le'Veon Bell (sore shoulder) also banged up. Robby Anderson figures to be the biggest loser from Darnold's absence, as Siemian has made a habit of checking down throughout his career.

SOURCE: Brian Costello on Twitter.

Sep 12, 2019, 10:33 AM ET
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Ralph Vacchiano @RVacchianoSNY

How long could Sam Darnold be out for the Jets?

Said Adam Gase: "I'm just glad we have the bye week when we do."

For the record, the Jets have a bye week in Week 4. So it's possible Darnold will not return until Oct. 6 when the Jets play at Philadelphia.
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