The flip side of that is if we had a more talented roster you keep Teddy to make the playoffs. Sam was drafted because he has the tools to become an elite NFL QB. Seeing NFL defenses and playing at NFL game speed is what's going to develop Sam as he matures. It would be nice if he had better talent around him but it doesn't change the fact that he is looking at NFL defenses at game speed and that's a huge part of the process.
Improving from rampant three and outs and foolish ints is about as low as the bar can be set. We got a low bar for this QB right now. Nobody was expecting him to light it up. We are expecting him to give us something to hang our hats on though. Some flashes of something....anything. He hasn't. Honestly I dont know what everyone is seeing? I dread reading post after post of excuses for Sam or the misguided "this is good for his development". No it is not our offensive line. No Teddy would not have a broken leg if he was starting. Sam Darnold has imploded before our eyes and the players know it. Sam is confused, overwhelmed, and cannot lead them, and they are tired of it. Lets get into the harsh reality. Here is the situation we are in. If we start Sam this week it will be a make or break game in his young career. If he goes out and lays an egg against Buffalo he is going to lose a locker room that is already rapidly losing faith in him. If that occurs he may never be the same. Basically it’s a make or break game for Sam in his young career. Do you really think it’s good for him to be in that situation? Honestly - do you? Bowles being the idiot that he is could actually be a good thing to deflect attention from that. Because trust me, the players were down on our starting QB, not the coach. Bowles didn’t lose the game – Sam did and the players know that. “Looking poised” means nothing when you go three and out all the time and still give up more points than the defense. He has to show something they can hang their hats on or it’s an implosion waiting to happen. If we are going to officially "ruin" Sam, Sunday will be a big measuring stick. At his age he shouldn't be in this position.
I think its a bit overstated that the locker room is going to turn on Darnold if he fails again. Its more likely that they will turn on the coaching staff, if they havent already. But if the Jets lose and any of the players turn on Darnold, they can kick rocks. Pack their bags. None of them, and I mean none of them, are as important to this organization as Darnold is. So buh-bye
Yesterday the offense went into “we have no faith in this guy” mode. You can say that I’m wrong but I’ve seen it before. The rumblings you hear from players after the game are not about Bowles. They are about a QB that offers them no hope. We’ll have to wait and see how this plays out but seriously, no indication…really? I heartily disagree. Their QB is in the bottom 3 in the league and they know it.
There were 106 players on the field in Miami yesterday. I can just about guarantee you that 90% of the players with half a brain who aren't on minimum contracts would have more hope in a future with Sam Darnold as their starter over Brock Osweiler. That doesn't mean they're right but players unlike you and I see the same things in Sam that NFL scouts and GM's see in him.
Biggs he is looking at NFL defenses in HIS face and constantly out of the shotgun because he has a center that cannot snap the ball properly and he has WR's who cannot get open or run routes inbounds and he has looked worse each week and not better. I think many people said the same thing about Mark Sanchez that you just said and how did that work out ? Yes different situations and circumstances but same results .They are ruining this kid
I would've like to have seen them hold on to Bridgewater but I understand why they did it. After a game like yesterday there would've been calls for Bridgewater to start. I disagree with how the Jets think. They like to coddle their young QBs make them feel safe I prefer competition the iron sharpens iron thing.
Personally I think starting Sam was the right thing to do and his development shows that. Unfortunately he is forced to learn while running for his life. Not to mention the asinine, simply pathetic game plan you are forcing him to execute behind a center that can't snap. Sam is the least of our problem and arguably the only ray of hope behind a sloppy, ineffective team and an incompetent CS. Teddy or Brady would be unsuccessful with this team. This team is an abomination for any QB to play, never mind a rookie that needs development.
should have kept teddy, started him. even signed him long term if he showed he was able to play at high level. the starting job at any position should be based on merit/performance. not on draft selection, contract $, coach's pet, etc... packers had aaron rodgers sit for 3 years behind favre. packers win consistently, while the jets do not. think just maybe their way is better?
Let's say the Jets had started Teddy. Maybe, even with the lack of weapons, the atrocious play calling and the snapper who can't snap - maybe the Jets go 7-9 this season with Teddy starting. Even 8-8. What does that do? Well, firstly it very likely brings back Bowles and Maccagnan and even Bates in 2019. Which completely masks real root cause of our problem, namely terrible drafting (outside of first round picks) and a coaching staff which has shown it's not up to NFL standard. These guys are not capable of developing experienced players, let alone a 21 year old kid. Sam actually started off ok. His first few games weren't spectacular but were definitely serviceable from a 21 year old rookie. He has regressed horribly since then. He's not become untalented overnight. He is being put in holes constantly by ultra conservative, old fashioned offensive play calling (that we can all see coming, let alone the opposition) very often leaving 3rd and long. This is the same coach and OC who incidentally are presiding over the very worst run game in the NFL at the moment. I think it was the right decision to start him - he's not the first young QB to struggle at times. He's shown he can make tough throws now and again and I still beleieve he has what it takes to be a really good starter. All that being said, I fear if he and the team continues to struggle at this rate, this season will damage him rather than help him in the long run. Bowles and Bates need to go and go now.
You come back to reality. Bridgewater was signed BEFORE Sam was drafted. The Jets didn't know they were going to get Sam, nor did they know if Teddy was really healthy, if his leg would hold up to the strain and being tackled, and how well Teddy would play, nor did they know if Sam could fix his fundamentals, learn the playbook, and if he'd be ready to start. With a shaky OL, with Bates returning to being an OC after 3-4 years, and with the lack of offensive firepower, they could have easily made the determination that it was best for Sam to sit for a year and learn from Teddy and McCown. You don't know that he was only brought in with hopes of trading him, so stop with the nonsense. If Bridgewater started and played great, then we still would have had Sam under contract. Teddy was only under a one-year contract, so unless the Jets decided to sign him long term, he was only going to be a here a year anyway. Even if the Jets signed Teddy long term, the Jets could have then traded Sam in a year or two.
I respectfully disagree with the bolded. There's a lot more to playing QB than just grasping the playbook. I understand wanting to start the learning process on the field now, but he could have learned a lot from watching how Teddy or McCown handled situations, dealt with the OL, dealt with the lack of weapons around him, and learned a lot from them how to prepare to start for at least the first half of the season. I think it's asking an awful lot from a young kid who's only 21, only started in college for 2 years (and one of them, last year, was not a good year), and who has only been playing QB for 4-5 years. We definitely need to get rid of Bowles and Bates.
I disagree. In 2019 he would have had the benefit of watching Teddy or McCown play, asking them questions, and learning how they handled things. He would have had time to more fully learn how to be an NFL QB, would have known the offense better, and hopefully, had a better OL and more weapons around him next year. He'd be a year older and more mature. I don't think he would be pressing, having to deal with constant bad snaps, poor play calling (Bates would have either learned or been fired), having to deal with shoddy protection, or having to try to make plays with no weapons around him.
Can you name a rookie quarterback that has come to the pros like Tom Brady? No? You shouldn’t be expecting that. Even if you weren’t expecting that caliber, you can’t be expecting much lower than that. He’s still a rookie and he has had solid games. Look, I get that we want to make the playoffs; we’re fans. Would be nice, but we’re in year one of a rebuild. We’ll probably win 6 or 7 games this season and that’s about all you can hope for this season. Playing him now and for the rest of the season just wasn’t the wrong move. He will improve.
I don't think Darnold should have sat this year. The only valuable thing coming out of this year is that Darnold is getting some experience under his belt. I think Bates and Toilet Bowles are terrible coaches, and the Jets are a team completely devoid of offensive weapons or a decent offensive line. Its astounding to me that our center can't even snap the ball to the QB, and even more astounding that the coach wouldn't immediately pull him after the 2nd or 3rd bad snap. You think Bellicheck would let a center throw the ball all over the field? As bad as Bowles has been, the playcalling has been even worse (which has been an huge weakness for the Jets even during our "good" years). Again, I hate to point to the Patriots, but look at what they do when faced with the coverage that Darnold faced on Sunday, they float the running back out of the backfield and throw him a 5 yard pass that he has a chance to break for a big play. But the Jets, facing a zone with two high safeties keep calling for downfield passes, why? Why aren't they exploiting the underneath routes with their backs? It isn't rocket science - they didnt even try. I don't see how anyone can blame Darnold for this loss (even though it clearly wasn't a good game for him) with such terrible play calling, a line that doesn't block, and a center that can't even snap him the ball!
Ugh this forum drives me crazy sometimes.. you guys SWORE he couldn't possibly "develop" sitting this season. Now everyone wants to say he should have sat. I wanted Bridgewater to play. I think he could have learned for a year maybe get in some games at the end of the year, improve the roster, then let him roll next year. Now what do you do? I still believe in him and I don't blame him for what's happening but do we hurt his development more by sitting him or playing him
