And we will be back to square 1. One game (LAR) will not and should not change your thought on this guy. He has every reason to play care free now, healthy WR, line has been totally fine now, Gore has been getting enough yards to take some pressure off him. If he comes out and throws another doozy vs CLE, that’s probably the end of Sam as we know it. I wouldn’t count on that week17 pats game to change our minds. He’ll have another shot to perform vs a playoff team. otherwise, I’d start looking at Zac Wilson film. Tomorrow is a huge day for Jets fans to be honest.
That's what bothers me the last few weeks....we have had NOTHING to play for.....nothing at risk...NO PRESSURE...and we didn't show much, nor did Sam. If the Jets lose the final 2 games and Sam throws for 700 yards and 5 or 6 TD's and we lose by an average of 40-33, I have no problem with spending my next 2 Sundays looking at that.
It's not as though he played great in the win against the Rams either, so I would imagine the trend of subpar performances will continue with the Browns. Now that Gase has somehow won with a healthy diet of Frank Gore, I would expect them to pound Gore for over 20 touches yet again. It won't work against a team that isn't sleepwalking, so I would expect the Browns to absolutely crush the Jets. They won't come into this game taking the Jets lightly like the Rams did.
Looking at things realistically despite the record the Jets (should've) won 2 of their last 3 games. Two quality opponents. The Jets are competing at a much higher level at this point. And they're home for this one. I expect Darnold to play well and I think the Jets can win.
I've said it before in other threads: You can't judge Sam or Gase or anyone on these last 3 meaningless weeks. They have put together a full season of ineptitude and that is what matters. After the season, Joe Douglas, the new Head Coach, and others will weigh in on rather to give Sam one more go in 2021 or start fresh with Wilson or Fields. That is the bottom line, even if Sam is great Week 16 and Week 17 or horrible in both. The good news is they will have plenty of time to evaluate. My hope is that they fall in love with one of the new guys and start fresh with them. I am Sam's biggest fan, but it is risky to not get a new QB if Sam truly is not who we expected him to be. He has shown glimpses of greatness, but also reasons to make you unsure if he can succeed. Give Darnold and the Jets a fresh start in 2021. If Douglas goes the other way, and builds around Sam, he better be right that Sam can succeed. Otherwise, he will lose his job.
We have the worst coached and least talented roster in the league. Combine that with Darnold already struggling all year, I don’t think this is a bold prediction. playing well would be defying the odds.
Yeah man. If these were betting odds it'd be like -300 that Sam plays poorly given the season he's had.
Zac Wilson is too small. He’s gonna need to beef up to take NFL hits. And only saying this because our line won’t be able to protect him. We need to Sewell and take Trey Lance who can be mobile enough we can develop. Keep Sam for one more year in case he turns into something... Wilson is smaller than Darnold overall size wise.
Probably better that he stinks. I'd rather that than give false hope that causes Jets to bring him back next year. I just think that going into the 4th year of his contract, the guy has way too much to "fix". A new HC and better talent around will help but I'm not sure it's enough.
I think Sam has what it takes to be at least a second tier level QB (E. Manning, Roethlisberger) in the NFL. Many QB's had inauspicious starts in the league and went on to have excellent careers such as the two Mannings. He just needs a few more weapons and I think he can put the Jets in the playoffs annually which is all you can ask. The only QB I would consider taking over Sam is T. Lawrence who could be a generational talent. Don't think Fields or Wilson will be a better choice at QB than Darnold.
I agree with the first part of your comment, but I'm not sure about the second. I'm not sure that Lawrence really is a 'generational talent'...he looks like it, and probably is, but he's played with great surrounding talent and coaching so it's hard to say what he'll do on a team like the Jets. Also not sure that Wilson (and maybe Fields) aren't as good or better than Lawrence. I'm hoping to get some clarity over the next couple of weeks watching Darnold and the others play (Wilson is done for the year however).
Great, no. But did he make a mistake? Did the Jets win? The game plan didn't allow him or require him to play great. And it worked. He did what was needed and played well. Sometimes that's more important.
Not sure what else Darnold could have done in this Rams game or what a Fields or Wilson is going to bring that elevates this team to a new level... What more should we expect when - Jamison Crowder is your best WR and Frank Gore is your bellcow RB and the Oline can’t hold up for more than 2 seconds...
Darnold looked night&day different in this game than he has this season. IDK what the difference was but he showed confidence, poise, and quick decision-making. I'm anxious to see if he can repeat this over the next two games.
What I hated about his performance but would have liked in a normal year was how fast he was getting rid of the ball. His protection was not very good but he was nullifying the LAR pass rush by making quick decisions and getting the ball out fast. Sam will often ignore check downs but in this game he was using them very effectively. Hopefully he will revert back to himself while Mineshaw works on providing us a much needed miracle.
I said Lawrence "could be" but the point is that no one can be sure. Therefore, what I'm trying to say is that if you're going to throw Sam on the scrap heap, you better be sure you're going to get something better.
