This weekend, a specific sect of New York Jets fans discovers itself in an unusual location as Gang Green handles the Minnesota Vikings in London. Those fans who've constantly stubbornly thought in Sam Darnold need to hope he goes back to his Jets methods on Sunday with their club desperate for a success.
Under Kevin O'Connell, Darnold has actually shined. He leads the NFL with 11 passing TDs and a 118.9 passer score– connected for the second-most pass TDs and second-highest passer ranking through 4 video games in Minnesota history behind only Daunte Culpepper (13 pass TD and 126.0 passer ranking in 2004).
Darnold is the seventh QB (10th overall circumstances) to have two-plus pass TDs and a 100-plus passer ranking in each of his group's very first 4 video games of a season. 5 of the previous 9 went on to win AP NFL Most Valuable Player that season (Tom Brady in 2007, Aaron Rodgers in 2011 and 2020, Peyton Manning in 2013, Matt Ryan in 2016; others: Ryan in 2012, Brady in 2015, Russell Wilson and Josh Allen in 2020).
Quinnen Williams, among a couple of holdovers from the Darnold years in New York, values the quarterback's profession turn.
“I believe he's doing an excellent task,” Williams stated Monday, by means of the New York Post. “He's playing out of his mind today, he's balling today, he's doing a great deal of fantastic things. I was here with him for a number of years. Super delighted to break him, it's gon na be a terrific obstacle.”
After being picked No. 3 total in 2018, Darnold went 13-25 with the Jets. From the mononucleosis jokes to “seeing ghosts” memes to absent-minded play, it was a depressing 3 seasons for the quarterback. He bounced around from Carolina, where he began 17 video games over 2 seasons, to a backup in San Francisco last year.
Now, he's discovered renewal in Minnesota.
In O'Connell's QB-friendly system, Darnold has actually looked more poised in the pocket, made less errors (though he's gotten away with some miscues) and dispersed the pigskin with aplomb. It's a system that offers him responses and, sometimes, permits the QB to flash the huge arm.
Sunday marks the 3rd time in the last 50 seasons that a beginning QB will take a 4-0 or much better record versus the group that prepared him. The other 2 circumstances originated from Manning versus Indianapolis (the Hall of Fame QB lost both video games however led Denver to the Super Bowl in both seasons).
Jets linebacker Quincy Williams understands everything about redemption stories. The older Williams was cut by the Jacksonville Jaguars after 2 seasons before landing in New York and becoming an All-Pro.
“If you're one of those individuals who get that 2nd possibility and you maximize it, that's fantastic,” Quincy Williams stated. “Some individuals [are like]'It was the group's fault' and are not taking a look at themself in the mirror stating like,
