The first pass of Sam Darnold‘s rookie season was picked off by Lions safety Quandre Diggs and returned for a touchdown.
Darnold’s first pass of this year’s preseason almost turned out the same way. Darnold tried to hit wide receiver Quincy Enunwa, but Giants safety Jabrill Peppers undercut the route to put himself in prime position to pick the ball off. It went off his hands, however, and Darnold had better luck during the rest of his short stint.
He avoided pressure and hit tight end Chris Herndon for 32 yards on the next play and added three more completions for 36 yards on a touchdown drive. The score came on a three-yard toss to Jamison Crowder and the free agent acquisition also turned a short pass from Darnold into a 28-yard gain earlier in the drive.
That’s what the Jets were looking for when they signed Crowder and the drive is exactly what they hope to see all year from Darnold. It was also all they wanted to see from him on Thursday night and Trevor Siemian is now running the offense for the Jets.
