The Jets have failed to set Sam Darnold up for success

[gmf1369]

Finding a franchise quarterback is everything in today’s NFL, but once you have that player, he needs help to be able to function. That’s the situation the New York Jets are facing with Sam Darnold. There are few passers capable of performing with nothing at all around them — most require some form of supporting cast — and the best supplemental pieces can propel even marginal quarterbacks into looking like top-10 players.

The 2017 quarterback draft class was an impressive group that saw five taken in the first round with varying degrees of good or bad situations, and watching the contrast in how their respective teams have built around them has been fascinating.

Josh Rosen’s NFL career may already be all but over thanks to landing in back-to-back horrendous situations that gave him simply no shot of success, while the Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills have been impressively building around Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen, respectively. And those are the two players most neutral observers feel the most confident about going forward.

The Cleveland Browns have tried to assemble a quality team around Baker Mayfield, but the first attempt went poorly enough that the entire regime changed this offseason, and it is yet to be determined how the second iteration will fare.

That leaves Darnold and the Jets, and it’s difficult to look at his outlook in 2020 with any kind of optimism because of the pieces currently around him.

A quarterback's supporting cast essentially boils down to three main areas: receivers, pass protection and scheme/playcalling. Currently, it’s difficult to see any of those areas helping rather than hindering his development.

The New York Jets are in danger of wasting Sam Darnold

Sam Darnold's 2020 outlook already appears bleak given the Jets' inability to put proven supplemental pieces around him.

www.pff.com

 

[Gramoah]

Well............his pass protection is looking up. We'll see. The receiver situation should get upgraded this off season. I'm expecting it. The play calling..................juries still out on that one. Still, with 2 out of 3 of those areas fixed I believe Sam's game will see much improvement.

 

[LIJETFAN]

FA is still in the works, we haven't even approached the draft, and all of sudden the Jets are not doing anything to help Darnold? The negativity is amazing. Can we actually give Douglas time and a full offseason before making these kinds of statements?

 

[SackExchange]

That PFF put receivers above protection says a lot about their "understanding" of the game. A good QB can make mediocre receivers look better. It is very difficult for a good QB to make a mediocre line look better. Brady is one of the few QBs who did with his quick release, but he benefited from being behind one of the best coached lines in the history of the game.

 

[NewMFS62]

That PFF put receivers above protection says a lot about their "understanding" of the game. A good QB can make mediocre receivers look better. It is very difficult for a good QB to make a mediocre line look better. Brady is one of the few QBs who did with his quick release, but he benefited from being behind one of the best coached lines in the history of the game.

You nailed it. As I have been saying for years, the best quarterback in the history of the world never completed a pass from a prone position.
Later

 

[McJet]

Baker Mayfield had, arguably, the best WR group of all NFL QB’s, but the author then changes his narrative to play calling, scheme.
Darnold did more with much less than the Browns. The Jets should’ve beaten the Bills in week one. The Bills won because of their suffocating defense, not because J Allen played lights out.When Allen did play lights out, it came mostly from his legs, not his arm.
A good draft for the Jets, meaning a WR 1, an above average OT, a big bodied WR, Pittman, Claypool, C. Johnson from the 3rd roundish. Even though we still have 6’4” V Smith also.
The Jets were dealt an Terrible hand last season. Mono, terrible Oline play. Mass injuries throughout the offense and defense that put a major strain on a first year program on both sides of the ball.
David Falk was the starting QB for crying out loud.
If/when this virus subsides, practices/ life gets back to normal. I’mcautiously optimistic about this team this year, even though the schedule is going to be much harder coming up.
I seeing a team that should be in every game,
I’m also looking at a 9-7 record or to be in the hunt going into December vying for the AFC East crown.