The New York Jets team the New England Patriots will face Monday night presents a far greater challenge than the one they steamrolled back in Week 3, thanks in large part to the return of one man: quarterback Sam Darnold.
In Darnold’s first game back following his four-week bout with mononucleosis, the second-year pro guided the Jets to a 24-22 upset victory over a talented Dallas Cowboys squad Sunday, completing 23 of 32 passes for 338 yards and two touchdowns with one interception.
It was one of the best performances to date from last year’s third overall draft pick, whose 10.6 yards-per-attempt average represented a new career high. Darnold’s 71.9 percent completion rate was the third-best of his career, and he’s thrown for more yards just once in a Jets uniform.
“It certainly makes a big difference having him on the field for them,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said in a conference call earlier this week. “There’s no question about that.”
You can say that again.
In Darnold’s absence, with untested third-stringer Luke Falk running the show, the Jets ranked dead last in the NFL in average yards per play (3.07) and yards per pass attempt (3.05), and it wasn’t particularly close. The 31st-ranked Miami Dolphins averaged 3.98 yards per play and 4.32 yards per pass.
New York also scored just 23 total points during its three Darnold-less games — only Miami scored fewer during that span — and managed only one offensive touchdown. Unsurprisingly, the Jets lost all three, with the Cleveland Browns, Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles outscoring them by a combined margin of 84-23.
In the first Pats-Jets matchup, which also happened to be Falk’s first NFL start, New York finished with 105 yards of total offense (2.2 per play), went 0-for-12 on third down, notched just six first downs to New England’s 21 and trailed 30-0 before a muffed punt touchdown and a pick-six made the final scoreline deceivingly respectable.
Falk went 12-for-22 for 98 yards with an interception in that game and took five sacks. He’s since been cut.
With Darnold back in the lineup last weekend, the Jets averaged 7.1 yards per play despite running back Le’Veon Bell recording just 50 yards on 14 carries. Five of Darnold’s completions resulted in 20-plus-yard gains — including a 92-yard touchdown strike to Robby Anderson — more than his team had tallied in its first four games combined (four).
“Sam’s a very talented player,” Belichick said. “We know that He’s big, he’s strong, he can make all the throws: short, intermediate, deep. He can extend plays with his legs. He’s also a strong player that’s hard to bring down in the pocket. He can shed tacklers and stay on his feet and throw the ball and still throw it accurately. He’s shown good toughness last year and this year. Going back to the opener against Buffalo and then (Sunday) against Dallas, he shows good toughness in the pocket, and he’s a quality player.”
Even with the upgrade behind center, the Jets’ offense did have its issues against the Cowboys. Darnold’s red-zone interception late in the third quarter was a killer, and New York was held to three second-half points after jumping out to a 21-3 lead. The Jets’ 2-for-10 showing on third down also left much to be desired, and they’ll face a tougher matchup this week against a Patriots defense that’s allowed just three touchdowns all season and traditionally feasts on young QBs.
Still, these Jets now must be taken seriously, which wasn’t the case while Darnold was sidelined.
A few other Jets-related notes ahead of Monday’s primetime matchup at MetLife Stadium:
— The Jets have been without Pro Bowl linebacker C.J. Mosely — their most important defensive player, with the possible exception of safety Jamal Adams — since he suffered a groin injury Week 1. Head coach Adam Gase is hopeful Mosely will be able to increase his participation in practice this week, though it’s still unclear whether he’ll be healthy enough to play Monday.
“(It would be) as impactful as getting a starting quarterback back,” Gase told reporters Wednesday at the Jets’ facility. “That impactful.”
New York’s defense held Dallas to two 50-plus-yard field goals in the first half Sunday before allowing two long touchdown drives in the fourth quarter. Adams’ pressure on quarterback Dak Prescott in the final minute forced an unsuccessful two-point conversion attempt and sealed the Jets’ first win over the season.
— Gase’s updates on starting left tackle Kelvin Beachum (ankle) and tight end Chris Herndon (hamstring) were less promising. Both are considered week to week, putting their statuses for Monday in doubt.
Herndon, who caught 39 passes for 502 yards and four touchdowns as a rookie in 2018, has yet to play a snap this season. He was suspended for the first four games for a substance-abuse violation, then suffered an injury in practice before he could make his debut.
