Sam Darnold electrified New York Jets fans with his performance in his NFL preseason debut, but will he be the team’s long-term answer for its perennial quarterback problem? Darnold will be put on a test again this Thursday this time against the Washington Redskins, who are looking to get their first victory of the preseason. The Redskins are +800 to win the NFC East, while the Jets are +1,100 to win the AFC North.
Sam Darnold wouldn’t say it, but we’ll do it for him: Are you not entertained? The Jets rookie quarterback showed flashes of brilliance in his NFL debut last week, going 13-for-18 under center for 96 yards and a touchdown during a 17-0 drubbing of the Atlanta Falcons at home. Darnold, who was the third overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft, however will have to do more than that if he is to win at least the backup quarterback role, with Teddy Bridgewater also playing well in that contest. The former Minnesota Vikings quarterback went 7-of-8 for 85 yards with a touchdown as well. Josh McCown is the favorite to win the starting role come Week 1 of the regular season, but Darnold and Bridgewater can keep pushing. Granted that the Falcons did not deploy much of their starters, that Atlanta was tamed on offense speaks a lot about the Jets’ defense, particularly on the ground, where they allowed just 49 yards.
Betting on the Washington Redskins
The Redskins would rather forget their Week 1’s 26-17 road loss to the New England Patriots. Other than the fact that they picked up a defeat, they also learned that rookie running back Derrius Guice will be out for the entire 2018 season after suffering a torn ACL in the game. Guice was in the running for a starting job, but with him out, Washington’s option will likely come down to either Chris Thompson and Samaje Perine. Redskins head coach Jay Gruden also said that the team has no plans of adding a quarterback from free agency. Perine had seven carries for 31 yards against the Patriots while Kapri Bibbs paced the team with 48 yards on four touches. Guice’s injury heightens Bibb’s chances of making the final 53-man roster, but he should also be wary of Byron Marshall. Colt McCoy had 189 passing yards and two touchdowns on 13-of-18 passing against New England to strengthen his case as the Alex Smith’s top backup, but the Redskins will have to protect their QBs better after allowing three sacks last week.
