Sam Darnold has been elite on 3rd down
Youth Joe Klecko Jerseys , but has struggled on early downs Sam Darnold has had the typical start for a rookie quarterback in the NFL, showcasing some eye-popping
highs and some face-palming lows. All in all, his numbers line up almost dead on
with the league average expectancy for rookies in recent history. Over the past
decade (from 2008-2017), 21 rookie quarterbacks have thrown 100 passes or more
over their team’s first five games of the season. Those players posted an
average passer rating of 74.8 - Darnold is currently at 77.2. There have been
players who have gone on to become greats who have started off worse (Russell
Wilson, Matt Ryan), and players who went on to become busts who started off
better (Robert Griffin III, Geno Smith, EJ Manuel).Still, it’s interesting to
chop up the numbers and see exactly which situations a quarterback has thrived
and struggled.While looking through Darnold’s splits, I noticed a particular
area where the discrepancy in his production is noticeably large. He has
produced at elite levels on 3rd down, but put up backup-quality numbers on 1st
and 2nd down.Sam Darnold, on 3rd down:*- Ranks among the 29 quarterbacks with
30+ passing attempts on 3rd down.Raw numbers: 22/43, 344 yards, 5 touchdowns, 1
interception.107.1 passer rating (4th)8.0 yards per attempt (7th)15.6 yards per
completion (1st)51.2% completion rate (27th)5 touchdowns (2nd)1 interception
(T-11th fewest)13 first down completions (T-13th)Sam Darnold
Joe Klecko Jerseys Stitched , on 1st and 2nd down:*- Ranks among the 27 quarterbacks with 90+ passing attempts on 1st-2nd down.Raw numbers: 58/102, 687 yards, 2
touchdowns, 5 interceptions.63.6 passer rating (27th)6.7 yards per attempt
(26th)11.8 yards per completion (12th)56.9% completion rate (27th)2 touchdowns
(27th)5 interception (T-4th most) > 4.9% INT rate, 2nd highest29 first down
completions (27th)What gives? On the early downs, Darnold has easily been the
league’s worst starter. He’s gotten yardage out of the passes he has completed,
but he has turned the ball over too much and has not made nearly enough plays.On
3rd down, Darnold has been explosive, throwing the second most touchdowns with 4
of those coming from a distance of 20+ yards. He’s only thrown one interception,
which was the deflected pass against Denver. He’s moved the chains at a league
average rate.How does this compare to the other rookie quarterbacks? Let’s put
Darnold’s numbers alongside those of the other rookies who have played
significant time so far.3rd down:Darnold - 107.1 rating / 5 TD-1 INT / 8.0
Y/ABaker Mayfield - 75.5 / 0-1 / 8.2 Josh Rosen - 54.4 / 0-0 / 3.8Josh Allen -
36.6 / 0-3 / 6.21st-2nd down:Rosen - 96.1 / 2-0 / 7.9Mayfield - 85.4 / 3-2 /
7.8Allen - 69.0 / 2-2 / 5.8Darnold - 63.6 / 2-5 / 6.7What do you make of these
numbers? Are these numbers just random chance? If not, is the gap on Darnold
himself, or can some of it be attributed to play-calling? FLORHAM PARK, N.J.
(AP) — Mike Maccagnan and the Jets began the final day of the NFL draft by
wheeling and dealing.New York traded down twice in the fourth round Saturday
before taking West Virginia tight end Trevon Wesco with the 121st pick.The Jets
entered the day with the third pick of the round at No. 105, but dealt that to
New Orleans for Nos. 116 and 168. They then traded the picks they got from the
Saints to Tennessee for pick Nos. 121 and 157.With the fifth-round selection,
New York took Minnesota linebacker Blake Cashman. The Jets picked Rutgers
cornerback Blessuan Austin in the sixth round at No. 196 overall to complete
their three-day haul.The Jets drafted Alabama defensive tackle Quinnen Williams
with the third overall pick Thursday night
Youth Curtis Martin Jerseys , and took Florida edge rusher Jachai Polite and USC offensive tackle Chuma Edoga in the third round Friday night.The 6-foot-3,
267-pound Wesco was used primarily as a blocking tight end in college and also
profiled as a fullback and/or H-back in the NFL. He caught 26 passes for 366
yards and one touchdown last season for the Mountaineers.The Jets also currently
have Chris Herndon, the team’s third-rounder last year, Eric Tomlinson, also
primarily a blocking tight end, and Daniel Brown, Jordan Leggett and Neal
Sterling at the position.“In college, I played tight end, I played fullback,”
Wesco said during a conference call. “I would say my versatility is my
strength.”Wesco began his college career at Lackawanna College in Scranton,
Pennsylvania, where he played two seasons — and had a redshirt year as a
sophomore — before going to West Virginia. Statistically, Wesco didn’t put up
big numbers his first two seasons with the Mountaineers but had a breakout
campaign as a senior and was named to the All-Big 12 first team.“I feel good as
a pass catcher,” Wesco said, adding that he dropped only two passes last season.
“I’ve always caught the ball. Since I was younger
Curtis Martin Jerseys Stitched , I’ve always had the ball in my hand — playing quarterback, and I played receiver when I was younger in high school. I’m really
comfortable with that. I mean, I don’t feel like I have a problem with
that.”Cashman adds depth to the Jets’ linebacker corps, which already includes
C.J. Mosley, Avery Williamson, Darron Lee, Jordan Jenkins, Brandon Copeland,
Neville Hewitt and Frankie Luvu. The 6-1, 237-pound Cashman projects as a core
special teams contributor who could potentially serve as a rotational player at
linebacker.He was a walk-on at Minnesota and eventually became a starter and
team captain for the Gophers. Cashman had 15 tackles for losses last season, and
drew the attention of the Jets.“They were a team that reached out to me a few
times between the combine and draft,” Cashman said during a conference call. “I
met with them at the combine twice and then again at pro day. … I felt like it
was a great fit and I couldn’t be more pumped up and ready to go.”Cashman has
had three shoulder procedures since 2016, but said he’s healthy and has no
issues with them.“My shoulders feel great,” he said. “Over the past year, I’ve
worked with a specialist and designed my training around it to make sure that my
shoulders are very stable and healthy.”Austin comes to the Jets after some
injury concerns in college. He had 14 pass breakups as a sophomore in 2016 while
starting 11 games at cornerback and being selected as an All-Big Ten honorable
mention. But he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in the
fourth game of his junior year
White C.J. Mosley Jerseys , then re-injured the knee in the season opener last year.“Going through the knee injuries and having some success and being so close
to the pinnacle of my career and to be constantly knocked down, it was just hard
to deal with,” an emotional Austin said during a conference call. “I’ve been
blessed with perseverance and having the ability to go through adversity, and
that’s what got me here today.”It wasn’t immediately clear if he’ll be healthy
enough to participate fully in workouts and minicamp, but Austin considers
himself a “freakish athlete” and is excited to get an opportunity despite his
medical hardships.The Queens, New York, native acknowledged he grew up a Giants
fan — but, that was then, of course.“The switchover won’t be hard,” Austin said.
“At all.”
