Sam Darnold starts Week 1, throws 3,500 yards and 20 touchdowns

Count me as a Josh McCown apologist; the stingy veteran played surprisingly well last season with a fairly thin offensive cast. But for all his success, McCown won’t hold down the starting job in 2018. And Teddy Bridgewater won’t take it away either.

The Jets didn’t give up three second-round picks for no reason. They traded up and drafted Sam Darnold with the intent of him being their franchise quarterback. And in the early goings, Darnold has shown off his franchise potential. In his first preseason game, he was sharp, energizing the offense. He displayed glimpses of his impressive arm, and his ability to throw into impossible windows.

Darnold, although he is still a bit raw, gives the Jets’ offense an element of excitement, and by Week 1 of the regular season, he will have shown enough to earn the starting job early. In Bates’ scheme, and with a sort of veteran tutelage from Josh McCown, who is a known commodity as an excellent mentor, Darnold will flourish. He’ll have growing pains, as all rookies do, but the Jets’ offense will be high-flying once again under his watch. They haven’t been able to boast that reputation for a long time.

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