Khyber53

Right now, the sample size just isn't big enough or without enough outside factors. If we'd have judged him based on our first three games, he's a lifetime starter here. After the last three, he's a bum. What do you do? The truth is probably somewhere in between. But, we have a long season ahead of us and since there just aren't any skilled journeyman QBs out there that still have the arms to be competitive, we're going to have to ride out the season and see what happens. Me, I think Darnold's a young kid and he's played like one up until that last bit against the Vikings. That last series he played like a man who is supposed to be here and was able to dictate the game to the opposing team. If Darnold can become that man he found, then things are going to get really good around here. If that was just a one-time deal and he reverts to being the passive participant he's been since his second year with the Jets, then it's going to be tough on him, the team and us fans. Eleven more games to go. Sure hope we're cheering our hearts out for the guy by the end of it.

Honestly, right now I think Darnold will be our QB2 next season if things don't change. Not sure anyone can be a decent QB1 with this offensive line being this, well, offensive. He could actually make a case for staying as the QB1, but it will require him to pursue a true gunslinger QB persona like he did at the end of the fourth quarter last week against the Vikings. If Darnold can bring that guy out on a regular basis, he's got a shot at QB1 here or being traded to be one somewhere else. If, however, he succumbs to the pressure behind a porous offensive line and receivers with dropsies and poor work ethics, no outlet and Ian Thomas as the featured TE, then it's going to be a rough ride to the bench. And he's been working with an OC that seems to be unable to really adjust for those deficiencies around him. And honestly, as a QB2 he's probably not a bad choice, just a really expensive one for next year. As a QB2 he could come off the bench and win a game or two. Still, there's the other line of thinking that you have to build a QB, they don't come out of college completely ready all the time. Darnold had no development during his time with the Jets to speak of. Here, it is his first year in the system, his third different system in four years of play. A case can certainly be made that there should be a year over year improvement if he stays and we stick with him. It could be next year, it could be later this year. The problem is the dilemma Darnold creates for himself. He has stretches of competence, he has a few moments of brilliance (that 96-yard drive to push it to overtime), he has some stretches of questionable play, and a few moments of just jaw-dropping bad decision making. He has such a mixed bag of results that it's really hard to look down the road and see who he will become or if he's already hit that peak. It's going to be tough for us to decide as fans. We don't hear the play calls, we don't have edge rushers bearing down on us, we aren't facing Pro-Bowl DBs. We should know by the end of the season, though. I hope.

Same old Huddle, same old time each year.

Lemme guess, I just asked your alt to go somewhere else?

Actually, I want to see Darnold with some more running options. Probably safer for him to be out in front of this o-line than behind it.

31 other teams out there. Just sayin'

Funny, to start the year off, Darnold was doing that actually more than Cam ever did.

Any drop can be a drive killer. Don't polish a turd, man. A drop is a receiver error, pure and simple. Each one of those on that day would have extended a drive instead of wasting a down.

Not sure we would see Brady making use of Cam very well. It's not in the college playbook he keeps using.

Shula had 2015, so that's going to be tough to beat. Honestly, though, I'd rather have Dan Henning back.

Sadly, there's quite a bit of truth in this.

Yep, that about sums it up, OP. This year is bonus round stuff, but I'm still not sold on the idea that we can't be competitive. We're going to be having some quality players coming back from injuries in the coming weeks. And we still have a soft schedule ahead of us. A win or two in the short term can do a lot to getting us back to right.

Donovan was a good QB, which is a hard thing to be in the NFL. He wasn't one of the greats, though.

Two QBs of differing experience and styles of play with minimal statistical differences, same results. Might be that the factors of O-line and OC they shared will end up with the same results.

That first throw's biggest error was that he threw it to Robby Anderson who decided not to contest it after lackadaisically wandering about during what should have been a scramble drill. The fact that the "receiver" had a sideline meltdown about not getting the ball (and that's what it was really about) the previous week may have even played into Darnold wanting to force that ball to Anderson. Still, the guy making the throw gets the blame. That's the way it has been since QBs started throwing forward passes, but in this case, there were some potential underlying reasons.

And that was the whole point of the original post! Thanks!

Yeah, it's definitely an adjustment to make. It allows us to change up personnel on the O-line, allows Chuba to do work (which he was doing yesterday) and takes the play-calling away from Brady a bit. And, most importantly, we might be able to once in a while actually succeed at a play action pass if we ran it a bit. 16 rushing plays yesterday. Mind blowing considering it was working and everything else was failing.

A lot of fairweather fans turned off the TV after the first play of the game. A lot of the remaining ones turned it off in the fourth quarter. Both sets of those folks are coming online today and chirping as if they'd seen everything.

Robby made it a point last week on the sidelines that he should be made a focus and that he was just being kept from making his big plays. Well, that theory just went down the toilet. Bench Sideshow Bob.

Just little boys who stole their daddy's matches. No worries mate. Good folks make good discussions. There are a lot of good folks here who haven't given up.

Yeah, that is the truth. He really needs to work on that. We have been spoiled by CMC who honestly is one of the five best receivers in the game. He'd be number one but he has all that running back work to do, too.

Yeah, I can certainly see that. Still, if it hits both of your hands, uncontested (as most of those drops were) then you're expected to catch them in this league. Big league fastballs are part of the game.

Me, I was always dubious of Rhule, then he came here and I liked what he had to say. Then he gutted the team and got rid of some sacred cows. That hurt. That hurt a lot of fans. And then he started not remodeling the place, but rebuilding it. But you can only rebuild so much before the season starts. Then you have to teach, repair and compete. He did that last year. Then he got another offseason to restock the shelves again. He also got a GM that was willing to go hunting. He got some new tools, some really good ones. But the rehabilitation wasn't done yet before this season started. Back out into the fight with half a suit of armor and a bent sword. And we came out winning. Really kicking the asses of the people they lined up for us. After three weeks, though, injuries and tape exposed our weaknesses. It's a pro league, that's how it goes. And somehow, with all the holes we still have in our team, we're competitive in our own way. Rhule's going to win some more games and he'll have another offseason to build some more. I think that third season will make something that will force its way into the lead of the NFCSouth. Just give the guy some more time. He inherited a broken down train with no rails in sight. It's going to take a while to get up to speed and headed in the right direction. And it's going to look hopeless at times. Sometimes, though, you've got to trust the guy with the wrench in his hand and the grease on his face.

Ehh, didn't know. Doesn't really bother me. Some folks have different names for their different persona. The internet can be a schizo place at times.

Yeah, there's a lot to unpack there, but there's definitely some truth. The kid is a competitor, but I think yesterday it showed he's surrounded by some serious deficiencies. He has no o-line. No CMC, no outlet. All QBs need an outlet to dump the ball off to. Only one pro-level receiver out there for him. And TMJ, well, he's still learning. An OC that still thinks he's at LSU playing against Temple. A HC that would like to bring Temple to the NFL. And game calling that thinks the run game is an unneeded part of the game (even when Chuba is actually doing well). There's a lot to be said for the idea that we should treat Darnold as if this is his rookie year. If so, that investment will pay off. He has the "it" but he needs work and a game tailored better to his skills and what is around him.