Sam Darnold’s rookie year gave the Jets a glimpse into a potential future for the team. Darnold displayed all the makings of a franchise quarterback but also showed plenty of issues that need to be corrected before the Jets can truly become contenders in the league.
After a season hindered by rookie mistakes, a poor offense and bad coaching, Darnold has to improve a few areas of his game. Darnold had an entire offseason to learn under Adam Gase, though, which should surely help his development as he heads into his second year.
Here are four ways Darnold must improve in 2019.
Completion percentage
Darnold ranked 31st out of 33 quarterbacks with an abysmal 57.7 completion percentage in 2018. If the Jets want to at least be competitive, that number will need to increase – dramatically. The best quarterbacks in the league typically complete 65-70 percent of their passes, and that’s the type of leap Darnold should aspire to take in his second year.
Darnold proved at the end of his rookie season that he can improve his accuracy. In three of the Jets’ final four games, Darnold completed at least 60 percent of his passes after averaging 55 percent during his first nine games of the year.
Improving his completion percentage shouldn’t be too hard for Darnold this season. He’ll have a better offensive line, skill position players and entirely new offense to work with in 2019. Adam Gase’s offense typically produces highly-efficient quarterbacks. Ryan Tannehill averaged around a 65 percent completion percentage in two seasons under Gase, while Jay Cutler completed 62 percent of his passes in 2017.
Turnovers
One of the knocks against Darnold coming out USC was his proclivity for turnovers. That trend continued throughout his rookie season, where Darnold’s first regular-season NFL pass ended with an interception return for a touchdown. Though Darnold bounced back in his debut, he finished the season with 15 interceptions (second-most in the league) and lost five fumbles.
Not only did Darnold end his rookie year ranked second in interceptions, but he also finished second in most interceptable passes, according to Pre-Snap Reads. Darnold’s decision-making needs to improve for him to become a true franchise quarterback in New York. Decreasing turnovers won’t just help the Jets offense score more points, it’ll keep the defense off the field and give the team a better shot at staying in games.
Yards per game
It’s a passing league, now more than ever, which means Darnold will be forced to air it out more than he did during his rookie season when he only finished with 2,865 yards in 13 games (23rd in the league). Passing touchdowns are obviously important, but if Darnold can get the Jets closer to the end zone it will set up more possibilities for point-scoring.
The Dolphins ranked middle-of-the-pack in passing yards during Gase’s tenure in Miami, but with a better quarterback in Darnold and dynamic playmakers like Le’Veon Bell and Robby Anderson, the Jets should be able to throw it much more than in years past.
Time to throw
Darnold’s mobility makes this improvement less important than the rest, but he should still try to release the ball quicker. Luckily, Darnold will enjoy an offensive line that added two Pro Bowl players in center Ryan Kalil and guard Kelechi Osemele.
During his rookie season, Darnold ranked 31st among qualifying quarterbacks with an average release time of 2.91 seconds. If Darnold can get rid of the ball quicker, he’ll be able to avoid sacks and poor throws that could result in turnovers. The additions of Kalil and Osemele should immediately resolve some of the issues along the offensive line, but bringing in Bell, fellow running back Ty Montgomery and slot wideout Jamison Crowder will also give Darnold some safety nets if he gets into trouble behind the line of scrimmage.
