FLORHAM PARK, N.J. _ Sam Darnold doesn't have the greatest working knowledge of the Jets' long-standing AFC East rivalry with the Dolphins.
No familiarity with the great Dan Marino-Ken O'Brien duels, which took place before he was born. No Monday night miracle at the Meadowlands. No recollection of Herm Edwards' "You play to win the game" reply to a reporter, the prelude to a spectacular late-season run to the 2002 playoffs.
While growing up in Southern California, the only team he rooted for was the one he ended up playing for.
"USC," Darnold said Wednesday in the Jets' locker room. "Growing up at SC _ 04-05 _ during those days with Reggie (Bush), (Matt) Leinart, it was pretty fun to root for 'em."
The 21-year-old quarterback is about to get a full dose of what the AFC East is all about, starting Sunday against the Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium. And by the time he finishes the next stretch of matchups against Miami, Buffalo and New England, Darnold will have a much better working knowledge of the division.
Darnold also will know by then whether he'll be competing down the stretch for a playoff spot. Or whether his rookie season will come unglued and become the latest of a string of Jets disappointments.
Make no mistake, this is it. Come out of these three divisional games with at least two wins, and the Jets at least can start to think about playing into January. But if they extend a two-game losing streak that followed a promising 3-3 start, then it's over.
The Jets will never admit as much, but that's the reality of their situation. The company line is the one-game-at-a-time mantra Todd Bowles constantly preaches, and the Jets won't veer from it.
But Darnold ought to know from Bowles' description of Sunday's game that the stakes are about to get bigger.
Much bigger.
"It's an AFC East bloodbath game," Bowles said. "It's going to be a rivalry. They know who they are, we kind of know who we are. We're going to go in there trying to win a game. It's going to be a tough ballgame."
In a season of firsts for Darnold, this represents another: his first divisional road game. And with Miami experiencing its own struggles after quarterback Ryan Tannehill suffered a shoulder injury, the 4-4 Dolphins' sense of urgency will be just as high.
Darnold got a taste of the Jets-Dolphins rivalry in a 20-12 Week 2 loss at MetLife Stadium, so he'll have some frame of reference.
"It's a little different playing a team a second time," he said. "Not something you really do in college, unless you're playing a team that you've played in the regular season in a PAC-12 championship game," he said. "A little different and cool to use that experience playing them the first go-round to kind of see what we can do, what we can do better."
There is a lot Darnold can do better. While he hasn't been awful, there is still plenty of room for improvement. His 55.2 completion percentage is the worst in the NFL among quarterbacks with at least 150 attempts. He has only 11 touchdown passes, and his 10 interceptions are tied for the league's worst.
Struggles are to be expected for a rookie quarterback, and Darnold is no different. He has taken steps, yes, but there is such a long way to go.
It's another reason why this stretch is so pivotal for Darnold. He may not have much firsthand knowledge of the division, but he's about to get a heavy dose of it. The outcome of the Jets' season may rest on how he handles it.
