Sam Darnold doesn't change in a phone booth or leap tall buildings in single bound, but you get a sense that this guy is going to morph into a superhero one day.
The Jets rookie quarterback displayed his special skills Saturday night in a 29-22 loss to the Texans, leaving little doubt that this dude is the real deal.
"He played phenomenally," safety Jamal Adams said. "He's a bad man."
Darnold went 24-for-38 for 253 yards, two touchdowns and a handful of important scrambles against a formidable defense in his best performance of his rookie season. He flashed his mobility, instincts and savvy in a performance that should give Jets fans hope that they finally found the right guy at the most important position.
"He has a great future in this league," Texans head coach Bill O'Brien said. "He is a competitor. He didn't do anything tonight that surprised me, but I will say that his ability to keep plays alive, his ability to take a hit and keep coming, his ability to get the ball down the field... he is a great player."
"You're going to be a great pro."
Texans all-world defensive end J.J. Watt said it best to Darnold when they met after the game: "You're going to be a great pro."
It's about time that frustrated Jets faithful wrap their heads around this reality: Sure, their team sort of stinks at the moment, but at least they got a true franchise quarterback.
"I feel comfortable getting experience," Darnold said. "I feel like I'm seeing the field a lot better... but it comes down to wins and losses. That's the whole point of playing. You want to win."
The wins will come as long as the decision makers surround him with better talent (which is no guarantee given recent history).
"Darnold's special," cornerback Trumaine Johnson said. "And you see it. He has kept us in games, for sure."
Darnold was borderline brilliant to help the Jets erase a 13-point first-half deficit.
"He's just comfortable," Todd Bowles said. "When he's playing his game, he's not trying to be perfect. He's just trying to play football. He's enjoying playing football. That comes game-by-game. Obviously, having success has something to do with it."
It turns out that Darnold's foot injury that sidelined him for a month was a blessing in disguise. He's been terrific in his first two games since returning to the lineup.
"When you out a while, you get to step back," Bowles said. "When you come back, you've learned a little bit. He looks like he's learned quite a bit."
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