Sam Darnold, in his return from mononucleosis, led the Jets to their first victory of the season Sunday, 24-22 over the visiting Cowboys.
Darnold’s return made all the difference for the Jets offense, which moved the ball well and put up points with ease. As for the defense, it wasn’t the best overall performance, but the unit’s “bend but don’t break” mentality held the Cowboys to only two touchdowns.
Let’s take a look at the Jets’ studs and duds from their first win of the year.
Stud: QB Sam Darnold
The Jets’ horrific offense needed a spark from their young QB, and Darnold provided it in his return. There looked to be no sign of rust from him. He moved in the pocket well, went through all his reads and made the throws that he’s accustomed to. He also showed no hesitation to run or fear of hits despite concerns over his spleen.
All in all, the 22-year-old went 23-for-32 for 338 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. His passer rating was 113.8.
Stud: WR Robby Anderson
If anyone needed Darnold to come back, it was Anderson. He has done a nice job of getting open so far this season, but he hasn’t had a quarterback to get the ball to him. That all changed for him on Sunday against the Cowboys.
Anderson had five catches for 125 yards, including a 92-yard touchdown. That’s the second-longest touchdown in Jets history behind Wesley Walker’s 96-yard score in 1985. Anderson was not limited to just the deep route either. He was running some more complex routes, which Adam Gase has said multiple times that Anderson would do. Gase didn’t want to keep him in a box.
It was the wideout’s best performance of the season by far.
Stud: Adam Gase
Gase has been limited with his playbook given the quarterback situation over the last few weeks, but he finally opened it up Sunday.
With Darnold under center, the Jets offense was a lot more aggressive. Gase allowed Darnold to take shots down the field, and the receivers created separation.
Meanwhile, the ball was hitting almost everybody. Seven different Jets players had at least one catch in the game, and that kept the Cowboys defenders on their toes.
Gase has been given a ton of heat this season for his play-calling, but when he has his quarterback, it changes everything.
Stud: S Jamal Adams
No one is happier than Adams to get a win.
The safety was flying all over the place in Sunday’s win. He made the most important play in the game on Dallas’s two-point conversion attempt as well. Dallas had an opportunity to tie the game with under a minute to go, but Adams put major heat on Dak Prescott, forcing an incomplete pass to seal the game.
Adams finished the game with nine total tackles and one pass defense. He continues to show every week why he is one of the best safeties in the league.
Stud: Offensive Line
The offensive line has been just as bad as the quarterback position for the Jets. The unit’s performance was unrecognizable Sunday, however — in the best possible way.
After allowing a season-high 10 sacks last week against the Eagles, the Jets offensive line cut that number down to two. It was clear that Darnold’s return gave them a little extra motivation to step up their play.
The offensive linemen did have an issue with penalties, but they did their most important job by keeping their quarterback upright. It’s a step in the right direction for a unit that has struggled mightily this season.
