The Jets hired Adam Gase to oversee Sam Darnold’s progression and take him to the next level, but it might be New York’s defensive coordinator that the 21-year-old signal caller benefits from the most.
Since beginning his career as a defensive playcaller with the Houston Oilers in 1997, Gregg Williams has employed an aggressive, blitz-heavy defense. Williams-coached defenses are known for getting after opposing quarterbacks and putting offenses in uncomfortable positions. That’s not going to change now that he is with the Jets.
Williams doesn’t let up in practice, either. What opposing offenses see in live game action is what Darnold will see in practice on a daily basis. Even though players are taught to stay off the quarterback, Darnold will have to be aware of Williams’ blitz-heavy tendencies every time he drops back to pass ar 1 Jets Drive. The USC product won’t be taking any hits in practice, but he will be forced out of the pocket and forced to make decisions on the fly — something not many quarterbacks are used to doing in a practice setting.
Darnold will only improve from participating in high-intensity practices. As a rookie, defensive coordinators sent the house against New York’s battered offensive line at will and it forced him to get the ball out quick. At times, Darnold looked flustered going up against blitzes. After taking reps against Williams and his defense throughout training camp, dealing with the pass rush will become second-nature.
As if taking live reps wasn’t enough, a simple film study will also allow Darnold to take a look at the variety of exotic blitz looks that Williams brings to the table. Darnold sees numerous defensive looks throughout the course of the season and was only able to watch game film to learn how to deal with countless fronts. Now, he will have practice film at his disposal as well.
As the old saying goes, practice makes perfect. No quarterback will ever be “perfect” going up against the blitz, but Williams will have Darnold prepared for whatever opposing defensive coordinators plan on throwing at him in 2019. He might not have the offensive mind to help Darnold from a hands-on standpoint, but Williams will certainly play a role in how New York’s quarterback of the future fares this upcoming season.
