Sam Darnold’s heroics could be glimpse of what’s to come

In a lost season, Sam Darnold gave the Jets and their fans some hope Sunday.

That was bigger than the win over the Bills or snapping the six-game losing streak. Darnold showed a glimpse of what the Jets hope he can become in the coming years with his fourth-quarter heroics in Buffalo.

“It’s great for his first game back,” coach Todd Bowles said Monday on a conference call with reporters. “Obviously he was confident before the fourth-quarter comeback. But it just helps him, it just helps him be himself a little more.”

The rookie quarterback had a moment Sunday. He showed his poise, instincts, toughness and talent in the 27-23 win. After departing in the first quarter with a foot injury, it looked like the day might be lost. Instead, he missed one series, then came up big in the fourth quarter.

The Jets now need to hope that Darnold’s performance was a sign of things to come and not a mirage. Remember Geno Smith had a great moment in his rookie season against the Falcons and never duplicated it.

Darnold has instincts Smith never showed, though. His game-tying, 7-yard touchdown to Robby Anderson was a thing of beauty. Next Gen Stats measured the distance he scrambled on the play as 46.8 yards. It was being replayed Monday on TV and on social media.

“It was a good play,” Bowles said. “He had his eyes downfield the whole time. You won’t make a living doing that, but you got to be a football player at times, too. The play broke down and he was good at making the play when it broke down.”

The win against the Bills was Darnold’s and the Jets’ first in nearly two months. He missed the past three games with a sprained right foot. Prior to the injury, his play had slipped a bit. In his last game before the injury, he threw four interceptions against the Dolphins. On Sunday, he had another bad interception when the Jets were in field-goal range and he forced a throw. There was a school of thought Darnold could benefit from his time on the bench. It is hard to say after one game if that is the case.

“I saw progress before he got hurt, but obviously with a win that helps everything,” Bowles said. “There’s still some things he’s got to work on. Also, we can’t have turnovers down there at the end of the field and give up points. But he came back and made some plays that didn’t faze him and that was good to see from a poise standpoint.”

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Darnold’s performance did not just have fans giddy. His Jets teammates were buzzing about Darnold after the game.

“I think he’s going to be a great football player,” Anderson said. “I’ve said that and I stand on it. He fights and works hard. You have to give him his credit where it’s due.”

Even the Jets defenders noticed what their quarterback was doing.

“He’s clutch,” safety Jamal Adams said. “He came out and he did what he did. There’s a reason why he was drafted where he was drafted. He came out and executed.”

The Jets face the Texans on Saturday. Houston coach Bill O’Brien, who has a pretty good young quarterback of his own in Deshaun Watson, praised Darnold on Monday.

“I really like Sam,” O’Brien said. “I liked him coming out in the draft. I think he’s got good poise. He’s got a really good arm. He’s accurate. He’s smart. I think he can extend plays. I think he’s an excellent young quarterback. I think the young quarterbacks in the league right now, it’s really an exciting time. Sam’s definitely a part of that.”