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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Sam Darnold entered the bowels of MetLife Stadium at 9:51 am Sunday with coffee in hand and mentor Josh McCown at his side. The rookie quarterback of the New York Jets gave a quiet confidence to an easy smile as he headed for the home team's locker room. His mission was simple: to drive the momentum of their victory at Motor City and get rid of the Miami Dolphins in front of the always faithful, yet fatalistic public.
This was Darnold's moment, his chance to live up to the excitement that had developed throughout the three-state region throughout the week, leading to hour-long traffic jams in parking lots and tailgating. . But nothing is ever simple for NFL recruits, especially the quarterbacks. And seven hours after Darnold arrived in the building, he lamented the mistakes that turned a winable match into a defeat.
The 21-year-old launched his first pair of interceptions and suffered his first professional loss against rival AFC East, Miami Dolphins, who left The Meadowlands with a 20-win win. 12 and a start of 2-0. They "shook" Darnold early "and did not let go," noted defensive end Robert Quinn, who was one of three Dolphins bags Sunday afternoon. But Darnold's stats line – 25 to 41, 334 yards, a touchdown and a score of 74.6 – told a familiar story.
Sam Darnold's first home start for the Jets ended in a 20-12 loss to the Miami Dolphins. (Getty Images)
The hype that followed Darnold's early days in the Lions' 48-17 Jerseys maneuvers dissipated with every push and throw against the Dolphins. Unlike last week, when Darnold bounced back after making a pick-six at his very first slam, there was no return, even though it was only d & # 39; A possession match with 5:56.
"It's not a good feeling," said Darnold, whose 28-yard touchdown on the ball Bilal Powell shot the Jets in 20-6. Killer Jason Myers missed the extra point in the third quarter.
This week there was no victory for the Jets, no hugs and five in the locker room. Instead, only soothing words whispered in the ear of a ripped quarterback. And that's where the key to Darnold's success in the NFL lies: the support system that is always present and uncompromising around him.
A few minutes after concluding his press conference, Darnold was back in the locker room to listen carefully to the words of encouragement from his teammates. He leaned over to his locker while receiver Jermaine Kearse stood to his left and spoke in a low voice before tapping the rookie's shoulder and entering the coaches room. The players on the immediate right of Darnold – Powell and teammate Isaiah Crowell – took their turn, leaning forward to offer their catch, their perspective, their support.
"You can not win them all," said Powell, revealing his message to his watch. "… when we have a guy like Josh McCown over there, there's no need to say too much for him. [Darnold] shook him. We came back, we drove on the ground. We did not have the "W", of course. But we will get rid of it.
At 4:30 pm – more than seven hours after their arrival – Darnold was still next to McCown.
The two-quarter-backs, who share more of a fraternal bond than anything, sat side by side, making different gestures with their hands as they dissected erroneous games and missed opportunities.
There were chances. Man, there were chances.
Miami player Robert Quinn sacked New York rider Sam Darnold on Sunday. Darnold was sacked three times on Sunday and launched two interceptions in the loss. (AP)
A concrete example: when Darnold did not see Quincy Enunwa in the end zone and kicked the ball towards the end of the first half. And in the next game, with no dead time left and his team at 20-0, Darnold completed a pass for tight end Chris Herndon, who was stopped at the 1-yard line at the end of the allotted time.
Receiver Terrelle Pryor opened the door for Darnold's second interception, which was pushed into the end zone by cornerback Xavien Howard immediately after the Jets defender forced and retrieved a fumble. "I said it after the match, I hope you will forgive me. I'll make sure I'm here next time, "Pryor said, telling reporters that he had apologized to the rookie for leading a botched run.
The bad course, the penalties and the mental errors on both sides of the ball resulted in an apparently avoidable loss. And now, the Jets have only a handful of days to clear their minds and refocus on their prime time road match with Cleveland Browns, still without a win, on Thursday Night Football.
"Every week is a different challenge," said Darnold. "We are going to deal with it this week and prepare for Cleveland … and we hope to win."
Three games in 11 days are enough to turn a rookie's head. But those around him are determined not to see him falter.
At 4:50 pm, he left the locker room and closed his eyes with his family. Darnold's father, Mike, pointed to his son and smiled, while his mother, Chris, smiled sympathetically at his son. Just like last week in Detroit, the Darnolds waited, along with Jets GM Mike Maccagnan, for their son and McCown to come out of the locker room. And although there was no victory to celebrate this time, there were many hugs shared between them.
After the words have been exchanged between the Darnold clan, Mike reminds his son to take food before leaving the stadium. The rookie quarter declines initially, but gives way quickly. Father, apparently, knows best.
Darnold finally heads for the exit, food in hand, flanked by his family. Another game to his credit. Another day in the life of a rookie.
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