New York Jets QB, Sam Darnold crossed one thing off of his preseason checklist, finding Charles Johnson for a touchdown just before halftime.
Less than 24 hours after Baker Mayfield burnt the New York Giants for his first unofficial touchdowns on his NFL career, the man chosen two picks later gave the home crowd something to cheer about.
New York Jets rookie, Sam Darnold got his first scoring throw out of the way fast, ending the first half on the highest of notes. Going 64 yards on 10 plays in 105 seconds of game time, Darnold gave the Jets a 17-0 lead over the Atlanta Falcons with a 14-yard throw to the right side of the end zone to Charles Johnson.
Here's the Darnold TD. #Jets pic.twitter.com/wo5osKX5CJ
— Elite Sports NY (@EliteSportsNY) August 11, 2018
Darnold does well to step up in the pocket, survey the field, buy some time with his legs, direct his receiver to the pylon, and throw a strike. That’s not the kind of thing rookies do very often.
A milestone for Darnold, it served as redemption for Johnson. The score would’ve come a play earlier, as Johnson’s original touchdown catch was negated by an offensive pass interference penalty.
The Jets took that 17-0 score in the halftime locker room and that score would hold up as the final. All in all, this was an impressive opening performance for the kid from USC. Darnold finished the night 13-for-18 for 96 yards and of course, the touchdown to Johnson.
Preseason games should be taken with a grain of salt, but it’s easy to get excited about the future after watching Darnold’s first action.
