New York Jets Sam Darnold
(Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The New York Jets got preseason victory No. 1 against the Atlanta Falcons at home. Here are the takeaways from this gridiron matchup. 

The New York Jets are undefeated in the 2018 preseason after dismantling the Atlanta Falcons 17-0. It was the first taste of this new era of Jets football for all the fans of the green and white.

The taste of victory can make fans do crazy things and have illogical expectations for the upcoming season. In order to prevent Jets fans from letting their imaginations run too wild, we did it for you. You’re welcome in advance.

5. Trenton Cannon could beat Usain Bolt in a race.

If you went out on the street right now and asked a random person who the fastest man on planet Earth is you’d probably hear Usain Bolt’s name mentioned more times than not. It’s time to dispell that myth.

While certainly, Bolt has a ton of hardware on the resume: world record holder in the 100 meters, 200 meters and 4×100 meters relay. Wait… do you hear that soft chant in the distance? ***overrated … overrated … overrated***

The correct answer to that initial trivia question is Trenton Cannon out of Virginia State. Pun intended, but Trenton literally looks like he gets shot out of a cannon every-time he touches the pigskin.

It’s exciting to think how creative Jeremy Bates was in just the first preseason game with the running backs. In a span of four quarters we got to see running backs lined up wide, isolation in the backfield, and everything in between.

4. It's time to hold Teddy Bridgewater out of game action, put him on the trade block, and demand a first round pick in return.

The New York Jets have the deepest quarterback room they’ve had in over a decade. They have every flavor of ice cream that you look for: the elder statesmen in Josh McCown, the future in Sam Darnold, and oh yeah, that guy in the middle … Teddy Bridgewater.

If we know who the past is, who the future (potentially right now) is, where the heck does Bridgewater fit into all of this? Trade Block. But how much is he worth?

I’ve seen more than enough in two drives of one preseason game to know exactly what Teddy Bridgewater’s value is and that’s nothing short of a first-round pick. Since we already know what Teddy is worth, I see no further point in playing him at all the rest of the preseason.

Teddy has proven that he has returned from his devastating knee injury and he’s better than ever. Now, all we have to do is play the waiting game. Inevitably a quarterback is going to come down with an injury and the Jets phone will be set to vibrate as they wait patiently for their offer to be met by *insert desperate team*. We’ll be waiting here patiently.

3. The New York Jets are the second coming of the 1985 Chicago Bears.

I mean what else would you call them after that stunning performance? The Jets held one of the most potent offenses in the entire NFL to a grand total of zero points, just eight first downs, and fewer than 215 total yards of offense.

They have elite playmakers on every level of the defense: Leonard Williams on the defensive line is a stud in both the running and passing game. At the linebacker level, they have a double-decker of trouble with Avery Williamson (coming over from Tennessee) and former first-round pick Darron Lee who has assumed play-calling duties on defense. Then on the back end, Trumaine Johnson received the second highest paid contract for a corner in NFL History.

I didn’t even mention the dynamic duo at safety for the Jets with the provocative Jamal Adams and the reserved Marcus Maye. This young combo on the backend stabilizes the entire unit and keeps quarterbacks honest.

This was the first time in Jets history that the Jets shutout a preseason opponent at home.

2. The New York Jets or the greatest show on turf?

It honestly didn’t matter who the hell was at quarterback for the Jets because the silky play calling of one Jeremy Bates made it easy on the quarterbacks.

The often used cliche “quarterback-friendly offense” is overused, but it actually tells the tale of this new look Jets offense. There are simple reads, stutter routes from wide receivers that can stump zone or man coverage and someone is always open.

Analysts want to make fun of the Jets receiving corps because there’s no No. 1 wide receiver on this team. But you want to know something? No. 1 wide receivers are overrated, the Jets can survive and thrive with the island of misfit toys they have at the position.

1. Sam Darnold is on pace to be the youngest player ever enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

For those who are doing the math from home, Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Gale Sayers is the current record holder, he was 34-years-old when he was inducted back in 1977.

If anyone is curious, Sam Darnold is freshly 21-years old. Who would’ve thought he’d be breaking records this quickly? I mean his first career touchdown pass in the preseason is the reincarnation of Mona Lisa. Look at Sam Darnold stay calm, cool, and collected as he works his way through his progressions. Then eventually finds veteran wide receiver Charles Johnson for the touchdown. The first of many my friend.

Things couldn’t have gone much better for Darnold in this one who entered the game in the second quarter and played the rest of the ball game. This kind of playing time is invaluable and to be honest, the promising start suggests that Darnold could be the Week 1 starter on the road vs the Detroit Lions.

People call me Boy Green for my unwavering dedication to all things New York Jets. I work at The Score 1260 in Syracuse and I'm extremely passionate about sports. I aspire to continue my rise through the business and hopefully I'll end up working for the New York Jets in some capacity.