EAST RUTHERFORD O. J. Simpson Jersey , N.J. (AP) — The New York Jets‘ already intriguing quarterback competition just got a lot more interesting.
Thanks to a poised Sam Darnold. And a sharp and healthy Teddy Bridgewater.
Josh McCown is still No. 1 on the depth chart, but the other two quarterbacks made big-time statements in the Jets’ 17-0 preseason-opening victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Friday night.
“We’ll see how the preseason goes,” coach Todd Bowles said after the game. “I’ll make my decision when it happens. I’m not going to jump to any conclusions after one game. I’m going to take my notes and watch practice and compare with the coaches and we’ll come up with a decision. It’s a tough decision.
“We have three good players and we’re happy to have them.”
Bowles has said that the competition could last through the fourth preseason game, and he didn’t back off that when asked if that were still the case.
“Probably,” the coach said in his typically understated fashion.
While Bowles isn’t about to start making any premature proclamations, there was plenty for the Jets and their fans to get excited about.
McCown played just one series and was replaced by Bridgewater, who led New York to scores on both of his possessions. Then, Darnold jogged onto the field at MetLife Stadium to an ovation befitting a guy considered by many to be the savior of the franchise.
The No. 3 overall pick in the draft showed poise, accuracy, playmaking ability on the run and veteran-like cool in his NFL debut.
“I thought I played pretty good,” Darnold said. “I think I just put the ball where it needed to be, tried to get it in the hands of our playmakers.”
The former USC star finished 13 of 18 for 96 yards Dion Dawkins Jersey , including a touchdown pass to Charles Johnson during which he rolled right and zipped the football into the end zone to his receiver while on the run. That came after Darnold brushed off a drop and an offensive pass interference penalty — both on Johnson — leading to the score.
“Poise. Again, the poise in the pocket,” Bowles said. “Obviously, the touchdown throw. The scramble was very good use of his feet and accuracy, but he does that in practice all the time, so I can’t say it impressed me because we see it every day. Just his handling of game situations. There are things he can get better at, but it’s a good start for him.”
Darnold was quick to point out a negative moment, namely when he was sacked by Jonathan Celestin in the fourth quarter.
“I feel like I could’ve gotten that ball out on the shallow (route) there, but you live and you learn I guess,” he said. “So, I’m just going to watch the tape and see really what exactly happened on some of the plays, but I thought I did pretty well. I took care of the football Marshall Faulk Jersey , which was my main priority.”
The Jets are giving Darnold every opportunity to win the starting job, and the rookie appeared well on his way to doing so while working with backups against the Falcons.
New York takes on Washington next Thursday, and it remains to be seen how Bowles will split the snaps among the quarterbacks. The next step for Darnold might be playing with the starters.
Bridgewater was also impressive in his Jets debut, showing flashes of the player who was a Pro Bowl selection with the Vikings before a severe knee injury sidelined him for most of the last two years.
He looked comfortable and even took a hard shot during a play, immediately bouncing up from the turf.
“It felt good getting hit again,” Bridgewater said with a smile. “You never want the quarterback getting hit, but for me, it was the final step of the process. Got hit, got right back up and it just served as a reminder that the game is still the same.”
Bridgewater capped his first series with a touchdown toss to Isaiah Crowell, and led the Jets to a field goal on his second drive.
He finished 7 of 8 for 85 yards, and looked every bit like a starting-caliber quarterback — for New York or perhaps another team as potential trade bait if Darnold continues to progress rapidly and leaves no doubt as to who should be under center when the Jets open the regular season at Detroit.
“If you’re a football fan and you enjoy the sport, it’s fun to be a part of Charles Haley Jersey ,” McCown said. “And to get a front-row seat and more importantly to just go out and want to see them accomplish the things that we talk about in our quarterback room on a daily basis is huge and they did that and so we couldn’t be happier. I’m really excited for them and now it’s back to work.”
A day after the San Francisco 49ers elected Richard Sherman as their player representative, the veteran cornerback believes a lockout is coming when the NFL collective bargaining agreement expires.
"It's going to happen, so it's not like guys are guessing," Sherman said before the 49ers' workout Thursday.
The current CBA between players and NFL owners doesn't expire until after the 2020 season, but there have been rumblings that players might dig in their heels in order to get certain economic changes, including more guaranteed money in contracts.
Owners locked out the players for four months during the 2011 offseason, but the sides eventually hammered out a 10-year deal before the regular season was jeopardized.
Sherman said he's expecting a lockout this time around "because there was a lockout before. We don't plan on changing anything about the deal we currently have right now ... I don't think it's going to be negotiated before the end of the CBA."
That issue is for down the road. For now, the three-time All-Pro cornerback eagerly awaits his 49ers debut Sunday at Minnesota. After being released by Seattle in March, Sherman, 30, signed a three-year deal with San Francisco.
He appears fully recovered from a ruptured right Achilles tendon that ended his 2017 season in November. But Sunday's game offers Sherman his first true test to prove he's still the same shutdown defender he was before the injury. And the opener comes against a Vikings team that expects big things offensively after signing quarterback Kirk Cousins in the offseason.
So far, Sherman has drawn rave reviews for the leadership role he's taken with a young 49ers defense.
"It's inspiring just to play across from a guy like that that's played at a high level http://www.chicagobearsteamonline.com/mike-glennon-jersey ," cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon said. "I've always looked up to him, always thought highly of him. To be able to pick his brain just inspires me to take my game to the next level."
Asked if this week of preparation feels different given his new surroundings, Sherman replied:
"I got my Kobe cleats."
Nike has a line of football cleats endorsed by former Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant, a friend of Sherman's who offered the cornerback advice on how to rehab from an Achilles injury, since Bryant experienced the same setback.
Sherman said he'll feel butterflies when he takes the field for his 49ers debut, but he said it won't be so different from his previous seven years with the Seahawks.
"(There's) always that rookie inside me. I don't think it changes from your first year to your eighth year," he said. "I think you always go into it knowing you're gonna have a chance to do something special and you're excited about the possibilities."
NOTES: Weakside linebacker Malcolm Smith (hamstring) participated in Thursday's practice and is expected to be ready Sunday, defensive coordinator Robert Saleh said. ... Saleh also said that rookie Fred Warner will start at middle linebacker.
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