It is all about saving Sam Darnold for the future

The New York Jets season is effectively over, and the organization needs to plan for the future and start putting Sam Darnold in a position to succeed. 

They say it always gets worse before it gets better.

By that logic, perhaps New York Jets fans should be hopeful. After all, it is hard to imagine anything worse than the Jets being blown out by the 3-7 Bills and a backup quarterback at home.

There is no point in recapping the Jets pitiful 41-10 loss to the Bills, except to say that dropping to 3-7 has effectively put the final nail in the coffin of their season.

Once again, the Jets need to look to the future. Fortunately, the Jets may have a huge advantage in the rebuilding process this time.

It's wild how much Darnold's pocket movement looks like Tony Romo sometimes pic.twitter.com/JUb16SU9fU

— Connor Rogers (@ConnorJRogers) October 29, 2018

In spite of his subpar numbers (11 TD/14 INT) thus far, Sam Darnold has shown the poise, pocket presence, and intangibles that suggests he could develop into a good NFL quarterback.

The emphasis is on COULD, as the Jets organization have currently failed to provide Darnold with the support and coaching that he will need to become successful.

Let’s start with the supporting cast.

This is such a good play by Sam Darnold. Has to be completed. Brutal drop by Eric Tomlinson #Jets pic.twitter.com/SP5FcIsPkx

— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) October 24, 2018

Spencer Long has to be kidding #jets pic.twitter.com/Jugdg8Wuen

— Matt O'Leary (@MattOLearyNY) November 4, 2018

At best, Darnold’s wide receiving core has been mediocre. At its worst (like when Terrelle Pryor, Robby Anderson, and Quincy Enunwa missed time with injuries), it has been NCAA level.  And although rookie Chris Herndon has shown some potential, Darnold has yet to have a reliable pass-catching tight end.

The Jets offensive line play also hasn’t done Darnold any favors. In particular, starting center Spencer Long has consistently struggled to snap the ball to his quarterback. Although Long has since been benched with an injury, the fact that it took the Jets multiple weeks to find a center who can snap the football does not bode well for Darnold’s long-term development.

In addition to providing Darnold with a competent supporting cast on the field, it is also essential that the Jets provide him with talented coaches.

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The reality is the Jets have largely been a stagnant and unmotivated mess under the leadership of Todd Bowles. After a promising inaugural season (10-6), the Jets have went on to go 13-29. Like their most recent loss to the Bills, many of the Jets’ losses have not even been competitive games.

Enough is enough. When it comes to their coaching staff, it is time for the Jets to clean house.

From Sean McVay and Jared Goff to Matt Nagy and Mitchell Tribusky, it is clear that many young quarterbacks can thrive if paired with the right coaches. Perhaps a coaching change for the Jets could breathe some new life into Darnold’s career as well.

The Jets will not be able to fix all their issues overnight, or even over one season. However, unless they want to waste their promising young quarterback, the Jets should enter the 2019 season with a new coaching staff and some new talent on offense.