5 major observations from Sam Darnold in Week 1 vs. NY Jets

What were some major observations from Carolina Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold in Week 1 against the New York Jets?

This was the moment Sam Darnold had been waiting for. A chance to turn his career around and get one over on the team that gave up on him in the process.

All eyes were on the new Carolina Panthers quarterback in Week 1 against the New York Jets, which brought him face-to-face with the player chosen to replace him under center in No. 2 overall selection Zach Wilson.

Darnold was keen to play down the occasion throughout the week. Perhaps in some attempt to dampen the level of intrigue surrounding the opening day fixture at Bank of America Stadium.

That did not stop the pressure from mounting significantly under the spotlight. Here are five major observations from Darnold’s performance against the Jets.

Major Observation No. 1

Sam Darnold handled himself well pre-game

Now Sam Darnold could have been excused for being a little nervous before the game. He was in a new environment and playing against his former employers, after all.

However, at least from the outside looking in, Darnold handled all the preliminaries extremely well in the circumstances.

This isn’t going to be easy. But seeing Darnold relaxed and leading the team out of the tunnel in a confident fashion was proof that the signal-caller was taking everything in his stride as he’s done all offseason.

Now for the hard part. Putting it all together on the field.