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.

Sam Darnold’s impressive first half

As stated previously, if Sam Darnold was nervous heading into his competitive Carolina Panthers debut, he certainly didn’t show it. The signal-caller looked assured under center and made some fantastic throws throughout the first half, even though it didn’t amount to as many points as the team would like.

For all the Panthers’ problems, it wasn’t Darnold they had to worry about.

Outside of the botched handoff on fourth-and-one in the red zone, there was a lot to like about Darnold’s productivity in passing situations. He got some competent protection for most of the opening two-quarters of action and utilized his top two playmakers efficiently.

There was also a throw to Ian Thomas in the end zone that he’d like to have back. Again, in the red zone where problems seem to constantly emerge for the Panthers time and time again.

This is a theme that continued throughout the half, worryingly.

Darnold missed Terrace Marshal Jr. in the end zone just before Ryan Santoso kicked the first points of the game, which should have been out of sight considering how many opportunities Carolina had thanks to a sterling defensive display.

The former USC man finished the first half well thanks to a stunning deep touchdown to Robby Anderson for a connection that’s all too familiar with Jets fans and a running score himself late on to round off an impressive two-minute drill.

There was one criticism. The game should have been over at the half.

Sam Darnold was not helped by his OL in the third quarter

The concerns surrounding the protection in front of Sam Darnold were well documented throughout the offseason. A patchwork group of individuals assisted only by the outstanding right tackle Taylor Moton left more than a sense of trepidation – something that really came across after the half-time interval.

It was a third-quarter that looked similar to what the Carolina Panthers produced during most games in 2020. They came out flat and allowed the New York Jets to hang around, score a touchdown, and keep them competitive in a game that should have been out of sight long before.

The Jets seemed to generate pressure at will in the third quarter. This meant Darnold was hit plenty and failed to move the chains as consistently as he’d done in the first half.

Carolina will face far bigger challenges than the Jets defensive front as the season progresses, so this was more than a little concerning. Credit to Joe Brady for calling some good schemes and allowing the playmakers enough time to do damage.

Thankfully for Darnold and the Panthers, it did not impact the eventual result.

Against a higher standard of opposition, however, it could have been a different story and certainly something to worry about moving forward unless the necessary adjustments are made.

Sam Darnold has the best security blanket in football

One of the biggest misses – perhaps the biggest of all – regarding the Carolina Panthers and their fortunes on offense in 2020 was the absence of Christian McCaffery. The running back featured in just three games due to various injury problems, so there was a real sense of anticipation regarding the All-Pro taking some competitive reps for the first time in 308 days.

It’s like he’d never been away.

McCaffrey looked at the part from the first drive right until the last. Something that clearly aided Sam Darnold in his pursuit of hitting the ground running in Week 1 against the New York Jets.

When there was pressure coming or things weren’t developing downfield as expected, McCaffrey always seemed to be open for his new signal-caller.

Darnold and McCaffrey go way back. And their chemistry was on point for most of the game.

One cannot express how important McCaffrey is to the Panthers. He is the NFL’s best dual-threat running back and wasted little time in reassuming this position after so long away from the gridiron.

If the former Stanford star can stay healthy all season, it’s going to help the Panthers and Darnold enormously. However, it’s also essential they find the right balance to preserve McCaffrey’s freshness.

And it’s a fine line.

Sam Darnold connected well with D.J. Moore

With so many weapons to choose from, the Carolina Panthers were arguably the best possible landing spot for Sam Darnold. Certainly, an organization that would make it very difficult for a solid quarterback to fail.

Not only was the relationship there with Christian McCaffrey. ut there was also plenty of encouraging signs from the blossoming chemistry between Darnold and wide receiver D.J. Moore.

Make no mistake, this is a mutually beneficial arrangement.

Moore has never had a competent quarterback during his time in the league. If he can hit it off with Darnold consistently, then it’ll put him in an extremely strong position when his representatives begin discussing a megabucks deal to stay long-term in Carolina.

Darnold has also never had the benefit of a true No. 1 receiver that can do it all. Moore could be that guy judging by these early efforts.

It wasn’t pretty at times. But when the Panthers needed yardage then it was Darnold and either Moore or McCaffrey who’d be getting the job done in crucial situations.

There is a lot of work to do, make no mistake. But overall Darnold can be relatively pleased with his contribution to gain revenge on his former team.