Jets Win Another Game, Lose Lawrence and Sam Darnold Still Struggles

Matt Marciano laments the Jets losing the Trevor Lawrence sweepstakes and provides his opinion on how the number two overall pick should be used.

The New York Jets won their second game of the season, defeating a playoff team in the Cleveland Browns by a score of 23-16. In the process, the Jacksonville Jaguars lost once again, to the Chicago Bears. The Jags losing, combined with the Jets winning, has given the Jags the coveted first overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and the right to pick a possible franchise altering quarterback in Trevor Lawrence.

So what are my thoughts about the Jets second win of the season? My reaction is “who really cares?” The Jets would have been better off doing the only thing that they were able to be consistent this entire season, up until last week: lose all of their games. That would have been made up down the line with drafting Trevor Lawrence, finally giving the Jets a decent franchise quarterback who would make the Jets contenders again.
Here is what I do not want to hear from any Jets fan after this game – let’s keep Sam Darnold. Are you kidding me? The quarterback has no charisma on the sideline, is not the face of this franchise in the future and shows zero competitive ability and leadership skill. So he won two games in a row? Isn’t that what a good quarterback should aim to do, week in and week out, in the NFL? Did Jets fans forget that the Jets almost blew a big lead against the Browns today? Or that Browns QB Baker Mayfield was without several of his star receivers who were quarantining due to testing positive for Covid? Or that Cody Parkey doinked another makeable field goal against the Jets today? The Jets were lucky that due to these reasons they were able to win a game that they normally would have no business even being competitive in.

This should not make Jets fans want Sam Darnold back next year… at all. Not as the starter or as a backup. The Jets, even with the second pick in the draft next year, need to get a new quarterback.

I am fine with the Jets taking Justin Fields or even Zach Wilson. They need a new quarterback to develop with a new head coach. Think about it. The draw to the Jets job a few weeks ago would have been the fact that at that time the Jets would have had the first round pick and would have gotten Trevor Lawrence in the draft. Now that that is not going to happen, to get in am Eric Bieniemy, Bill Cowher or Jim Harbaugh, you need to at least assure them you are not having them work with Sam Darnold next season as their starter. You need to draft a new quarterback at the second draft position and get some top notch free agent wide receivers and tight ends in free agency. Enough of spending on defense and the offensive line. Focus on receivers and on getting a new kicker on special teams.

The good news for Jets fans is that this nightmare of a season and the tenure of the worst coach in Jets history, Adam Gase, comes to a close next week in New England. Joe Douglas needs to get a decent head coach who can restore credibility to a sad franchise. That also starts with taking Fields or Wilson in the draft next year and getting Darnold off this team.