Bob Wischusen has been the radio play-by-play voice of the New York Jets for 18 years. Beginning this week and lasting all season, Bob will share thoughts pertaining to the Green & White in a weekly column - "Wischusen's Point of View".
1. Sam Darnold vs. the Giants
Keep the big picture in mind and realize that Sam Darnold is 22 years old and still has such a promising future. What you need to do is look for those moments, look for those spots in games where he shows you what he can be. And the Giants game showed, in many ways, what Sam Darnold still can be and the reason that every Jets fan should have high hopes that they indeed have their franchise quarterback. Running with the football, keeping his eyes downfield, dealing with all the traffic around him, making plays when under duress, he did all of that in that win against the Giants this past Sunday and showed just about every tool in the toolbox that a young player could show. One play that leaps to mind is a crossing route to Robby Anderson where he had Markus Golden draped around his waist, was literally in the process of being sacked, kept his eyes downfield and side-armed a bullet right on the money to a crossing receiver in Anderson that is simply a play that can't be taught. So, I would think that a Jets fan that watched that game, saw a lot from Darnold that gives you reason to believe that they have indeed found their franchise quarterback.
2. Jamal Adams Playing with Passion
In the minds of many, Jamal Adams made the wrong kinds of headlines around the trade deadline. But if it's possible for a player to make the wrong kind of headlines for the right reasons, Jamal Adams certainly did that. And what I mean when I say that is, he comes from such a place of passion about the sport of football and a player that when he closes his eyes can so clearly see what he hopes his legacy as a player will be, more so than most young players I've ever come across. You understand why he has this burning desire to stay with the team that drafted him and try to build that legacy here. When he takes that level of passion out to the football field as he did Sunday against the Giants, and is given the opportunity by a defensive coordinator like Gregg Williams that wants to use him in the most aggressive of ways, you can see he has a rare ability from a position that normally doesn't wreck football games to go out to wreck a football game. Sometimes it can be hard for a safety who's asked to cover real estate to go out and be the big time play maker. When Jamal Adams was given opportunities against the Giants to go out and make the big play, over and over again, he made the big play. And, rushing Daniel Jones and ripping the ball out of his arms, and bringing it back for his own score. That's about as close as you can get in the ultimate team game, to make the individual play that completely changes a team's fortunes inside of a game. Adams did just that on Sunday.
3. How Hard it Is to Win an NFL Game
It is hard to win a game in the NFL. Every team has prideful professionals, no matter what their record, and beating another team in the NFL is never an easy thing to do. So, when the Jets got a win over the Giants this past Sunday, not just because it was the battle of New York, but just because this season has been as difficult as it has been, there was rightful celebration in their locker room. Having said that, the win takes on even more significance just looking at what they have gone through from an injury standpoint. A routine week this year for the Jets has been between 20-25 players on the injury report and they're averaging better than one starter per week going on Injured Reserve since the start of the year. So when you're constantly trying to restock your roster with players that are brand new, and when you're constantly asking your veterans to go out there and grind out more snaps than they probably ever anticipated having to play to get through weeks the way they have, just to win a game, is an accomplishment onto itself. And it definitely shows that this team and this organization has not quit on the head coach for one moment. They are still giving maximum effort, regardless of the circumstances.
