Sam Darnold lost his security blanket, but he may have found a different one. With favorite target Quincy Enunwa sidelined with a right ankle injury, the rookie quarterback discovered Jermaine Kearse.
After four nondescript games, the veteran wide receiver made his presence felt, catching nine passes on 10 targets for 94 yards in the Jets’ 42-34 win over the Colts at MetLife Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
“I’m always mentally ready for opportunities and try to make the most of them,” Kearse said. “That’s how I’ve been my whole career. That’s kind of how I had to be being undrafted. I’m never out of the game. That’s each game — every game.”
After catching just seven passes on 17 targets for 71 yards in his first four games after missing the opener with an abdominal injury, Kearse resembled the difference-maker he was a year ago for Josh McCown in catching 65 passes for 810 yards and five touchdowns. Finding open spots in the Colts’ zone, he produced five first-down catches. He was productive and Darnold started looking for him, the duo teaming up to help the Jets score on eight consecutive drives.
“They played real soft defense. Sam was just taking what they gave us,” Kearse said. “I happened to be [involved in] a lot of those. I’ll take it. As far as forgotten [by the Colts defense], I don’t know what they remember or they don’t, but I know when my opportunity is there, I’ll definitely make the most of it.”
Early in the second quarter, Enunwa fumbled on a 9-yard catch and limped off the field, never to return. For three quarters, the team’s leading receiver wasn’t missed, in large part because of Kearse’s 2018 coming-out party.
“When your number is called,” he said, “you just got to be ready.”
Darnold has begun to mix the ball around more after going so much to Enunwa early on. It began last Sunday, when he connected with Robby Anderson on a pair of long touchdown passes. He has now found Terrelle Pryor for a score in consecutive weeks and completed four passes for 69 yards to his tight ends, Chris Herndon and Neal Sterling, on Sunday. Eight different Jets had receptions, six with multiple grabs.
“We got guys, we got guys who can make plays,” Darnold said. “So it’s just a matter of what the defense dictates, what I’m going to do with the ball, because I know that no matter what the defense is doing, we got guys in certain spots who can make plays.
“That’s just kind of how I play, and I’m going to continue to do that.”
Credit: NY Post</>
via USAHint.com
No comments:
Post a Comment