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Darnold good to go as Jets starter

5 min read

Todd Bowles finally revealed the big decision that everyone expected.

Sam Darnold will start at quarterback in the New York Jets’ season-opening game at Detroit next Monday night.

The 21-year-old Darnold will also make some NFL history by becoming the youngest quarterback to start in Week 1 since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger. At 21 years and 97 days, the rookie surpasses Drew Bledsoe (21-203), who held the distinction since starting for New England in 1993.

“Sam had a good preseason,” Bowles said Monday while making the announcement. “We weren’t holding him back, and we weren’t rushing him at the same time. He still has some things to learn, but it was (his) poise in the pocket and the way he grasped the offense coming in right away. … He gives us a very good chance to win.”

The announcement came as no surprise as the rookie was solid while starting the Jets’ second and third preseason games. New York traded Teddy Bridgewater to New Orleans last week , and Darnold then sat out the preseason finale at Philadelphia – clear signals the No. 3 overall draft pick would be under center against the Lions.

“For me, I’ve always been kind of a calm person and a guy who just goes out there and tries to do my job to the highest ability I can,” Darnold said before Bowles made the decision official. “If I get that opportunity to play, I’m going to play to the best of my ability.”

Darnold was given every opportunity to win the job in a competition with Bridgewater and incumbent Josh McCown, and he didn’t disappoint. He went 29 of 45 for 244 yards and two touchdowns with one interception in the preseason. Even more impressive to Bowles and the coaching staff was Darnold’s ability to quickly digest the playbook and not repeat mistakes.

Baltimore keeps 3 QBs: Keeping three quarterbacks was not an easy decision for Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh, who hasn’t had that many QBs on his opening day roster since 2009. Now he’s got to determine the best way to use them. Joe Flacco will start Sunday against the Buffalo Bills, but Harbaugh isn’t revealing whether the backup will be Robert Griffin III or rookie Lamar Jackson.

Griffin has 42 games of NFL experience and Jackson is a slick-footed runner who could be a threat near the goal line, as evidenced by his three rushing touchdowns during the preseason.

Whether Griffin or Jackson receives spot duty remains to be seen. At this point, Harbaugh isn’t even sure how many quarterbacks will be on the active list each week.

“It won’t be any more than three, it won’t be less than two,” he said with a grin on Monday. “So, we’ll see. I really don’t know.”

This much is certain: There’s a lot to like about having a former Super Bowl MVP (Flacco) and a pair of Heisman Trophy winners at the most important position on the field.

“I’m excited to have three quality quarterbacks,” Harbaugh said. “It makes our quarterback room stronger. That’s really what it does.”

Foles gets starting nod: Eagles coach Doug Pederson says Nick Foles will start against the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday night.

Pederson made the announcement Monday, one day after a testy exchange with reporters in which he insisted he wanted to wait.

“In the best interest of everything about the football team and this decision, Nick Foles is the starter Week 1,” said Pederson, who wasn’t scheduled to speak to the media and plans to answer questions at his regular news conference on Tuesday.

Wentz still hasn’t been medically cleared for contact as he comes back from surgery last December to repair two torn ligaments in his left knee. Foles was the Super Bowl MVP in Philadelphia’s 41-33 win over New England.

Peterman named starter for Bills: Nathan Peterman will be the Buffalo Bills starting quarterback, a job the second-year player is expected to hold until first-round pick Josh Allen is deemed ready.

The Bills made the announcement on their Twitter account before practice Monday morning as the team prepares for its season opener at Baltimore Sunday.

“Nate has earned the right,” coach Sean McDermott said, noting he based his evaluation on how Peterman has performed and handled himself since the spring. “I’ve been impressed with his mental toughness, his command of the offense and the way he’s generated yards and point in the preseason.”

Peterman put up the best passing numbers during the preseason, 33 of 41 for 432 yards with three touchdowns and an interception in two preseason games last month. He was involved in a three-way quarterback competition that was cut to two Saturday when free-agent addition AJ McCarron was traded to Oakland.

The decision to start Peterman is an indication Allen needs more time to develop after an inconsistent preseason.

In three appearances, he went 24 of 44 for 210 yards and two touchdowns. The 22-year-old struggled in a 26-13 loss to Cincinnati on Aug. 26 in his only preseason start.

Buffalo traded up five spots in the draft to select Allen with the seventh pick.

Peterman is a fifth-round draft pick out of Pittsburgh, and is best remembered for throwing five interceptions in the first half of his first start in a 54-24 loss at the Los Angeles Chargers on Nov. 19. He finished 24 of 49 for 252 yards with two touchdowns and five interceptions in four appearances, including two starts.

Peterman will get an opportunity to face the Chargers again on Sept. 16, when Buffalo hosts Los Angeles.

Wentz didn’t play in the preseason and only recently returned to full practice.

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