Sam Darnold
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Ben Blessington and Michael Nania break down the New York Jets’ disastrous loss to the Buffalo Bills, particularly the performance of Sam Darnold.

The Jets’ 2020 season got off to an embarrassing start, as the team was thoroughly dominated from start to finish in a game that was much, much more lopsided than the 27-17 final score suggests.

While the defense was horrendous and the offense had a myriad of issues, the most concerning takeaway from the game was the performance of Sam Darnold. The franchise quarterback kicked off his massively important third season with a dud of an outing, making baffling mistakes and whiffing on open throws.

Darnold was far from the only problem, though. The razor-thin outside wide receiver group was as bad as feared. A depleted defense generated zero pass rush and piled on missed tackles like there was no tomorrow.

On the plus side, the offensive line looked solid in its debut. While far from dominant, the group’s performance level was exactly what the Jets needed from it this year – average. It was more than good enough to anchor a respectable offensive performance. Mekhi Becton was particularly impressive against Bills edge rusher Jerry Hughes.

Marcus Maye and Blessuan Austin also stood out, while Braden Mann flashed potential. Jamison Crowder rebounded from a rough start to make some big plays.

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Michael Nania is one of the best analytical New York Jets minds in the world, combining his statistical expertise with game film to add proper context to the data. Nania scrapes every corner, ensuring you know all there is to know about everyone from the QB to the long snapper. Nania's Numbers, Nania's QB Grades, and Nania's All-22 give fans a deeper and more well-rounded dive into the Jets than anyone else can offer. Email: michael.nania[at]jetsxfactor.com - Twitter: @Michael_Nania
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