N.Y. Jets: Sam Spooked By Monday Night Phantom

From the desk of: WALT MICHAELS REVENGE

EeK!

MONDAY NIGHT

Patriots   33

Jets           0

FUHGEDDABOUDIT

"... seeing ghosts!" - Sam Darnold

No, Sam, I am.  Those were not green ghosts nor Adam Gase's continuing scam.

Instead, Sam, I am, you went up against the man named Bill Belichick, whom this season decided the Patriots will ride the backs of its defense.

New England treated Sam Darnold the same way they treated Giants rookie quarterback Daniel Jones two weeks ago: very delicately.  That is no coincidence.  If Bill Belichick isn't sacking your young quarterback, he's inducing interceptions.  That's always been his preference.  It's easier to fool young quarterbacks than it is to fell them.  But if Belichick is not inducing young quarterbacks into throwing interceptions, you can be sure he's sacking them ... repeatedly.  On occasion, the Patriots do both.

Simon Bar Sinister if he wanted to could have sacked both Darnold and Daniel for a baker's dozen.  But Belichick's pass rush is measured.  Week in and week out, head coaches around the league fail to realize that.  If you recall the Patriots sack Daniel Jones just once, and pepper him with eight other hits.  Rather, they dupe Jones into throwing three interceptions and force a Jonathan Hilliman fumble.  Darnold's experience against New England's defense is no less befuddling, if not more so than Daniel's.  Yet he is only sacked once with just two other QB hits to speak of.  Instead, the Patriots intercept him four times and force a fumble.


PATRIOTS INTER-SACK-TIONS:

• Week One vs. PITT: one sack; three QB hits; one INT.           *Big Ben
• Week Two vs. MIA: seven sacks; twelve QB hits; four INT.   *young QB
• Week Three vs. NYJ: five sacks; ten QB hits; one INT.          *novice QB
• Weekk Four vs. BUF: five sacks; nine QB hits; one INT.       *young QB
• Week Five vs. WAS: six sacks; nine QB hits; one INT.          *young QB

Two New York quarterbacks against a common opponent in consecutive weeks:

• Week Six: Daniel Jones goes 15/31 for 161 yards; one touchdown; three INT; one sack.
• Week Seven: Sam Darnold is 11/32 for 86 yards; no touchdowns; four INT; one sack.

Now riddle me this  ... how is Sam Darnold's week seven performance against the Patriots any different than Luke Falk's week three performance at Foxboro?

• Week Three: Luke Falk goes 12/22 for 96 yards; no touchdowns; one INT.  The Patriots sacked him five times and inflicted another ten QB hits by accident.

SMASH MOUTH

• Tom Brady: 31/45 for 249 yards; one touchdown; one INT.
• Sony Michel: three rushing touchdowns.
• Patriots Offense: 38:27 time of possession!
• Patriots Defense: no points allowed; six turnovers!

Nuf ced ...