No Preseason Games in this COVID-19 Offseason Could Affect the New York Jets Passing Offense
Without preseason games of any kind, New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold is going to have to get a feel for his receivers in non-game situations. It certainly isn’t ideal for a rebuilt offensive line and several new wide receivers to be able to get on the same page without the benefit of preseason games.
Consider the first time Denzel Mims can catch a Sam Darnold pass could well be Week 1 at the Buffalo Bills, given that the rookie wide receiver has a hamstring injury. Until then, it’s up to Darnold to find out just how good this rookie can be.
“He's a very big dude, a big receiver, very fast as well and explosive,” Darnold told reporters in a virtual conference call last week. “He can get in and out of cuts. Whenever you have a big dude who can get in and out of cuts and he's fast like that, it's rare. He's really just gotta make sure that he's, taking it one day at a time.
Mims has an above-average combination of size and speed. At the NFL Combine in January, he demonstrated a 38.5 vertical jump, making him an ideal target in the Red Zone. He also ran the 40-yard dash in 4.38 seconds.
Last Wednesday, the Jets worked out with helmets for the first time, part of the gradual ramp-up process the NFL put in place.
Darnold has had his favorite targets during both his first and second seasons. Last year, he and wideout Jamison Crowder connected for 833 yards and six touchdowns. Two years ago, tight end Chris Herndon connected with Darnold for 39 receptions for 502 yards and four touchdowns.
This year, the rookie from Baylor could become a go-to receiver. He had an impressive senior season, amassing 66 catches, 1,020 receiving yards, 15.5 yards per catch and 12 receiving TDs in 14 starts. Transitioning to the NFL will be a big challenge that Darnold thinks Mims is up to.
The two did work out together in the offseason at a get-together hosted by Darnold.
“I'm sure he's visualizing going out there on Sundays and making a huge play for us, which is great,” Darnold said. “At the same time, you gotta make sure that every now and then you get them to focus on, making sure that each route is his crisp and he's running every single route and focusing every single day to the best of his ability.”
Jets head coach Adam Gase has similar confidence in Mims but threw caution when he was asked by reporters about his readiness.
“It’s always tough for rookies, especially at that position,” Gase said last week. “It's a lot of moving parts and especially not having spring (OTAs and mini-camp). Just recently we're getting on the field. It's just a lot on the guy's plate. I think the more that we've repped it, the better he's getting.”
Darnold said that Mims benefitted from meeting him and other Jets teammates in the aforementioned informal workout in Florida.
“Just to spend time with each other and hang out,” Darnold said. “Running routes and then getting the timing down, that was huge.”
