Sam Darnold got the scoring started on Thursday Night Football with a mad dash through the Denver defense.
The Jets offense has been miserable so far this season, managing just 37 points through their first three games. Their problems are plentiful, from the limited weapons on hand for quarterback Sam Darnold to work with to Darnold's troubling tendency to turn the ball over.
In New York's opening possession on Thursday night against the Broncos, Darnold simplified things, turning a busted pass blocking assignment into a 46-yard touchdown scramble to give the Jets an early lead.
Darnold somehow avoided Broncos linebacker Alexander Johnson, who came free on a blitz, then juked safety Justin Simmons near the line of scrimmage before sprinting through the rest of the Denver defense. The play was Darnold's fourth career rushing touchdown, and the longest rush of his career.
The play provided an early spark for a game that lacked luster coming in—both teams enter 0-3, while Denver is being forced to turn to its third-string quarterback in Brett Rypien. Darnold's dash unsurprisingly drew praise on Twitter, including from reigning Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes and LeBron James:
On the Jets' next series, Darnold took a hard hit and was slammed to the ground, landing on his right shoulder. He briefly exited the game and was replaced by Joe Flacco but returned soon after and appeared no worse for wear.