FLORHAM PARK, N.J. – Bill Parcells had this timeless quote to describe NFL rookies who struggled the way Sam Darnold did during a three-game stretch midway through the season.
“He’s like a ball in tall grass – lost,” Parcells would say about a player in Darnold’s situation.
It’s the perfect description for where Darnold was at. After a mostly promising first six games, when the No. 3 overall pick seemed to pick up more self-assurance as the season progressed, he hit a wall over the next three games. In consecutive losses to the Vikings, Bears and Dolphins, Darnold completed just 47.