How close was Sam Darnold to playing?
Close, but not really that close, because Josh McCown knew toward the end of the week that he would be the starter. Darnold seemingly was held out for precautionary reasons because of the strained right foot he suffered Nov. 4 in Miami. The rookie quarterback was limited in practice all week, but he could return next week against Buffalo.
“He could have played,” Todd Bowles said. “He just needed more reps. You just can’t bring him back after 14 or 17 days. Even if he’s healthy, to not have timing and everything else and put him out there today in a game like this.