Even in the euphoric afterglow of the 48-17 win over the Lions six nights earlier in his NFL debut, being 1-0 and owning the city and basking in the heightened anticipation of his first home opener as a pro, Sam Darnold knew there were going to be days like this.
He just hoped it might take a little longer before he had one.
Make no mistake: Dolphins 20, Jets 12 in Sunday’s home opener at MetLife Stadium was not all on Darnold.
The rookie quarterback did, however, play a prominent role in what became the latest in a series of maddening chapters of the Jets’ failure to handle prosperity — particularly under the watch of current head coach Todd Bowles.