DETROIT -- It's natural for a rookie to have some butterflies at the start of his first-ever NFL game.
It's just that of them don't fail so spectacularly, so fast and on such a big stage right out of the gate.
To Sam Darnold's credit, though, that failure only lasted for one play. Then, after lobbing a terrible pick-six on the game's opening snap, he settled in to lead the Jets in a 48-17 win over the Lions at Ford Field.
And also to his credit, Darnold admitted to "licking my chops" a bit too much on that opening play.