The Carolina Panthers took down the New York Jets in their 2021 season opener on Sunday, and quarterback Sam Darnold was certainly pleased with the result.
Darnold was traded by the Jets to the Panthers last April, which was why the showdown was pretty special for him. The 24-year-old quarterback admitted as much after the contest, noting that facing his former team “was a little different” for him.
“I'm not gonna lie: seeing them on the other side, that was a little different for me,” Darnold shared. “But other than that, once you threw that away and you look at the scheme and our offense versus their defense, you kind of forget about it in the middle of the game and while you're playing. We tried to execute to the best of our ability, and that was it.”
Sam Darnold was crucial for the Panthers as they beat the Jets , 19-14. The third-year signal-caller completed 24 of his 35 passes for 279 yards and one touchdown–the highlight of which was his 57-yard TD pass to fellow ex-Jets player Robby Anderson. He also took full advantage of running Christian McCaffrey, who made nine receptions for 89 yards on top of his 21 carries for 98 yards.
It was the start the Panthers were looking for, as they now won their first season opener since 2018. For Darnold, it was undoubtedly a massive boost of confidence after the Jets opted to let him go and chose a rookie QB in the process.
"I'm not going to lie, seeing them on the other side was a little different for me" – Sam Darnold pic.twitter.com/YS3IP9EaHy
— Jets Videos (@snyjets) September 12, 2021
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