On Sam Darnold's future, scouts and analysts see past the picks

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- In the ever-growing world of analytics, where statistics are treated as gospel, Sam Darnold's first eight games were only slightly better than those of the New York Jets' previous rookie starter, Geno Smith. Numbers can be powerful, but they have a blind spot. Sometimes they can't see potential greatness.

Let's go back to last Sunday in Chicago. In the fourth quarter, Darnold threw a slant route to Deontay Burnett. It went in the books as a 13-yard completion and a first down, resulting in a fractional bump in his passer rating, Total QBR and countless other statistical categories. In reality, the play was so impressive that it resonated for days at One Jets Drive. He…