EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.—Sam Darnold was facing a third down, with 8 yards to go, near midfield on his opening drive Friday night against the Giants. As the play clock was winding down, the rookie quarterback was gesturing to his teammates, changing the play before the ball was snapped.
“I saw some ‘backers mugged in the ‘A’ gaps,” Darnold explained, “and thought that one of them wasn’t going to be able to get out to the tight end.”
He was right. Darnold’s audible instructed Neal Sterling, the fourth-year tight end, to change his route to run an out into the flat.