David Zalubowski/Associated Press

Move over Andrew Luck, Cam Newton and Dak Prescott, because Baker Mayfield is putting together a rookie season unlike any other. 

Mayfield’s doing something none of those previous quarterbacks were in a position to: lift up an entire franchise and city. 

Five-plus months ago, LeBron James left Cleveland. He accomplished his goal of bringing the city its first championship since the Lyndon B. Johnson administration. Even so, Cleveland has always been a football town. Its fans dream of the day when the Browns hoist a Lombardi Trophy for the first time. 

Those hopes have been dashed numerous times over the decades, especially during the team’s run in the 1980s when two of the most devastating losses in NFL history occurred in back-to-back years and became known as “The Drive” and “The Fumble.” 

The Browns faithful don’t want to be reminded of these moments yet regularly are. A Saturday night meeting on national television in Denver provided a deluge of painful memories. Those heartbreaks coupled with complete ineptitude since the franchise’s return to the league in 1999 surely had some questioning their faith. 

Mayfield has breathed life into the league doormat this year, though, and the 23-year-old quarterback didn’t allow ghosts of what-are-they-doing past to hamper a 17-16 victory at Broncos Stadium at Mile High—the Browns’ first win there since 1990. 

He may be a rookie, but he shouldn’t be viewed as one. The No. 1 overall pick has taken on so much more than trying to live up to the expectations that come with that status—and he’s already surpassed many of them. 

Does Mayfield suffer from inexplicable first-year moments? Definitely. 

Yet, his play has been on par with the league’s best since Freddie Kitchens became the team’s interim offensive coordinator following a Week 8 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers and firing of head coach Hue Jackson and previous coordinator Todd Haley. 

Kitchens’ ability to rework the scheme around his players’ talent—especially his quarterback’s—came to the forefront. But it’s more than that. Mayfield is blossoming into something special. 

He’s turning in an all-time great rookie campaign while giving Browns fans a taste of what it means to have a franchise quarterback. He elevates those around him. His teammates want to play alongside him. The team isn’t just getting better; it’s competing for something more than pride. 

At 6-7-1, the Browns have an outside shot to make the playoffs for the first time since January 2003. 

Saturday’s effort may have some scratching their heads. What’s so great about a performance that featured a 58.1 percent completion rate and 188 yards passing? How Mayfield adjusted and didn’t let the moment overwhelm him can’t be stressed enough. 

The opening drive went exactly as planned. Mayfield connected with Jarvis Landry for 19 yards on Cleveland’s first offensive snap. Three plays later, the rookie found Breshad Perriman for a 31-yard touchdown. 

Things went downhill from there. Mayfield finished the first half 7-of-18 passing for 105 yards, including an awful decision when the Browns had a chance to enter halftime with a lead. The young quarterback made a predetermined read and tried to thread a pass to Landry between a dropping linebacker and an over-the-top safety. The receiver didn’t create separation, and the defensive back, Dymonte Thomas, snagged the errant pass. 

As a whole, Mayfield wasn’t his normal, accurate self. Usually, he sprays laser beams all over the field. Whether he came into the game too amped up or didn’t initially adjust to the elevated conditions, he was off by a good margin. 

The second half was a different story, though. Mayfield didn’t post massive second-half numbers, as he did with 351 passing yards over the final two quarters against the Houston Texans two weeks earlier. However, he became far more efficient. This year’s No. 1 overall pick completed 11 of 13 passes for 83 yards and a second touchdown pass. 

Both scoring plays showed his ability to adjust even when opponents gave him trouble early in the process. Mayfield’s second touchdown was extremely impressive for multiple reasons prior to the throw. 

Based on pre-snap reads, the rookie rehuddled his group, changed the play at the line and realigned running back Duke Johnson before he fired a dart to wide receiver Antonio Callaway. He had complete control of the situation, which resulted in the game-winning score. 

This level of understanding with in-game adjustments doesn’t come easy, especially after being flustered most of the first half by an aggressive Broncos defense. 

None of it should come as a surprise, though. Mayfield has been expectational in multiple areas while being counted among the best in three specific categories. 

Quarterbacks are often judged by how they perform in the red zone when the field is constricted and plays happen more quickly. Anticipatory throws into tight windows are necessary. It’s almost impossible for Mayfield to get any better when his team crossed the opponent’s 20-yard line. Only the New Orleans Saints‘ Drew Brees holds a slight edge over Mayfield when working near the goal line: 

Mayfield has 16 red-zone touchdown passes and no interceptions, according to Cleveland Sports Talk’s Turner Maney. 

The five-time Rookie of the Week winner isn’t just a precision passer; he can unleash a bomb better than anyone in the business, per NFL Next Gen Stats: 

Mayfield had issues with the Broncos’ pressure packages, but he’s not afraid to stare down pressure and deliver the football. 

In fact, the Browns quarterback had been the NFL’s best against pressure over the previous five weeks. 

Red-zone efficiency, creating chunk plays in the passing game and not being rattled with defenders collapsing the pocket are three primary traits needed to be an elite quarterback. Mayfield is already there. 

He also continues to build his case as one of the best rookies in league history. His stats with two more games to be played compare favorably to the best the league has ever seen at his position. 

What Newton, Luck and Prescott didn’t do was offset a nearly two-decades-long streak of pathetic football. The Carolina Panthers were 8-8 before their 2010 nosedive to gain the 2011 No. 1 overall pick. The Colts had to endure one awful season after 14 Peyton Manning-led campaigns. Prescott was supposed to be Tony Romo’s backup until injuries ended his career. 

None of those quarterbacks had to turn around a franchise quite like the once-hapless Browns, whereas Mayfield is thriving in the role. 

“People love the Browns and have stuck with them through some bad years,” the rookie said during a pregame interview with the NFL Network’s Chris Rose (via 92.3 The Fan’s Daryl Ruiter). “I’m going to do whatever I can to turn that around. I don’t know what that feels like. I don’t know what they went through. And I don’t ever want to know what that feels like.” 

Mayfield isn’t just good for a rookie. He’s already a standout quarterback and doing more with less than those who preceded him.

Brent Sobleski covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @brentsobleski.

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Canelo Alvarez (51-1-2, 35 KOs) made it look easy in his first fight at super middleweight, sending England’s Rocky Fielding (27-2, 15 KOs) to the canvas four times en route to a third-round technical knockout Saturday night at Madison Square Garden. 

Alvarez didn’t shut the lights out, but Fielding had no choice but to power down after he took a beating. DAZN showed the winning moment:

Alvarez won Fielding’s WBA world title at 168 pounds. He looked no worse for wear, fighting just three months after winning his epic slugfest with Gennady Golovkin by majority decision. After the bout, he said he liked competing at his new weight, per NYFights.com’s Michael Woods:

It was Fielding’s second career loss, with the other coming by TKO against Callum Smith in 2015. The matchup was Alvarez’s first as part of his 11-fight megadeal with sports streaming service DAZN, which is the richest contract in sports history. He looked like he deserved every dollar. 

Alvarez was locked in from the start. He cuts a much smaller figure than Fielding, but he had no trouble with getting in range to attack. His punch accuracy was incredible, forcing Fielding to the ropes multiple times in the first round. A picture-perfect left hook to the body without about a minute remaining in the first frame dropped the Englishman to one knee. 

Sporting News’ Andreas Hale felt Alvarez wasn’t wasting any time:

It was more of the same in the second round. Fielding tried to smother Alvarez’s attack by using his size and length advantage, but the Mexican superstar was too quick and too crafty. Another thumping left hook to the side put Fielding down again—this time without about 30 seconds left in the frame. 

Ring TV’s Ryan Songalia didn’t think it would last much longer: 

The third round ended the carnage. Cuts opened over Fielding’s face, and his torso was deep red because of the onslaught. He had no strategy or skill to get away from Alvarez’s relentless attack. The referee had to wave it off after the round’s second knockdown—a result of yet another devastating power punch to Fielding’s ravaged left side.

Clearly, Fielding was no match for Alvarez. The latter needs a much better challenge for his next performance. Hale offered one possibility based on the night’s proceedings: 

Daniel Jacobs is one of the sport’s toughest fighters. He gave Golovkin all he could handle in March 2017 and would represent an excellent next test for one of the most gifted, popular boxers in the world.      

Seventh WoodsGrant Halverson/Getty Images

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Seventh Woods scored a career-high 14 points and was solely responsible for a big run at the end of the first half of No. 12 North Carolina’s 103-90 win over No. 4 Gonzaga on Saturday.

More than five years after being heralded as the next big thing in basketball, there’s only one word to describe this moment for Woods: finally.

Woods exploded onto the scene as a freshman in high school, mercilessly dunking on people at age 14. In terms of internet fame, Woods was Zion Williamson before anyone had even heard that name. His YouTube mixtape has more than 15 million views.

However, he was such a non-factor in his first two seasons at North Carolina that if you Google “Seventh Woods” and scroll down to the related searches, the top result returned is “What happened to Seventh Woods?”

Stuck behind both Joel Berry II and Nate Britt on the depth chart, Woods averaged just 1.5 points per game as a freshman. During an injury-plagued sophomore year, his scoring averaged dipped to 1.1.

With Berry out of the picture, this was supposed to be his year to shine. Instead, Roy Williams has been starting freshman Coby White since day one, relegating Seventh to the seventh man in the rotation.

But we always knew he was capable of performances like these.

So did he.

And this may have just been the beginning of a resurgence story for the ages.

“I’ve still got a lot more to show,” said Woods after the win. “Tonight, I had 14 points. I’m still not satisfied with that. I’m a great player. I’m just trying to show it.”

“I can play at the highest level and compete,” he added. “I can be what this team needs me to be.”

Seventh WoodsLeon Halip/Getty Images

Woods scored the final eight points of the first half for the Tar Heels. At intermission, he was 5-of-5 from the field and already had a career-high 11 points. (He ended up with six made field goals, doubling his previous personal best. Woods also made two three-pointers, after connecting on just three in his first 67 games.)

Not only did he score the last eight points before the half, but he also looked fluid and confident, creating each bucket off the dribble without an assist. The first was a jumper from just inside the three-point arc. The next two were acrobatic finishes near the rim. And on the last one, he grabbed a defensive rebound, brought it up the court and waited until a few seconds remained before he knifed into the lane for a floater that found its mark.

It’s poetic that he dominated for those two minutes and 35 seconds, since that’s the length of the mixtape that made him so popular in the first place.

“That was so big going into halftime,” said senior guard Kenny Williams. “It got us the momentum going into halftime. Sev went on a little run. We got our lead back up to 14, and that was all him.”

Though we haven’t seen the highlight-reel dunks of yesteryear, Woods has already proved plenty capable of doing all the other things the team needs from its secondary point guard. He came into the game averaging an outrageous 11.2 assists per 40 minutes, as well as 3.2 steals per 40—both of which are easily the highest marks among the 10 regulars.

But at 3.6 points per game (8.8 per 40), he wasn’t forcing opponents to respect his scoring ability.

That should change in a big way after he flashed his potential as a legitimate two-way combo guard against the Zags.

“I know I can score the ball,” said Woods. “I just need the opportunities to do it. I went into the game confident.”

Woods was only one piece of the puzzle Saturday. Cam Johnson was unconscious from three-point range, finishing with a game-high 25 points. Luke Maye did his usual double-double thing, racking up 20 points and 16 rebounds. Garrison Brooks had a strong nine points and nine rebounds in spite of foul trouble. And though White didn’t have the most efficient game of his career, he had 15 points, six assists and an unofficial count of eight broken ankles on crossovers and jab steps.

When Woods fits into the mix like this, though, North Carolina feels like the team to beat this season.

Seventh WoodsPaul Sancya/Associated Press

I know. I know. Michigan mashed UNC a few weeks ago, and the Heels lost to Texas not long before that. They entered this game ranked outside the Top 10 for a reason, and there’s no point in making any grandiose proclamations about their championship potential until they’ve played some of those ACC games against the likes of Duke and Virginia.

And yet, we’ve already spent a good chunk of this season wondering why Nassir Little—one of the top recruits in the 2018 class and a virtual lock to become a 2019 lottery pick—is coming off the bench instead of starting. Add to that sixth-man debate another reserve who’s tapping into his potential as a former viral sensation, and you’ve got one heck of a team capable of making Gonzaga look lost in a marquee game.

Woods still isn’t a starter. He might never be the superstar we were promised more than five years ago. But he has settled nicely into a key role on an excellent team.

If he keeps thriving, the ceiling is the roof.

Advanced stats courtesy of KenPom.com or Sports Reference.

Kerry Miller covers men’s college basketball and college football for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter: @kerrancejames.

Steven Ryan/Getty Images

Antonio Brown spends more time on national television than any other elite receiver in the NFL. Odell Beckham Jr. plays in America’s largest media market. Julio Jones is almost unarguably the best player on his team. 

According to the NFLPA, all three of those star wide receivers ranked in the top 25 in leaguewide jersey sales this past offseason.

Also in the top 40: NFL receptions leader Adam Thielen, Alshon Jeffery of the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, Julian Edelman of the super-high-profile New England Patriots and Stefon Diggs of Minnesota Miracle fame.

Not listed in the top 50: DeAndre Hopkins. 

The 26-year-old Houston Texans wideout doesn’t get as much national attention as guys like Brown and Beckham, and he doesn’t have the top Q rating on a team that also contains future Hall of Fame defender J.J. Watt and sensational sophomore quarterback Deshaun Watson. 

But in a national spotlight and in Beckham’s massive media market Saturday, Hopkins reminded the football world he belongs in every debate regarding top NFL receivers—right there with Brown, Beckham, Jones, Thielen, Michael Thomas and Tyreek Hill. 

The sixth-year Clemson product has performed well all season, but he was special in Saturday’s 29-22 road victory over the New York Jets, saving a team that may have overlooked a weak opponent with 10 catches on 11 targets, a season-high 170 yards and two marvelous touchdowns. 

Mark Brown/Getty Images

It was Hopkins’ league-leading third 150-yard performance of 2018, and it came on a day his teammates didn’t have their A-game.

Watson took six sacks, Texans running backs combined for 21 yards on 13 carries following the early loss of Lamar Miller to an ankle injury, and the defense often made Sam Darnold look like Joe Namath in a game the Jets were leading before Hopkins put Houston ahead with a clutch touchdown with 2:15 remaining. 

He helped account for 59 percent of Houston’s offense and scored the team’s only two touchdowns.

It was an important reminder that the man has performed at a Hall of Fame-caliber pace in an awesome, underappreciated career. 

Hopkins leads the AFC in receiving yardage, and he’s above 10 touchdowns for the third time in the last four years. He’s caught a league-high 24 touchdown passes since the start of his 2017 first-team All-Pro campaign. And he ranks second in that category, behind Brown, dating back to 2015, despite the fact that the Texans have lacked stability at quarterback for the majority of that stretch. 

And it’s only not that he scores; it’s the way he scores. Fifteen of his 39 touchdowns since 2015 have come on 25-plus-yard passing plays, including this ball-tracking beauty in the second quarter Saturday: 

It’s also how he scores. Or how he catches the ball. As analyst Nate Burleson noted during NFL Network’s game broadcast, “50/50 balls” are “80/20 balls” for Hopkins, who’s made a career out of receptions like these: 

And it’s when he scores. Sixteen of his 39 touchdowns since 2015 have come in the fourth quarter, while eight have come on third down. 

Hopkins is an accumulator, too. He now has four 1,200-yard seasons, three double-digit-touchdown seasons and will almost certainly catch six more passes to secure his second career 100-reception campaign. And he doesn’t turn 27 until June. 

His peers see it—they voted Hopkins as the NFL’s third-best receiver and 13th-best all-around player in the offseason. And the media sees it—he is, after all, a reigning All-Pro. 

And now, as Watson gives the Texans the strong quarterback play they were often missing during the first half-decade of Hopkins’ career—not to mention the big-game spotlight they often didn’t receive from the networks—fans look as though they’re more broadly willing to give the 2013 first-round pick his due (just check out some of the feedback here). 

The is the first time Hopkins has been part of a team with double-digit wins. And with a steady quarterback, his reception rate has skyrocketed from 56.2 percent between 2013 and 2017 to 69.6 percent in 2018. 

Hopkins is the league’s most underrated receiver. But the way he and the Texans are playing, it might not be long before we can remove the word “underrated” from that title. 

Brad Gagnon has covered the NFL for Bleacher Report since 2012.   

Jesse D. Garrabrant/Getty Images

LeBron James and Lonzo Ball each had triple-doubles to help the Los Angeles Lakers earned a 128-100 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday.

James did most of his damage in the first half at the Spectrum Center while finishing with 24 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists. Ball followed suit with 16 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists to go with his five steals as the teammates reached rare territory.

The Lakers (18-11) bounced back from their disappointing loss to the Houston Rockets on Thursday and have now won seven of their last nine games.

Kemba Walker finished with just four points as the Hornets fell to 14-15 on the season.

Aggressive Pace Will Pay Off for Lakers as Chemistry Improves

The Lakers got off to a slow start this season, and some were calling for head coach Luke Walton to be fired after the 2-5 start. However, the system he brought from the Golden State Warriors wasn’t working because the players weren’t jelling.

Although this team still has a long way to go, they looked like the Warriors at times Saturday night.

Los Angeles was looking to attack every time it got the ball, leading to some fun fast breaks:

James also had his biggest dunk of the night after catching his opponent sleeping:

JaVale McGee was also rewarded for running the floor, putting together one of his best efforts of the season with 19 points on 9-of-10 shooting.

The Lakers haven’t been afraid to push the tempo this season, entering the game ranking fifth in the NBA in average pace, per Basketball Reference. However, this has only led to the 16th best offensive in adjusted rating.

Still, this performance showed that the game plan will work if the team sticks with it.

Los Angeles looked comfortable running up and down the court, and more importantly, the team passed the ball extremely well with 34 assists on 49 field goals. These numbers and the overall production will continue to improve as the players get more comfortable with each other on the court.

Chemistry was always expected to be a problem early with the addition of James as well as numerous other veterans to the rotation, but the Lakers look to have hit a turning point and could be very dangerous going forward.

Hornets Lack Depth to Handle Kemba Walker’s Shooting Slump

Few players in the NBA are as important to their teams as Walker.

This hasn’t been a problem when things are going well for the guard, who is coming off two straight All-Star selections. He also entered the day averaging 25.6 points per game, which would be a career high, to keep the Hornets in the Eastern Conference playoff hunt.

However, he hasn’t been nearly as impressive over the past few weeks.

The 28-year-old shot just 34.3 percent from the field in his first six games of December, failing to reach 50 percent in any game. These problems continued Saturday, as Walker finished with just four points on 2-of-13 shooting.

He was minus-28 on the court in 25 minutes of what was arguably one of the worst games of his career.

While you won’t expect Walker to be this bad every night, his struggles show how punchless the Hornets are without a big effort from their star player.

Jeremy Lamb, Malik Monk and Miles Bridges are all capable of having a big night, but there isn’t enough offensive talent to pick up the slack when needed. This isn’t a good sign for the Hornets going forward as they hope to remain above .500.

Walker better wake up soon and get back to carrying this team, or Charlotte must find some outside additions to improve the team’s scoring depth.

What’s Next?

The Lakers continue their four-game road trip Sunday with a matchup against the Washington Wizards, who snagged Trevor Ariza in a trade Saturday before Los Angeles could find a deal, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

The Hornets will take on the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday.

Steven Ryan/Getty Images

The Houston Texans inched closer to clinching a playoff spot Saturday night with a 29-22 win over the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

After New York took the lead with five minutes, nine seconds remaining in regulation, quarterback Deshaun Watson and wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins hooked up from 14 yards out for their second touchdown connection of the day with 2:15 left to give Houston the win:

Houston improved to 10-4 and can clinch the AFC South if both the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans lose on Sunday.

The Texans were inconsistent offensively, but Watson and Hopkins did the bulk of the damage, especially in the first half.

Watson went 22-of-28 for 294 yards with two touchdowns and 26 rushing yards, while Hopkins caught 10 passes for 170 yards and two scores. The Jets made life difficult for Watson in the second half and kept him under constant pressure, though, finishing with six sacks.

Although New York fell short, rookie quarterback Sam Darnold looked good again, as he completed 24 of his 38 attempts for 253 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 35 yards.

The Jets fell to 4-10, which means the focus is shifting toward the players they will target early in the first round of the 2019 NFL draft.

New York was without a pair of key offensive contributors Saturday in leading rusher Isaiah Crowell (toe) and leading pass-catcher Quincy Enunwa (ankle).

Despite that, the Jets outgained the Texans 318-286 and won the time-of-possession battle 35:04 to 24:45.

Meanwhile, the Texans lost starting running back Lamar Miller to an ankle injury on their first series.

Houston scored on each of its first four opening-half possessions, but it had to settle for field goals on three of those occasions. The touchdown was pretty, though, as Watson and Hopkins connected on a 45-yard bomb to help make it 13-3:

After Houston extended the lead to 16-3, Darnold led the Jets on an impressive drive late in the second quarter. He orchestrated a nine-play, 83-yard drive that culminated in a five-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Robby Anderson after Darnold escaped the pass rush:

Kicker Jason Myers missed the extra point after the touchdown with 30 seconds left in the half, but New York still seized the momentum and trailed by just seven.

New York continued to outplay Houston early in the third, and it drew closer when Darnold hit wideout Andre Roberts for a 13-yard touchdown:

Myers missed another extra point, though, which allowed the Texans to cling to a one-point lead.

The Texans pushed the margin to four with another field goal early in the fourth quarter, but the Jets seized their first lead of the game seven minutes later.

To conclude a 15-play, 73-yard drive that took 7:33 off the clock, the Jets offensive line pushed running back Elijah McGuire into the end zone from two yards out:

Things looked bleak for Houston, given its lack of offensive success in the second half, but Watson took over and marched the Texans down the field on a 75-yard drive that took less than three minutes.

The 14-yard touchdown pass to Hopkins with 2:15 left put Houston back on top, and the Texans defense then stopped Darnold twice to preserve the win.

Texans Secondary Must Improve for Houston to Become AFC Playoff Contenders

The Texans seemingly have everything needed to be a threat in the AFC come playoff time, but their pass defense has left plenty to be desired in recent weeks.

Houston entered Saturday’s game ranked a pedestrian 24th against the pass, and Darnold looked like a seasoned veteran at times in picking apart the Texans secondary.

His performance came after Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield threw for 397 yards against Houston two weeks ago and Colts quarterback Andrew Luck threw for 399 yards against the Texans last week.

Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle noted the Texans won’t make a deep playoff run if something doesn’t change:

Houston has a talented front seven that includes J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney, but against mobile quarterbacks such as Darnold, Luck and Mayfield, the pass rush hasn’t been consistent. That’s left the secondary in precarious situations, and the Houston defensive backs have not been up to the challenge.

John McClain of the Houston Chronicle pointed out that Saturday’s performance was especially disconcerting, since Darnold was missing some key players from his already suspect supporting cast:

The Jets are among the NFL’s worst teams, and the Texans’ the level of competition will be significantly higher come playoff time.

Jason Bristol of KHOU wondered what some of the AFC’s elite quarterbacks might do against Houston:

In addition to a quality front seven, the Texans have a talented offense headed by a do-everything quarterback in Watson and one of the NFL’s top receivers in Hopkins. They also have a decent running game when Miller is healthy, although it was barely present without him Saturday.

The offense struggled to finish drives, and if the Texans make the playoffs, the offense won’t be able to settle for field goals given how much the secondary may struggle.

Saturday’s game may have been a wake-up call for the Texans in some respects, since their struggles against the Jets made it clear they aren’t on the same level as the Los Angeles Chargers, Kansas City Chiefs and New England Patriots.

Jets Have Winning Foundation With Improving Darnold Under Center

This season has been a struggle for the Jets, and it may result in the dismissal of head coach Todd Bowles, but there is cause for optimism among fans.

The biggest reason for that is Darnold’s continued growth despite the fact that New York’s front office has put little talent around him.

Connor Hughes of The Athletic alluded to the lack of help Darnold tends to receive:

Even though the former USC standout was playing with a makeshift group of running backs and wide receivers, he was a handful for the Texans defense and kept the chains moving with his arm and legs throughout the game.

ESPN’s Damien Woody and Dan Orlovsky marveled at Darnold’s ability to will the Jets to positive plays:

That was apparent multiple times, including on this third-down conversion as New York attempted a fourth-quarter comeback:

Watson is considered one of the NFL’s best dual-threat quarterbacks, but Darnold outperformed him at his own game.

Houston’s recent defensive struggles could be partly to blame for Darnold’s strong showing, but he deserves credit as well.

NFL Network’s Rich Eisen noted Darnold’s multifaceted skill set put the Texans in difficult situations:

Darnold has often looked like a rookie this season, and he’s made his share of mistakes, with 15 interceptions in 10 games entering Saturday’s contest.

The No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft is a playmaker with a ton of confidence, though, and he only figures to get better once New York’s roster receives a face-lift.

What’s Next?

The Texans will face the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles on the road next week in a game Houston may need to win to clinch the division.

New York will have a tough test at home when it hosts quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers.