Jets' Sam Darnold: Another step forward in loss

Darnold completed eight of 16 passes for 86 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions in the Jets' 22-16 preseason loss to the Giants on Friday. He also rushed twice for 13 yards.

The rookie played the entire first half, leading the offense to touchdowns on a pair of drives. Darnold capped off a five-play, 47-yard march in the second quarter with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Terrelle Pryor, which served as the highlight of his night. Although the offense finished the first half on an extremely sluggish note (seven plays, minus-two yards and a fumble over last four possessions), Darnold still likely made enough of an impression with his work earlier in the contest to stay firmly under consideration for the Week 1 starting gig. Teddy Bridgewater turned in a solid second half in his own right, so the battle between the two quarterbacks will apparently come down to next Thursday's preseason finale against the Eagles. Meanwhile, veteran Josh McCown, who hasn't seen action since the preseason opener, could also still factor into the equation.