Sam Darnold once thought he’d be wearing an orange helmet

just a few shades brighter than his hair color.But the former USC star wasn’t precisely what the Browns were looking for in a franchise quarterback in the NFL draft. Darnold checked most of the boxes Kevin Zeitler Jersey , but not all of them and Cleveland passed on him with the No. 1 overall pick, selecting Baker Mayfield instead.On Thursday night, Darnold can show the Browns they made a mistake.Another one.The youngest quarterback to start a season opener since 1970, Darnold will perform on a national TV stage for the second time already as a pro when he leads the New York Jets into FirstEnergy Stadium to face the Browns, who have played well enough to win their first two games but are still searching for their first victory since Dec. 24, 2016.Heading into April’s draft, Darnold was considered the top of the deep 2018 QB class and it appeared he would wind up in Cleveland, where quarterbacks have come and gone like restaurant busboys over the past two decades.“Yeah, I thought I could’ve ended up there or several other teams,” Darnold said this week. “I was excited to go anywhere. “Whoever wanted me, whoever wanted to pick me as a top pick, to me it was a dream come true right when it happened.”After the Browns nabbed Mayfield and the Giants grabbed running back Saquon Barkley, the Jets took Darnold and have been more than satisfied by his early development.He rebounded from throwing an interception that was returned for a TD on his first pass attempt in the opener and led the Jets to a 31-point win Joel Bitonio Color Rush Jersey , and last week the 21-year-old became the youngest QB to pass for 300 yards.Darnold insists he’s not seeking any revenge or trying to prove anything to the Browns.“No,” he said. “I’m just going to go out there and play ball.”The Jets and Browns are on divergent paths with their rookie quarterbacks. New York has chosen to start Darnold, while Cleveland is holding Mayfield out to watch and learn behind Tyrod Taylor.It’s not a race and the Browns feel no need to rush their plan.“We feel very comfortable with the guy that we selected in Baker, and I’m sure they do with him,” coach Hue Jackson said. “He’s a fine prospect and is going to be a fine player. I think they got a good one, but we feel we have a really good one, too.”After facing Ben Roethlisberger and Drew Brees 鈥?two future Hall of Famers 鈥?in Weeks 1 and 2, the Browns aren’t looking at Darnold as any break.“I don’t think that any game in the NFL is a breather,” said linebacker Joe Schobert.“He’s got a big arm. He’s doing good things as their quarterback. The hardest thing to do is come into the NFL and play quarterback and be successful. And he’s so far shown himself to be pretty poised and good at it.”PRESSURE PACKEDThe Browns are down and desperate. They need a win, and after stubbing their toes twice already, need to beat the Jets. A 1-1-1 record seems light years from 0-2-1.“Our team is excited, hungry, disappointed https://www.brownsfanshop.com/Terrance-Mitchell-Jersey , anxious 鈥?all of those words you want to use,” said Jackson, who is 1-32-1 in two seasons. “We just need to get it done.”BACK ‘HOME”The Dawg Pound will be a homecoming of sorts for several current Jets, who are former Browns.Running back Isaiah Crowell played the past four years in Cleveland. Wide receiver Terrelle Pryor spent two seasons with the Browns, including a breakout campaign in 2016 when the former quarterback had 1,007 yards. His QB for parts of those seasons was Josh McCown, now Darnold’s backup and mentor.Cornerback Buster Skrine played in Cleveland from 2011-14. Jets coach Todd Bowles, too, has Cleveland connections as an assistant under Butch Davis from 2001-04.ALIVE & KICKINGGreg Joseph was on the beach hanging out with friends last weekend, “you know, just living the South Florida life.” Things changed quickly.The rookie is now in the spotlight 鈥?or crosshairs 鈥?as Cleveland’s new kicker. Joseph signed this week after the Browns cut Zane Gonzalez for missing two field goals and two extra points last week.Joseph, who spent the preseason with Miami, is excited about the opportunity.“My film’s out there. My stats are out there Jarvis Landry Jersey ,” he said. “I learned a lot about me, the athlete I am and the competitor I am. I’m ready to bring it here.”Q IS THE ANSWERDarnold’s favorite target through two games has been wide receiver Quincy Enunwa, who has a team-leading 13 catches for 155 yards and a touchdown. Enunwa has been targeted 21 times, more than Pryor (11), Robby Anderson (six) and Jermaine Kearse (two) combined.SACK RACEThe Jets got their first four sacks of the season last Sunday against Miami, the most since getting to Taylor seven times when he played with Buffalo in Week 9 last season.“The whole unit, we definitely picked it up last week,” defensive end Leonard Williams said. “We didn’t have any sacks in the first week, even though they got the ball out pretty quickly. At the same time, I don’t want to make excuses. We definitely picked it up last week and I hope we continue to make strides on that.”___ The Cleveland Browns offensive line struggled to find its footing in the first half of the season. But as the season progressed and a few changes were made - replacing Desmond Harrison with Greg Robinson and left tackle, replacing running back Carlos Hyde with Nick Chubb, and turning the play calling over to offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens - the unit started to shine. Things were so good, especially along the interior of the line Genard Avery Color Rush Jersey , that the Browns ended the season with the second-best offensive line in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus:According to the site:The bedrock of the line came on the inside, as guards Kevin Zeitler and Joel Bitonio were the top two pass-blocking guards in the league and center J.C. Tretter was third among centers in pass blocking, as the Browns gave up just five sacks over the final eight games of the season: Bitonio’s work did not go unnoticed elsewhere, as he was named to the Associated Press’ All-Pro second team on Friday. The honor is a credit to not only Bitonio’s play on Sundays, but his work during the week, head coach Gregg Williams told clevelandbrowns.com:All in all, not a bad season from a unit that former head coach Hue Jackson claimed the Browns did not invest in during his time with the franchise.