Sam Darnold keeps his spirits up during a down Jets season

Sam Darnold was glued to his television Monday night, watching two high-powered teams led by young quarterbacks put on an eye-popping offensive show on the field the Jets quarterback used to call home.

Seeing the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum rocking brought back memories for Darnold of when he played at USC.

Rams third-year quarterback Jared Goff and Chiefs second-year wonder Patrick Mahomes totaled 10 touchdown passes in a dizzying display that Darnold said was “amazing to watch.” But he has no doubt that those types of performances are in his future.

“For sure,” Darnold told Newsday. “Those guys are super-talented quarterbacks. They’ve worked really hard at their craft. That’s not to take away from them. But I definitely feel like I have the capabilities of doing that.”

When? That, of course, is the follow-up question, the one all Jets fans are dying to know. But it’s impossible to answer at this point.

The Jets don’t have the kind of skills players, linemen or aggressive offensive play-callers those teams have. Darnold, 21, would never say that, of course. He thinks the Jets — who have totaled 43 points in their last four games — have all the talent and tools to be a high-scoring offense.

“Every single time we go out there, that’s the goal — to score as many points as possible,” he said. “I’m just going to worry about doing my job and all that. With the talent and how hard we’ve worked during the weeks, it’s going to start to click.”

The reality is that general manager Mike Maccagnan has to draft, sign and acquire the type of talent and weapons that will make Darnold’s job easier. The Jets also need to hire some offensive-minded coaches and quarterback whisperers who can bring the best out of him and let him become the player everyone believes he can be.

That’s going to take time, too. Darnold has looked good at times, but he also has played like a rookie.  He’s thrown 11 touchdown passes and a league-high 14 interceptions in nine games. It’s probably too early to anoint him as a savior, but it’s also too soon to say he can’t be a franchise quarterback.

Goff threw five touchdown passes and seven interceptions his rookie season. Peyton Manning threw 26 touchdown passes and 28 picks as a rookie. Brett Favre threw a pick-6 on his first NFL pass, as did Darnold. This is part of his growth, but Darnold doesn’t like hearing that this season is all about his development.

“It’s more than just developing,” he said. “I’m developing as I’m trying to win games and be the best player I can be. I’m not focused on developing. That just kind of happens.”

A strained right foot will keep Darnold out of Sunday’s game against New England. Josh McCown will get his second consecutive start for the Jets’ stumbling offense.

The Patriots and 41-year-old quarterback Tom Brady still are on top in the AFC East, still the team the Jets are chasing. But the feeling inside the organization is that they’ve begun closing the gap because of Darnold and that Brady and Bill Belichick are nearing the end of their incredible run.

Watching his own team play has been difficult for Darnold. He hasn’t played or practiced in three weeks. His last game wasn’t one he likes talking about, as he threw four interceptions, didn’t lead a touchdown drive and hurt his foot in a 13-6 loss in Miami. But Darnold, who seems mature beyond his years, says he has grown from it and because of it.

“We’re going to go through adversity as humans whether it’s in life or whether it’s in our profession,” he said. “For me, it was throwing those picks and getting hurt and not being able to come back from that.

“I looked myself in the mirror and just said, ‘What are you going to do about it? Are you going to mope about it or are you going to come back to work and work really hard?’ That’s what I’ve done. I think that’s what our whole team is doing right now.”

Coaches and players throughout the NFL have noted that Darnold is big, strong, mobile and can make all the throws. But his attitude and approach are important traits if Darnold is going to become the quarterback the Jets have been searching for since Joe Namath.

He takes losing hard, but he doesn’t let it consume him. He just wants to get better, and he uses all his resources to achieve that.

When he gets the chance, Darnold talks to great quarterbacks of the past, and he always utilizes the sage in his quarterback room.

“The biggest compliment I can pay Sam is that he’s always asking questions to gain knowledge to help himself in the future,” McCown said. “I think that’s wise on his part as a young person to do that.”

Darnold may sound like a surfer dude from Southern California, but he’s not. He takes his job very seriously. He is determined to live up to the expectations he has for himself and the fans have for him.

He appreciates the passion Jets fans have and that they believe he can end the franchise’s Super Bowl drought (the Jets made their only appearance in the game nearly 50 years ago). Darnold wants to reward the faith they and the organization have in him.

“I love it,” he said. “Being a quarterback is amazing. There’s a lot of privileges that come with it, but there’s also a lot of responsibility. I look forward every single day to coming in here and working and putting in the time and energy to play my best football on Sundays.”

Winning at least one Super Bowl in a Jets uniform is what drives Darnold.

“For me, it’s championships,” he said. “Winning a Super Bowl, first and foremost, and then once that happens, to see if we can do it again and continuing from there. That’s the ultimate goal in any sport, to win the championship. There’s no other goal. Every other goal is secondary to that.”

When will the Jets win that championship? That, of course, is the follow-up question, and the answer to that is one all fans are dying to know. But the Jets appear to be in good hands with Darnold

“He’s going to keep growing,” offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates said. “This is his first year. The second year is always when guys are able to grow more because it is not new. He doesn’t have his head down. He’s continued in the classroom to learn, listen to Josh, listen to me, and he’s going to be a good football player.”

“I think he’s done an excellent job of just eliminating distractions and focusing on [football],” McCown said. “For his first year and for the years to come, I think that is a great standard that he set.”

By Al Iannazzone

al.iannazzone@newsday.comAl_Iannazzone

Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.