Sam Darnold enjoyed one of his finest moments as a rookie last year in Buffalo. The second-year quarterback is looking forward to a raucous atmosphere Sunday at New Era Field in the Jets’ season finale.
“It’s tough. Buffalo fans are crazy, in the best way,” Darnold said after practice Thursday. “They get it rocking in there.”
Josh Allen and the Bills (10-5) are playoff bound, but Darnold bested his fellow 2018 first-round quarterback on the road Dec. 9 of last season. Darnold led two fourth-quarter scoring drives, including the go-ahead touchdown with 1:17 remaining, for a 27-23 Jets win.
Still, the Jets flushed a 16-point lead at home in a 17-16 loss to Buffalo in Week 1 this season. Darnold recorded 175 passing yards and one touchdown before missing the next three games with mononucleosis.
“I think our offense has come a long way since then. I feel like I’ve come a long way,” Darnold said. “Just as a whole, we’ve gotten better. We’ve learned from our mistakes that we’ve made. That’s what it’s about, it’s about continuing to get better.
“Obviously, there’s a lot we need to continue to improve every single week. And this game is just another step, I think, in the right direction towards improvement.”
Offensive linemen Tom Compton (calf) and Alex Lewis (ankle), wide receiver Demaryius Thomas (hamstring/knee) and running back Kenneth Dixon (illness) did not practice.
Wide receiver Robby Anderson was limited in practice with calf soreness, but Adam Gase said the Jets are “just trying to be smart with that and just trying to make sure that he feels good going into Sunday.”
Safety Jamal Adams (ankle), defensive linemen Henry Anderson (knee/shoulder) and Steve McLendon (knee/hip), left tackle Kelvin Beachum (back/ankle) and cornerback Brian Poole (ankle) also were limited in practice.


