The New York Jets were facing an uphill battle on Monday evening, with starting quarterback Sam Darnold on the shelf while battling mononucleosis. To make things even more challenging for the Jets, the Cleveland Browns were on the other sideline, fresh off a disappointing and embarrassing Week 1 loss to the Tennessee Titans. That recipe inspired the good folks in Las Vegas to install the Jets as almost a touchdown underdog on their home field but, in short order, things went from bad to worse for New York.
Backup quarterback Trevor Siemian, getting the start in place of Darnold, suffered a brutal looking ankle injury that forced him to the locker room.
Oh man that is painful looking for Trevor Siemian. pic.twitter.com/6tm5IWZv6s
— Will Brinson (@WillBrinson) September 17, 2019
Though the former Northwestern standout was able to leave the field in hobbling fashion, Luke Falk was thrust into action at the quarterback position on one of the NFL’s biggest stages. Falk, a Washington State product selected with a sixth round pick in the 2018 draft, wasn’t even seriously in the mix for New York prior to this week, with the Jets following the lead of most franchises and carrying only two signal-callers on their full-time roster. Still, the Jets were prompted to promote Falk from the practice squad and, in a dire scenario, he found himself squaring off with Myles Garrett and company in his first live action as a professional quarterback.
At this early juncture, there is no firm update on Siemian’s prognosis but, with Darnold set to miss multiple weeks, the Luke Falk era begins in earnest.
