Luke Falk never handed the ball off to Le’Veon Bell before last Monday night’s game. Not once in practice. Falk usually was playing with the Jets’ third-team offense.
Things sure have changed quickly and dramatically for Falk and the Jets.
Falk will make his first NFL start Sunday against the Patriots. He’ll lead a heavily undermanned team into Foxborough and try to beat the Super Bowl champs, outsling Tom Brady and withstand everything Bill Belichick throws at him.
Falk was drafted in the sixth round by the Titans in 2018 – pick No. 199, just as Brady, his idol, was 18 years earlier. After Tennessee cut Falk, Miami signed him and he spent last season with Adam Gase on the Dolphins’ practice squad.
Falk was on the Jets’ scout team until Sam Darnold was diagnosed with mono last week. He was elevated to the No. 2 quarterback and made his NFL debut after Trevor Siemian suffered a season-ending ankle injury Monday against Cleveland.
Gase was impressed with how Falk handled himself. He went 20 for 25 for 198 yards, led a drive that resulted in a field goal (the only points for the Jets) and got the team into the red zone twice.
Now, it’s the Patriots.
“He’s going to make it challenging. He knows that it’s a young guy’s first start in their stadium,” Gase said. “You’re talking about a coach that’s basically one of the innovators of defensive football.”
PATRIOTS: Fullback Jakob Johnson was added to the 53-man roster from the practice squad. The 6-foot-3, 255-pounder from Germany played in college at Tennessee. He was released from the Patriots on the final cut-down on August 31.
BROWNS: Linebacker Christian Kirksey was placed on injured reserve with a chest injury suffered against Jets.
One of the team captains, Kirskey will miss at least eight games and may need surgery.
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