Darnold shines in debut, beats Lions

Associated Press

DETROIT

Sam Darnold made a stellar debut despite throwing a pick-6 on his first NFL pass and the New York Jets intercepted five passes while routing the Detroit Lions 48-17 in their season opener Monday night.

Darnold shook off the rough start by completing 16 of 21 passes for 198 yards and two touchdowns. He helped the Jets set a franchise record for points on the road, surpassing the 47 points they scored in 1967 against the Boston Patriots, and outplayed 30-year-old Matthew Stafford.

Stafford threw four interceptions — one shy of his career high. Stafford was 27 of 46 for 286 yards and a TD pass to Golden Tate early in the third quarter to tie it at 17.