So far, so good for Sam Darnold.

The third overall pick from this year’s draft had a successful debut in the New York Jets’ 17-9 victory over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1 of preseason on Friday to strengthen his case for the starting spot.

Seeing the majority of the snaps in the contest after Josh McCown and Teddy Bridgewater handled the early work, Darnold completed 13-of-18 passes for 96 yards and a touchdown.

The 5.3 yards per attempt hardly jump off the page, but the numbers don’t tell the whole story of Darnold’s performance.

His throws weren’t adventurous as he often opted to check down or take the short throw in what appeared to be a concerted effort to avoid turnovers and keep the chains moving.

“I thought I played pretty good. I put the ball where it needed to be,” Darnold said. “I took care of the football, which was my main priority tonight.”

Where Darnold really impressed was with his poise, awareness and ability to throw on the run.

On several plays, the Falcons’ pass rush came close to reaching him, only for Darnold to avoid it. That’s exactly what happened on his touchdown throw when he stepped up in the pocket to negate the edge rush and fired a 14-yard pass to Charles Johnson on the run.

He also had a couple bootlegs on play-action that flashed his mobility, including a third-and-11 conversion in the fourth quarter in which he threw across his body.

Even though Darnold was facing Atlanta’s back-ups after coming on in the second quarter, the outing at least gives head coach Todd Bowles something to think about.

One game, however, is unlikely to vault Darnold past McCown and Bridgewater on the depth chart, especially with how they fared in the preseason opener. McCown only played one series – a clear indicator he’s entrenched as the starter – while Bridgewater looked sharp in his Jets debut, completing 7-of-8 passes for 85 yards and a touchdown.

“We’ll see how the preseason goes,” Bowles said. “I’ll make my decision when it happens. I’m not going to jump to any conclusions after one game. It’s a tough decision. We’ve got three good players.”

For the Jets, playing it safe with an experienced hand like McCown may not make much sense, especially while competing against New England in the AFC East. McCown’s floor is higher than Darnold’s, but the rookie’s upside and ceiling isn’t as defined as the veteran’s.

Bridgewater, meanwhile, is also an interesting option as a reclamation project after an ACL tear suffered in 2016 derailed his career in Minnesota. The 25-year-old may be the odd man in the middle between McCown and Darnold, but also holds intrigue as a bit of an unknown.

The Jets aren’t expected to be competitive this season, so it’s possible all three get a chance at some point in the regular season. But for once, New York don’t appear to have a massive hole at the most important position.