Darnold: New Jets offense 'going to do a lot of cool stuff'

New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold may not have enjoyed much individual or team success in his rookie campaign, but he's excited about the direction of the offense under new head coach Adam Gase.

"We have the potential to make a huge step," Darnold said on ESPN's "The Michael Kay Show," according to Newsday's Al Iannazzone. "We have a ton of really good pieces. We had a lot of the same guys who made a really big impact for us last year. We’re ready to do bigger and better things this year. I’m just really, really pumped and really excited for what’s to come.

"The offense is fun and unique. We’re going to do a lot of cool stuff and a lot of stuff that Jets fans haven’t seen in a while. I’m really pumped about that. I know we’re going to score points and I know our defense is going to do their job with (defensive coordinator) Gregg (Williams) over there controlling everything."

The 4-12 Jets struggled offensively last season, ranking 29th in yards per game (299.2) and 23rd in points scored per contest (20.8).

Gase was brought in to boost the offense and expedite the development of the franchise's young starter. Before serving as Miami Dolphins head coach, Gase was the Denver Broncos' offensive coordinator when Peyton Manning threw a record-setting 55 passing touchdowns in 2013.

Darnold threw for 2865 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions in his rookie season. He'll hope to improve significantly in 2019 and will have some new weapons to work with, most notably, Le'Veon Bell, Ty Montgomery, and Jamison Crowder.

Much has been made of Bell's absence at voluntary workouts, but Darnold doesn't think it should concern Jets fans.

"He’s got his process and what he’s been doing the last few years," Darnold said. "It’s been working for him. We’ve been talking, though. I know he’s studying the playbook as much as he can. I know he’s been training a ton, posting all over his Instagram. It’s been really fun to be able watch that and how hard he’s working. The football aspect in terms of learning the offense, he’s doing a good job of that so far."