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Sam Darnold was cleared for contact on Tuesday morning, which means he'll be ready to start on Sunday afternoon against the Dallas Cowboys.

That's obviously a really big deal for the 22-year-old Darnold.

It's also a pretty big deal for a lot of other people on the Jets.

Because the return of the franchise quarterback means a return to normalcy for a franchise that has been stuck in park with a practice squad-level quarterback at the helm. It's not Luke Falk's fault. It's just the reality of life with the first two quarterbacks on the depth chart.

Everyone struggles. Everything changes. It's hard for things to go right.

So forget about the last three, Darnold-less weeks, and forget about Week 1 when Darnold was clearly already under the weather. This is the real start of the season for the Jets.

And that's a big deal for players and coaches like these...

Adam Gase

He was hired because of the Jets' belief that he is an offensive genius and the right guy to develop their franchise quarterback.

So far, his offense is the NFL's worst by far. That may be frustrating to some, but it's incredibly unfair to judge Gase for what he's done with Falk at the helm. His whole offense was built around Darnold -- the young, franchise quarterback he always dreamed of coaching. Falk wasn't capable of running it because he's not in Darnold's class.

Now we'll get to see how good and creative a play caller the Jets head coach really is.

Robby Anderson

Once thought to be little more than a deep threat, Gase seemed to believe he could be a versatile receiver. That's why he was so disappointed with Anderson's Week 1 performance (three catches, 23 yards).

Over the last two weeks with Falk starting, it's only gotten worse -- 3-for-11 and 1-for-16. With a capable quarterback at the helm, maybe that can change.

Quincy Enunwa is out for the season, so Anderson is the No. 2 guy now. That means he can't just run deep and uses his speed. He has to have a lot of variety in his routes.

Jamison Crowder

In his first and only game with Darnold, the new Jet had 14 catches for 99 yards, and it was easy to see how he could be a star in Gase's offense, which has historically featured the slot receiver.

Since then? Nothing. Eight catches for 75 yards in three games. Now that the offense is back to normal, Crowder should be a huge part of it again. And if Gase's history is any indication, Crowder's numbers could be huge.

The offensive line

It wasn't good that Darnold was sacked four times in the opener, but the line has gotten markedly worse since. The line has given up 19 sacks in the last three games, including a hideous 10 against the Eagles on Sunday.

Now, a lot of that has to do with Falk, who was incredibly indecisive and held onto the football far too long. That will change with Darnold. Plus, Darnold is mobile and can create outside of the pocket.

Just by his presence, the line will look a lot better than it has.

Le'Veon Bell

The Jets ran 55 plays against the Eagles. Bell either had the ball or was targeted on 24 of them. He's on pace for 284 carries and 392 total touches, which would be pretty close to his career high -- and an enormous workload for someone who missed all of last season.

If the passing game can get going, the Jets can take some of the workload off Bell's back and keep him fresh and healthy. Also, with a little more diversity in the offense, Bell could be more effective, too.

Ty Montgomery

He's become a completely forgotten man in the Jets offense with nine rushes and three catches. He was supposed to be a secret weapon and a nice change-of-pace for Bell. But with the offense completely stalled, there's been no way to work him in and no reason to rest Bell.

With Darnold, Gase can get creative again, and maybe he'll find a spot for Montgomery to fit in.

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