Jets Growing Tired of Sanchez?

Added on Dec 26, 2011 by Scott in

NFL

If you look at the numbers, Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez is having a career season. He’s only 25 yards away from setting a new high in passing yards. His 24 touchdown passes is only five fewer than the combined 29 he threw for in 2009 and 2010. His six rushing touchdowns matches the six he had entering 2011. His 56.2% completion percentage tops the previous two seasons. But with Sanchez, numbers don’t really tell the whole story.

The third-year signal caller has been responsible for numerous negative plays that have contributed to losses. His 15 interceptions are two more than he tossed in 2010. His eight lost fumbles doubles the total from the last two years. He’s taken 37 sacks. which is tied for second worst among all starting quarterbacks; only San Francisco’s Alex Smith has been sacked more (41).

Now, all the blame can’t be placed on Sanchez. The offensive line has been spotty all season, the running game inconsistent at best and the defense not nearly as dominating as in previous seasons. Most weeks, Sanchez has been asked to carry the offense with is arm. Needless to say, that’s not his forte.

He’s a game manager, not an elite passer. He lacks the size, accuracy and arm strength necessary to compete with the likes of Brady, Brees and Rodgers. If the running backs and defense don’t do their jobs, the Jets are not a contending team.

For all his postseason success, Sanchez has yet to win a game through the air. In his four playoff victories, the most yards he’s tallied is 194. In two defeats, he’s been over the 200-yard mark. He’s more Trent Dilfer and less Ben Roethlisberger.

The Jets knew this when they made him the fifth overall pick in the 2009 Draft. They knew he made only 16 starts in college. They knew he lacked the skills of other blue chip USC quarterbacks. So, they got exactly what they paid for.

Several scouts and draft pundits questioned Sanchez’s pedigree. He was graded well below 2009 first overall pick Matthew Stafford, and some failed to give him a first-round grade at all. Expecting him to magically transform into something he isn’t is the Jets fault, not his.

Sanchez is and will remain a marginal NFL quarterback. If all the cards fall right, he’s capable of leading a team to a Super Bowl. But if just one of those cards lands askew, the Jets, or whomever he’s under center for, will be sent packing.

Source: NFL.com