Sanchez has to Handle the heat for Jets Offense

[Kentucky Jet]

Mark Sanchez Has to Handle the Heat for Jets' Offense

8/27/2010 11:15 PM ET By Dan Graziano

http://www.blogcdn.com/nfl.fanhouse....a50f2133e6.jpg

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- It's easy to worry about Mark Sanchez. For all of the bluster and hype and offseason influx of talent, these Jets are still very much about their 23-year-old quarterback. Their Super Bowl dreams are still very tightly tied to the ability of young Sanchez, in just his second pro season, to play as if he's a seasoned veteran. And the pressures he confronts are unique and massive. He's playing in New York. His team has the highest aspirations. He's being asked to mature much more quickly than quarterbacks should, and to do it under the hottest of spotlights.

Friday night, for example, was just a preseason game. Preseason NFL games are among the most meaningless exhibitions in all of sport. They tell us almost nothing about a team's prospects. The Lions, two years ago, went 4-0 in the preseason and 0-16 in the regular season. And yet, because this is football and it means SO MUCH, everybody forgets and starts scrambling for meaning. For reasons to panic. After the game -- an ugly 16-11 "loss" to the Redskins -- a reporter told Sanchez that his fourth-quarter touchdown pass to Dustin Keller was the first touchdown the Jets' first-team offense had scored in the preseason.

"Okay," Sanchez replied.

Yeah, it's easy to worry about Mark Sanchez ... until you hear him talk.

"He never blinks," said Jets running back LaDanian Tomlinson, who was New York's offensive star of the night with 86 rushing yards on 11 carries. "He's always going forward. He's not worried about what's said or what's just happened. He's cool and calm on the sideline and in the huddle, and he's a guy who can handle success and also handle when things don't go well."

Those are the qualities on which the Jets are counting. They know Sanchez can make all the throws. But he -- and to a large extent their season -- will rise and fall on his ability to handle things. And that means everything -- the excitement of a hot streak, the disappointment of a bad interception, the intensity of the scrutiny his every move will receive ... everything. As closely as the Jets are watching him on the field, they're also watching him in the locker room, after the game, when he stands in front of the cameras in his perfectly tailored suit and doesn't sweat.

"It's fine," he said, without blinking, when asked if he minded all the questions after a preseason game. "We're not playing the way we should and we have work to do. It would be worse if we were throwing for four touchdowns and then came out flat (in Week 1) against Baltimore."http://www.blogcdn.com/nfl.fanhouse....fh1sanchez.jpg

He has a veteran's perspective. He says the right things. He handles the pressures of the public nature of his job exactly the way they need him to handle them.

"It doesn't surprise me," Tomlinson said. "I think when you play at a program like USC, you're used to handling pressure and performing at a high level. He's got great parents who taught him right. He's got the background he needs to succeed."

On the field? Well, Sanchez remains an NFL work in progress. He's had a couple of bad interceptions this preseason, and he knows it can't continue like that into the regular season. He knows the biggest part of his job between the lines is to avoid turnovers.

"We can't have 'em," Sanchez said. "Whether it's preseason, regular season, playoffs, whatever. We can't have them, and I've got to take ownership of it."

That message is coming from above him, too. The kid gloves are off this year. No more color-coded wristbands. The Jets will still be a run-first team, but they're going to ask more of Sanchez than they did when he was a rookie. And when he messes up, they're going to let him know about it. The red-zone interception he threw Friday night was not glossed over.

"You have to realize that there are times to take chances and times not to," Jets coach Rex Ryan said. "The way we play defense, kick the field goal. The way Nick (Folk) kicks off, the offense is going to have to drive 80 yards on us. We don't need to force passes."

http://www.blogcdn.com/nfl.fanhouse....1282968491.jpgSanchez knows that, of course. But it's no longer good enough for him to look at each game and each mistake as merely a learning experience. Even though they all are still learning experiences, he's now tasked with the difficult trick of learning and winning at the same time. Which is why it bears mentioning how he recovered from the early troubles to lead that second-half touchdown drive.

"He's not going to be perfect by any stretch," Ryan said. "It was a mistake, a costly mistake as it took points off our board and basically got them out of a hole. But he did respond and I think he did a great job responding in the second half, and that's what was important to me out of this game."

Right. It's not as if he can't make mistakes. It's just that the making of the inevitable mistake is another thing he has to handle. There are a lot of those, and Sanchez's ability to handle them all is still -- for all the talk about the defense and Darrelle Revis and the offensive line and whether Shonn Greene can handle the load -- as important a factor as any in determining how far these Jets go.

[Bruce Banner]

"He never blinks," said Jets running back LaDanian Tomlinson, who was New York's offensive star of the night with 86 rushing yards on 11 carries. "He's always going forward. He's not worried about what's said or what's just happened. He's cool and calm on the sideline and in the huddle, and he's a guy who can handle success and also handle when things don't go well."

I'm sick of hearing people give Sanchez compliments for things other than playing football well. If you can't say the guy plays football well then don't say anything about him at all. I'm sick hearing how he works hard, knows the playbook, meets with WRs in the offseason, his dad is a fireman, he's dating a has been skank, he's confident, he reminds people of some guy who was good, etc.. The time for that is past. If people can't compliment him for his play its cuz he sucks.

[Apache 51]

I'm sick of hearing people give Sanchez compliments for things other than playing football well. If you can't say the guy plays football well then don't say anything about him at all. I'm sick hearing how he works hard, knows the playbook, meets with WRs in the offseason, his dad is a fireman, he's dating a has been skank, he's confident, he reminds people of some guy who was good, etc.. The time for that is past. If people can't compliment him for his play its cuz he sucks.

Those are some of the intangibles that make up a good QB, Bill.

[Ghost]

The rookis is scared.

[Larz]

Those are some of the intangibles that make up a good QB, Bill.

99.9% of the football universe sees i that way except for a few extremists who got caught up in an innerwebz fight over pennington a few years back. to them intangibles is a bad thing

it's really weird

[Apache 51]

99.9% of the football universe sees i that way except for a few extremists who got caught up in an innerwebz fight over pennington a few years back. to them intangibles is a bad thing

it's really weird

Sanchez has almost everything you need to have, it's going to take time for it to come together. The only thing that concerns me is I think he might be too nice.

[Larz]

Sanchez has almost everything you need to have, it's going to take time for it to come together. The only thing that concerns me is I think he might be too nice.

agreed. I'd love a SB this year, but what is more important is to build around the kid long term. the revis thing will get worked out, the lock out will get worked out, and we'll still have a young QB with great feet, and a good arm and a good mind who can lead his team. he is still young, and as we saw on hard knocks immature to an extent.

when he gets to his 4th year of starting, he will only be 26 years old.

the kid might have a 6 year run after that if we surround him with enough talent and keep him upright

I've been waiting for that 6 year span since 1981. I can wait a little while longer

[Apache 51]

agreed. I'd love a SB this year, but what is more important is to build around the kid long term. the revis thing will get worked out, the lock out will get worked out, and we'll still have a young QB with great feet, and a good arm and a good mind who can lead his team. he is still young, and as we saw on hard knocks immature to an extent.

when he gets to his 4th year of starting, he will only be 26 years old.

the kid might have a 6 year run after that if we surround him with enough talent and keep him upright

I've been waiting for that 6 year span since 1981. I can wait a little while longer

LOL

[Bruce Banner]

If Sanchez has qualities which make him a great QB then the argument can be made by examining his play. But all the comments he gets are about things other than playing football. He invited the WRs to "cali" to practice. BFD. With Sanchez its always about something amazing he did other than playing football. I'm sick of it.

[Larz]

If Sanchez has qualities which make him a great QB then the argument can be made by examining his play. But all the comments he gets are about things other than playing football. He invited the WRs to "cali" to practice. BFD. With Sanchez its always about something amazing he did other than playing football. I'm sick of it.

you would rather hear that he reminds people of browning nagle ? ryan leaf ?

[NIGHT STALKER]

you would rather hear that he reminds people of browning nagle ? ryan leaf ?

That may be right around the corner...

[Apache 51]

If Sanchez has qualities which make him a great QB then the argument can be made by examining his play. But all the comments he gets are about things other than playing football. He invited the WRs to "cali" to practice. BFD. With Sanchez its always about something amazing he did other than playing football. I'm sick of it.

Dude he had 16 college starts, and now one NFL season, he is 23. It is going to take time, I don't know what you don't understand.

[NIGHT STALKER]

Dude he had 16 college starts, and now one NFL season, he is 23. It is going to take time, I don't know what you don't understand.

See, here's exactly what I don't like. The excuses as to why he looks like sh*t are beginning to surface. I hope the kid turns it around before the season starts, but ole Rexy didn't fit it into the equation (college starts, age, etc.,) when he proclaimed we're winning the SB this year.

[Apache 51]

See, here's exactly what I don't like. The excuses as to why he looks like sh*t are beginning to surface. I hope the kid turns it around before the season starts, but ole Rexy didn't fit it into the equation (college starts, age, etc.,) when he proclaimed we're winning the SB this year.

Did he actually say we were going to win the SB no ifs, ands, or buts, about it? Or did he say winning the SB is our goal, basically each and every year?

[73andMe]

You're right Apache. Most fans misinterpret the Ryan mission. You've got a handle on it!

[NIGHT STALKER]

Did he actually say we were going to win the SB no ifs, ands, or buts, about it? Or did he say winning the SB is our goal, basically each and every year?

Well, I guess it's all about how you interpret what he said. The writer of this article says this year and that's what a lot of people (fans, media, etc.) take it as.

http://www.nesn.com/2010/08/rex-ryan-uses-his-crystal-ball-to-predict-jets-super-bowl-win-this-season.html

[Larz]

Well, I guess it's all about how you interpret what he said. The writer of this article says this year and that's what a lot of people (fans, media, etc.) take it as.

http://www.nesn.com/...his-season.html

the media has been waiting to pin a guarantee on rex since his very first presser. I didn't take it as a guarantee or a promise or a contract or a deal or a proclaimation, just reiterating his statements that every year the goal will be to win it

so guess what

if they don't win this year, he's still gonna say it's the goal for next year

[SenorGato]

I'm sick of hearing people give Sanchez compliments for things other than playing football well. If you can't say the guy plays football well then don't say anything about him at all. I'm sick hearing how he works hard, knows the playbook, meets with WRs in the offseason, his dad is a fireman, he's dating a has been skank, he's confident, he reminds people of some guy who was good, etc.. The time for that is past. If people can't compliment him for his play its cuz he sucks.

I agree with this guy. His whole aura/reputation thing is all based on the idea that he can one day be a really good QB for a big sports team in a big town. Until then it's all bullsh*t paving the road for a hero to one day walk upon.

[stoicsentry]

I agree with this guy. His whole aura/reputation thing is all based on the idea that he can one day be a really good QB for a big sports team in a big town. Until then it's all bullsh*t paving the road for a hero to one day walk upon.

Sam Bradford... Matthew Stafford... Jimmy Clausen... all the same thing. It's not like he's Brady Quinn or JaMarcus Russell or something.

While he deserves no exaltation (if that's what you mean, I agree), it is unreasonable to have expected him to be good right away. That's very rare for quarterbacks, let alone with his limited college experience.

[Jared]

The real question for Sanchez is whether he can cut down on some of the more egregious mistakes. That is what I want to see from a QB in his sophomore year.

Think of Tom Brady: In his second year (2001, when he took over for Bledsoe) the main thing that was asked of him was to limit mistakes. With a few rare exceptions (Peyton Manning, Carson Palmer), young QBs aren't expected to come in and sling the football down the field. In fact, in most cases if you encouraged this behavior you'd actually retard their development.

Year 1: Get used to the speed of the game, learn the play book.

Year 2: Minimize the glaring errors that were bound to be occurring Year 1.

Year 3: Now you start to try to win games yourself.

For now, just hope Sanchez isn't making some atrocious decisions.

[#27TheDominator]

Did he actually say we were going to win the SB no ifs, ands, or buts, about it? Or did he say winning the SB is our goal, basically each and every year?

He signed that truck "Soon to win the Super Bowl." Maybe he didn't say this year, but he said soon.

[Kentucky Jet]

The real question for Sanchez is whether he can cut down on some of the more egregious mistakes. That is what I want to see from a QB in his sophomore year.

Think of Tom Brady: In his second year (2001, when he took over for Bledsoe) the main thing that was asked of him was to limit mistakes. With a few rare exceptions (Peyton Manning, Carson Palmer), young QBs aren't expected to come in and sling the football down the field. In fact, in most cases if you encouraged this behavior you'd actually retard their development.

Year 1: Get used to the speed of the game, learn the play book.

Year 2: Minimize the glaring errors that were bound to be occurring Year 1.

Year 3: Now you start to try to win games yourself.

For now, just hope Sanchez isn't making some atrocious decisions.

I agree with what you wrote. To it I would add that a second year QB must show signs of learning from his mistakes. Sanchez has a hard time doing that. He never looked off D'angelo Hall when he threw the int right to him in the end zone. he loked on Keller and Hall jumped the route even though the pass was crisp with some mustard on it. When will sanchez learn to look off receivers? That was a rookie short-coming and he in no longer a rookie.

[Apache 51]

Well, I guess it's all about how you interpret what he said. The writer of this article says this year and that's what a lot of people (fans, media, etc.) take it as.

http://www.nesn.com/...his-season.html

Either way, If the HC doesn't believe that, he might as well stay home. When you have to sell PSL's it doesn't hurt to make some noise, he will quiet down a little now. Woody is happy Rex woke up the Tri-state.

[Apache 51]

He signed that truck "Soon to win the Super Bowl." Maybe he didn't say this year, but he said soon.

Thanks for reinforcing the point, I will talk to you sometime soon.

[PatsFanTX]

Sanchez has almost everything you need to have, it's going to take time for it to come together. The only thing that concerns me is I think he might be too nice.

Brady and Roethlisberger won Super Bowls in their 2nd year with far less talented teams than what the Jets have now.

[Larz]

Brady and Roethlisberger won Super Bowls in their 2nd year with far less talented teams than what the Jets have now.

I see what you did there

slap the QB while pretending to compliment the rest of the team

the force is strong with this one

[Sperm Edwards]

Brady and Roethlisberger won Super Bowls in their 2nd year with far less talented teams than what the Jets have now.

Who let you out of timeout, friend?

Sanchez will start performing well as soon as the Jets finally get him some decent receiving talent. Typical Jets trotting out scrub receivers at both WR and TE and expecting anything from the QB.

[GodWearsAGrayHoodie]

Think of Tom Brady: In his second year (2001, when he took over for Bledsoe) the main thing that was asked of him was to limit mistakes.

That is STILL his number one goal. And it should be for every QB.

Brady has stated in interview that his focus is not how many TDs he can throw but how few ints. He consider int % a more important stat than TD %. He takes more pride in breaking the record for highest completion percentage in a game than he does in breaking the record for most TDs in a season.

I don't consider it a bad thing for a QB to throw a lot of checkdown passes, and feel Pennington and others are often unfairly criticized. It is almost always better to throw a short 5 yard pass that has a 95% chance of being caught and almost no chance at getting ints than throw a bomb 30 yard down field into double converage that is 50/50 at being a completion and has a 15% chance of being Int. I said almost always --- there are game situations where you need to take more risks.

Sanchez needs to throw lots of short quick passes coupled with a running the ball grinding out 3.5 yards per down, instead of trying to get 25 yards all at once.

[GodWearsAGrayHoodie]

Sanchez will start performing well as soon as the Jets finally get him some decent receiving talent. Typical Jets trotting out scrub receivers at both WR and TE and expecting anything from the QB.

I could have sworn I saw threads on this site proclaiming that Holmes and Edwards are the greatest WR combo in the NFL.

While I don't share that view, the Jets receiving corp is not scrub receivers either. Sanchez's problem is poor decision making.

[PatsFanTX]

I see what you did there

slap the QB while pretending to compliment the rest of the team

the force is strong with this one

You're reading way too much into my post.

[Sperm Edwards]

I could have sworn I saw threads on this site proclaiming that Holmes and Edwards are the greatest WR combo in the NFL.

While I don't share that view, the Jets receiving corp is not scrub receivers either. Sanchez's problem is poor decision making.

Man, I hope this post is a joke.

I think everyone who read it got my post. Except you.

[PatsFanTX]

Man, I hope this post is a joke.

I think everyone who read it got my post. Except you.

Gotta love Spermy's deep dark sarcasm.

Anyway, here's what I see (and I watched all 3 games) so far this year regarding Sanchez. And remember, it is still preseason.

He's still making the same mistakes as he did last year.

1) He is still locking onto his receivers. Pefect example was his first throw to LT that was picked. QB's are taught in high school that when you throw the quick slant, your first step back you look to the opposite side of the field that you are throwing to. Sanchez looked directly at LT allowing the ILB to move over creating double coverage. If he first looks the other way, the ILB would have moved that way creating a seam to throw in.

2) He is still throwing into double coverage. That pick againstthe Skins never should have been thrown, especially with the Jets inside the red zone.

3) He is not stepping up into the pocket. When he is feeling pressure, his first step is either to the right or left. He is stepping directly into the pass rush and not up into the pocket being formed by the OLine.

These are techique and decision making issues and easily corrected.

are

No need for Jets fans to get in the panic mode regarding Sanchez.

[4HCrew]

Sanchez has all of the makings to be a good qb it is just going to take time. Unfortunately we as Jets fans are tired of waiting for a championship, let alone a franchise quarterback. The Jets are built to win now except at the qb position.

[Jetsfan80]

I don't consider it a bad thing for a QB to throw a lot of checkdown passes, and feel Pennington and others are often unfairly criticized. It is almost always better to throw a short 5 yard pass that has a 95% chance of being caught and almost no chance at getting ints than throw a bomb 30 yard down field into double converage that is 50/50 at being a completion and has a 15% chance of being Int. I said almost always --- there are game situations where you need to take more risks.

Not to get yet another conversation on Pennington going, but you need to understand that Jets fans didn't mind the checkdown passes either. What we DID mind was the fact that Chad had ZERO threat of throwing a quality deep ball within his arsenal. Both Brady AND Sanchez can make all the throws. Pennington could not. Therefore, teams could jump on the short routes. Defenses can't really afford to do that with Brady or Sanchez.

So of course I'd like to see Sanchez make some more safe throws. Problem is, I don't think Schottenheimer and Sanchez are on the same page. Its taken until THIS YEAR for Sanchez to realize that not every throw needs to go downfield. Maybe thats because he didn't have a guy like LT our of the backfield who could be a safety net for him, but it concerns me that he's only NOW learning how to make the safer throws.

[GodWearsAGrayHoodie]

Not to get yet another conversation on Pennington going, but you need to understand that Jets fans didn't mind the checkdown passes either. What we DID mind was the fact that Chad had ZERO threat of throwing a quality deep ball within his arsenal. Both Brady AND Sanchez can make all the throws. Pennington could not. Therefore, teams could jump on the short routes. Defenses can't really afford to do that with Brady or Sanchez.

So of course I'd like to see Sanchez make some more safe throws. Problem is, I don't think Schottenheimer and Sanchez are on the same page. Its taken until THIS YEAR for Sanchez to realize that not every throw needs to go downfield. Maybe thats because he didn't have a guy like LT our of the backfield who could be a safety net for him, but it concerns me that he's only NOW learning how to make the safer throws.

Yeah, lets not get into another Penny discussion.

But getting back to Sanchez. I disagree with you that Sanchez can make "all the passes." He has the arm strength. But there are passes that Brady (or Brees, or Manning) can make that Sanchez absolutely can not make. Such as 25 yards down field putting the ball in a spot that a double covered WR can catch the ball, but the neither the CB or safety can get to it. Sanchez's problem is he attempts the pass anyway.

Is LT an every down back? Sanchez needs a Wes Welker.