Good article in the NY Times about Sanchez

[Bonhomme Richard]

Dead on, IMO:

Sanchez Can’t Lift These Jets
By GREG BISHOP
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.

The next-to-last pass Mark Sanchez threw late Monday night hit his tight end in the hands, bounced into the air and settled in the arms of a defender. Sanchez supporters — and yes, they do exist, if only in ever-decreasing numbers — were quick to point out that this particular interception, his 57th in 52 regular-season games, was not his fault.

They were right.

But it said something, about Sanchez and the Jets, that it seemed safe to expect a turnover there, that an interception seemed as likely, or more likely, than any of the alternatives. It seemed less a matter of if, and more a matter of how.

Through three complete seasons and roughly a third of a fourth, Sanchez has proved that he can win games, even playoff games, with the right kind of team around him.

This is not that team.

This team is without its best defensive player, Darrelle Revis, and its best offensive playmaker, Santonio Holmes. This team needs new receivers, new running backs and a new right tackle — and that is only on offense.

This team threw every wrinkle at the Houston Texans on Monday night, except for putting Sanchez at cornerback. The Jets converted a fake punt. They returned a kickoff for a touchdown. They played a cornerback at wide receiver. Three players took direct snaps. This was gimmicky football, and at times it worked and confused the Texans.

Other times it confused the Jets.

Sanchez did not play poorly, although he did not play well. There were times he overthrew receivers, times he held the ball too long, times he looked skittish and confused. That is Sanchez, has been Sanchez, will be Sanchez unless the cast around him is improved.

Afterward, teammates rushed to his defense in ways they did not rush to the football. They said that Sanchez gave them a chance to win against the Texans, a team ranked among the N.F.L.’s best through the first quarter of the season. They noted his 230 passing yards. His scoring strike to Jeff Cumberland, he of the dropped second-to-last pass.

“It was a great effort,” Joe McKnight said.

He, too, was right. If you believe in moral victories.

Sanchez’s supporters have relied on the same argument for the past two seasons in regard to his credibility: that the Jets reached back-to-back A.F.C. championship games in his first two years as quarterback. They ignore important points. Those were better teams. More complete teams. Less injured teams. Sanchez was expected less to win games and more not to lose them. The Jets often won despite Sanchez, not because of him.

These Jets, the 2012 version, need Sanchez to carry them, as both injuries and losses mount. He has never proven equipped to do so.

The front office has not helped him. Behind Holmes, who limped through the locker room Monday night on crutches, the Jets are model thin at wide receiver. Their offensive line, which lost another irreplaceable piece in Nick Mangold for a stretch Monday, often fails to give Sanchez adequate time to throw.

The way Monday night unfolded, the Jets’ best receiver was Jeremy Kerley, a fifth-round draft pick better suited for a complementary role. Their best tight end was Cumberland, who caught the touchdown but dropped the crucial pass. Their best playmaker was McKnight, the third-string running back who scored on the kick return.

Think Tom Brady would win with those guys? Think Aaron Rodgers would?

“We’re not worried what anybody else thinks,” Sanchez insisted afterward, although he sounded more like an engineer vouching for those really nice deck chairs on the Titanic. “I know we have great personnel; we really do.”

That is your 2012 Jets team slogan: We’re really trying!

Those are your 2012 Jets: 2-2 entering Monday night and still heavy underdogs at home, so in need of offense that unemployed castoffs like Terrell Owens clamor on social media to be signed, so in need of positive vibes that Mark Gastineau used his halftime ring of honor induction speech to chastise the fans for booing.

At the center of this mess is Sanchez. So much of what went wrong Monday night had nothing to do with him: the running backs who averaged three yards per carry; the line that sent him scampering about; the coaching staff that substituted Tim Tebow in and out.

Tebow, the popular backup quarterback, who overshadows the man he would replace, made his greatest impact yet for the Jets against the Texans. The cries for him to replace Sanchez will only grow louder and last longer.

That is the deal the Jets made when they traded for Tebow in the off-season. To some, the Jets simply upgraded at backup quarterback, but they failed to factor in the unintended consequences: its effect on Sanchez, all his shuttling in and out, the rhythm lost, the constant job threat.

Tebow and Sanchez said the right things again Monday. They wanted to help the team. They wished they could change a play or two. They would get this figured out. Still, the specter of Tebow and how he fits into this season and how he might perform compared with Sanchez lingered afterward, same as always, same as forever, unless the Jets hand Tebow their talent-bereft roster, at which point there is no turning back.

“He played better than his numbers indicate,” Coach Rex Ryan said of Sanchez.

He was also right. Still, those numbers set a low bar. For the fourth consecutive game, Sanchez completed fewer than half his passes. For the third straight game, he threw an interception. For another game, the crowd booed him and chanted for his backup. This is what the Jets have created.

The Texans, meanwhile, reinforced two popular notions Monday night. The Jets are not a championship team as constructed. And Sanchez is not a championship quarterback.

With this roster, thin and now absent a host of injured players, there is no such thing as a championship quarterback.

In 2012, that is where the Jets have landed. It is not Sanchez’s fault. And he is not the solution.

So how do they measure progress? A “good loss” on a Monday night?

Dead. On.

[simijet]

Originally Posted by Bonhomme Richard

Dead on, IMO:



Dead. On.

So, what's the solution?

If Drew Stanton (and not Tim Tebow) were the backup - would the coaching staff be thinking of making a change?

[jeT.MAC]

Sanchez had alittle heat on that last pass to JC but Cumberland should hav had that. Sanchez played decent, not great, just ok!!! Lots of FB left..

[Bonhomme Richard]

Originally Posted by simijet

So, what's the solution?

If Drew Stanton (and not Tim Tebow) were the backup - would the coaching staff be thinking of making a change?

I think the only solution is to can Tanenbaum, Rex, some of the old mouthy vets (Bart, etc) and start from scratch.

[simijet]

Originally Posted by Bonhomme Richard

I think the only solution is to can Tanenbaum, Rex, some of the old mouthy vets (Bart, etc) and start from scratch.

Absolutely

[jetstream23]

Originally Posted by Bonhomme Richard

Dead on, IMO:



Dead. On.

+1

Some people here want to start Tebow. Okay....if you want to throw less and run more, maybe increase the time of possession, but not change the outcome of any games.

Some people want to see McElroy get a shot. Sure....if you want to give him a David Carr kinda start to his career and subject him to shell shock.

You could put Joe Montana in at Quarterback and you might...might get 9 wins this year from the Jets. They are completely undermanned.

[Bonhomme Richard]

Originally Posted by simijet

Absolutely

I also don't think we should draft a QB. These shouts for Geno! are foolhardy, at best. So many of these stud college QBs don't work out in the NFL, and in this current state we've proved we're not equipped to properly develop raw talent. We need to trade for a starter.

[frostlich]

I figured you more for a WSJ kind of guy.

[Untouchable]

Originally Posted by jetstream23

+1

Some people here want to start Tebow. Okay....if you want to throw less and run more, maybe increase the time of possession, but not change the outcome of any games.

Some people want to see McElroy get a shot. Sure....if you want to give him a David Carr kinda start to his career and subject him to shell shock.

You could put Joe Montana in at Quarterback and you might...might get 9 wins this year from the Jets. They are completely undermanned.

A lot of us want to start Tebow simply to turn the page on the Mark Sanchez era. It's not because I think Tebow will come in and light it up. Our franchise QB isn't even on the roster right now.

Sanchez, Tebow, McElroy...none of these guys are the future.

Start Tebow for the rest of the year and draft a QB in April.

[jetstream23]

Originally Posted by Untouchable

A lot of us want to start Tebow simply to turn the page on the Mark Sanchez era. It's not because I think Tebow will come in and light it up. Our franchise QB isn't even on the roster right now.

Sanchez, Tebow, McElroy...none of these guys are the future.

Start Tebow for the rest of the year and draft a QB in April.

Understood. I think the Jets are committed to Sanchez in 2013 though. I don't see them taking a QB unless they end up with a Top 15 pick (which they might) and true franchise QB is within reach. I'm guessing they look to replace Sanchez for 2014...and not with Tebow or McElroy.

[Bonhomme Richard]

Originally Posted by Untouchable

Start Tebow for the rest of the year and draft a QB in April.

See my post above. Drafting a QB is inviting disaster yet again.

[Untouchable]

Originally Posted by Bonhomme Richard

See my post above. Drafting a QB is inviting disaster yet again.

I understand where you're coming from, but what veteran QB could we realistically bring in that would be a big step up from Sanchez?

[Mainejet]

Originally Posted by Bonhomme Richard

I think the only solution is to can Tanenbaum, Rex, some of the old mouthy vets (Bart, etc) and start from scratch.

BS How quickly we frget this team has a foundation to build a championship team by. When we were knocking on the SB door, we all looked at Revis, Harris, Mangold, and Ferguson as the foundation of a championship team. Now you just want to blow it up?

That doesn't make any sense. That would make the necessary rebuilding phase much longer than it needs to be. All this team really needs is to be retooled. They need a FA period like in 2008. Add a RT, RB, FB, WR and then we'll be just fine.

I also do not support firing Rex. Rex is the best thing that has happened to this organization in a very long time. He made the team relevant again, if only for a short while.

Fire Tanny. That's the guy to blame. Or better yet DEMOTE him back to capologist. He was great in that role.

[Ray Ray19]

Pulling the plug on Sanchez now is dumb

He deserves at least half the season and a healthy roster, at least with the players that aren't on IR, S Hill, Keller, etc.

Injuries are derailing the season more than anything else, those that refuse to acknowledge this, don't get it.

I understand if Sanchez struggled with a healthy team, then the angst by fans is warranted, but not now.

[Dimitri_0515]

I've said it before that the Jets set up Sanchez to fail (not on purpose). Sanchez never even had a chance here. His days are most likely numbered here and we won't know how good Sanchez could have been.

[C Mart]

Originally Posted by Untouchable

A lot of us want to start Tebow simply to turn the page on the Mark Sanchez era. It's not because I think Tebow will come in and light it up. Our franchise QB isn't even on the roster right now.

Sanchez, Tebow, McElroy...none of these guys are the future.

Start Tebow for the rest of the year and draft a QB in April.

Why draft another QB when the Jets don't know what they are doing and how to develop the one they have.

[jeT.MAC]

Originally Posted by C Mart

Why draft another QB when the Jets don't know what they are doing and how to develop the one they have.

Just report jet news and stfu!

[Magnus]

Sanchez is on cloud 9 right now. This is an even better excuse than Schotty. All he needs is one more excuse for next season and its CONTRACT TIME BABY!!

[Uptowngreengang]

This article is dead on. There is no way in hell that there are playmakers on offense on this team. If given time,Sanchez is just better than decent. There are throws he made that Tebow simply cannot make because of his throwing rhythm and lack of accuracy.

I only hope Tebow plays so that it will cement a change at General Manager. They traded two draft picks for this, and it is not working. "One man's trash is another man's treasure" and with this Tebow substitution stuff, that is exactly what we are....Trash!

[Bonhomme Richard]

Originally Posted by Untouchable

I understand where you're coming from, but what veteran QB could we realistically bring in that would be a big step up from Sanchez?

The ability to complete passes...?