Sanchez Takes a Step Back

Mark Sanchez is finding out there is a steep learning curve for young quarterbacks in the NFL.

The question for the Jets rookie is how quickly can he overcome his first subpar effort?

Make no mistake about it: Sanchez needs to perform better than he did in Sunday’s 24-10 loss to New Orleans.

The final numbers were these: 14 completions in 27 attempts, a mere a 138 yards. The bigger numbers were these: Three interceptions and one fumble that resulted in a Saints touchdown.

It wasn’t just the turnovers or the fumble that were killers for the Jets. It was also when he fired the interceptions. The most critical one was early in the second quarter, with the Jets trailing 3-0 but deep in Saints territory. His pass intended for Dustin Keller was picked off by Darren Sharper and returned for a 99-yard touchdown.

Talk about turning points. The Jets get the lead there, they can let their defense loose. Coach Rex Ryan’s team will be difficult to beat once they get a lead, but Sanchez’s critical interception cost them that chance.

“That’s a classic rookie quarterback looking at his receiver and Sharper read me the whole way,’’ Sanchez said. “I took him right to it. It was a poor decision and poor use of my eyes.”

The Jets’ loss can’t be pinned entirely on Sanchez. The Saints had a fourth-and-one play in Jets’ territory late in the fourth quarter and protecting a 17-10 lead. Coach Sean Payton said the team was content to take a delay penalty and punt, but nose tackle Kris Jenkins jumped offside and the Saints maintained possession.

There were other errors, too, but Sanchez’ mistakes were critical. “We spotted them 14 points, and the final score was 24-10,’’ Sanchez said. “That was huge. I’ve got to learn from that and improve.”

How quickly, and how much, Sanchez improves will define his career. He won his first three games as an NFL starter, and certainly shows as much promise as any Jets quarterback has shown in a long, long time. But if the team is going to make a run at the postseason, he will need to improve. Quickly. Things change on a weekly basis in the NFL, and the Jets need Sanchez to minimize turnovers and let the defense keep the team in the game.

We will find out quickly if Sanchez is up for the challenge. His next opponent is the Miami Dolphins in a nationally televised game on Monday night. There is no question Miami general manager Bill Parcells and coach Tony Sparano saw Sanchez get exposed Sunday, and will try to capitalize on that.

It is too soon to tell if the Jets made a mistake by taking Sanchez with the No. 5 pick in April’s draft or even if he will be a starting quarterback in the NFL for any length of time. We will have a much better idea, however, after the next couple of games.

Giants, Jets still face questions

The NFL preseason has come and gone for the Jets and Giants, and heading into next week’s season-openers, the big questions on both teams still have to be answered.

The Jets open their season Sept. 13 at Houston, and the Giants open their season the same day at home against Washington. For all of the new faces and big-name players on both squads, how each team fares this season will be determined by two very different phases.

The Giants, who went 1-3 in the preseason, are one of the favorites in the NFC to reach the Super Bowl. They have a stout defense that overcame a rash of injuries last year and is one of the best in the league.

Quarterback Eli Manning is steady, if unspectacular like his brother Peyton, and Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs give the team what they believe is one of the best backfield tandems in the league.

The question marks are at wide receiver, where Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer are gone and will be replaced by an untested group. The team believes it has the replacements for the two veterans in Steve Smith, Mario Manningham, Hakeem Nicks and Domenik Hixon.

Smith, in his third year out of USC, is the most experienced and caught 57 passes last year for and will probably be the guy Manning looks for in the clutch. Whether he can become the team’s No. 1 option is unclear. The Giants struggled down the stretch last year when Burress left the team, and Smith will see a lot of extra coverage this year.

Manningham, in his second year out of Michigan, had just four receptions last year. Nicks, the team’s first round draft choice out of North Carolina, has played well in the preseason. He caught six passes against the Jets last week and Thursday against New England, he took in a 64-yard touchdown pass.

Hixon’s value is primarily on special teams, where he is a dangerous return man, but he could also see time at receiver in obvious passing downs.

It’s going to be critical for the Giants to develop a passing game so teams can’t load up in the box against Jacobs and Bradshaw, who will also see their share of passes from Manning. But if the young receivers can’t get separation and force the Giants to become one-dimensional, they won’t be heading to the Super Bowl.

The Jets (2-2 in the preseason) aren't considered Super Bowl contenders, but Rex Ryan was brought in to improve a defense that played poorly during last year’s 9-7 campaign.
The team brought in Mark Sanchez as the team’s top pick and named him the starting quarterback after a preseason competition with Kellen Clemens, but the team’s success will be determined by its defense.

Ryan brought over linebacker Bart Scott from Baltimore, and he should help improve a defense that had difficulty stopping teams last year. The Jets surrendered 356 points last year, the most allowed in the AFC East. With Scott and All-Pro safety Kerry Rhodes, there are some pieces for an attacking defense, which Ryan employed as the defensive coordinator for the Ravens.

While Sanchez and running back Leon Washington are the featured offensive players, it will ultimately be the defense that decides the fate of the Jets this year.

Sanchez and Manning Square Off

Never has a game that has meant so little meant so much for the quarterbacks in Saturday’s preseason game between the Giants and Jets.
The third preseason game is always the most critical of NFL schedule, because it is when the starters get the most reps. The final preseason game is almost pointless, because teams rarely let starters play more than one or two series for a fear of injuries.
So it is that tomorrow’s 8 p.m. contest is important not only for Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez, but also Giants quarterback Eli Manning. There is much more at stake for Sanchez, the highly-heralded rookie from USC who was anointed the starter earlier this week by coach Rex Ryan. But Manning will also be under pressure to perform, if for no other reason than to show he’s still the top quarterback in town.
Sanchez got his first start on Monday against the Ravens and looked shaky. His first pass was returned for a touchdown and he completed 3-of-8 attempts for 43 yards and one touchdown
It came as no surprise that Ryan decided to go with the rookie Sanchez over four-year veteran Kellen Clemens, who was also competing for the starting job. Of course, the competition was like the Globetrotters going up against the Washington Generals. The outcome was pretty much decided when training camp began, despite what Ryan or anyone else connected with the Jets will say. Now, Sanchez has to go out and prove he was worth taking as the No. 5 pick in April’s draft.
“This comes with a lot of responsibility,” Sanchez said on NewYorkJets.com. “I know as happy as I am, this is just the beginning and I’m really excited to get the chance to play with such great players.”
Sanchez won’t be able to do it by himself. He’ll need a strong running game led by Leon Washington and a veteran offensive line that should be one of the team’s strengths. The Jets also need to improve on the defensive side of the ball, and they should under Ryan and his aggressive schemes.
Look for the Jets to play a lot of their games like last year’s Ravens’ team, where Ryan was an assistant, and the team used its running attack to take the pressure of rookie quarterback Joe Flacco.
Manning’s situation is altogether different. He’s now the highest paid player in the NFL, and is in his fifth full season as the team’s starter. He already has a Super Bowl victory in his pocket, and is clearly the face of the franchise.
But there is also pressure on him to perform well in the contest against the Jets. Sure it’s preseason, but neither team likes to lose this game. If Manning struggles and gets outplayed by Sanchez, there will be more than a few Giants fans who will wonder if Eli is worth all the money.
Manning, for his part, knows the struggles that Sanchez will face. He didn’t get the starting nod as a rookie, but he was a starter by midseason during the 2004 season.
"The hardest thing about it is learning the game," Manning said in the New York Daily News. "It takes time. The media is going to play a role because if you play well, they will promote you and say you are the greatest. If you don't play real well, then you will be the worst. It is about believing in yourself and listening to your coaches and earning the confidence and respect of your teammates. That is what you kind of have to learn."
Manning and Sanchez will face off for the first time against each other Saturday, and there is a lot riding on it for both of them. It’s rare, but it is actually a preseason game that has a compelling angle.