http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/stor...s-made-right-call-re-signing-mark-sanchez-nfl History and some promising metrics tell us that Sanchez can succeed in N.Y. Originally Published: March 10, 2012 By KC Joyner | ESPN Insider In reviewing the Mark Sanchez contract extension, it is apt to think back to some comments former New York Jets defensive end Gerry Philbin made about Joe Namath's situation heading into New York's 1968 Super Bowl season. In the NFL Films documentary series "America's Game," Philbin indicated that Namath's wild off-field ways were starting to affect his on-field performance and costing the team games it should have won. At that point, Philbin said the Jets management knew they had to do something to get Namath to change his ways. The higher-ups went to the other players on the squad and asked them to elect Namath captain. They figured if he had a leadership role on the team, it would give him a sense of responsibility and make him step his game up. Eventually, this strategy worked, and Namath started to play at a consistently strong level. When that was combined with a superb amount of talent around him (as the 1968 Jets certainly had), it led to a Super Bowl victory. The moral of this story is that even the best young quarterbacks in the NFL don't always arrive with strong leadership skills. It also shows that a team can be patient in developing that aspect of a quarterback's game as long as the circumstances are correct. That is why, as frustrated as Jets fans may be about the end to the 2011 season or that the team won't be signing Peyton Manning in free agency, New York made the right move in offering Sanchez the contract extension. A closer look at New York's metrics from last year shows that Sanchez and this passing game are not very far away from helping to carry this team to another deep playoff run.
I saw this kid play in Pittsburgh, vs. the big bad Steelers after a two-game losing streak last year and he sent the home faithful away with big fat L. He was composed, made big throws and defied the odds. When a big game has mattered, they've never lost because of Sanchez; they haven't necessarily won because of him yet either, but he's 25 and capable of improving. We're all disappointed by last year, but this organization did the right thing by not panicking and signing Manning. That move would have assured the team of not winning the big one (see: Favre, Brett and Eagles, 2011). Sanchez has the ability, now they need to put some talent around him and a bunch of players that can take a dose of STFU for what ails them.
everyone keeps saying this. but nobody seems to realize, they LOWERED his salary to make him the 7th highest paid QB. LOWERED, meaning as of this time yesterday he was being paid HIGHER than the 7th best QB.
Finally a sensible reporter, seems like the only teams to win superbowls are they teams that stick with their own guys. just gotta build around the sanchize!
I'm not a KC Joyner fan, but I agree with him. This would have been the classic Jets toss their system for the first "shiny object" they see. It's why this franchise, and the Mets, have always been prone to joke status. Peyton Manning may still be great, but he may also be finished. We'll see I suppose. Sanchez was good enough for this team to get to two AFC Championship games, and he's been as good as a lot of Hall of Fame QB's were in their first 3 seasons. He had an inept offensive coordinator, and now he might have a good one. It behooves the Jets to err on the side of stability, because this is a critical season. -X-
Very good article. Hopefully, the Jets can give Sanchez credible tools to build success and showcase his strengths.
Yes, they haven't necessarily won because of him. I mean it's not like Sanchez can rush the passer. Or play Defensive-End. Or Stop Rothlesberger from completing 3rd down passes from a million yards away. Or...... You get my point, I hope. Mark has done ENOUGH to win games in crunch time(especially in the Playoffs) but it's been his DEFENSE, for the most part, that has let him and the entire Jets Fanbase down....TIME AFTER TIME AFTER TIME.
I think you make a really good point a lot of people are ignoring. To expand on the talent of the roster, it's mediocre. It is not what it once was. Bart Scott is a shell of his former self. We have bad safeties. Pace did nothing last year. Revis is Revis. Cromartie was probably above average. After that? Meh. You can't put that on a QB who was otherwise good enough on other teams. It's on Tannenbaum to draft better. -X-
^ It's amazing how people give Mark the ultimatum to get better or else. I mean when your friggin' defense gives up a score after you've driven your team down for a score just previously, and then you end up losing the game....HOW IS *THAT* CONSIDERED MARK NOT BEING GOOD???? And I'm referring to the Steelers/Jets AFCCG, not last year.
It's amazing how it all fits though. The two biggest playmakers on the Jets were Edwards and Holmes. Edwards stretched the field for the Jets as a vertical threat and Holmes thrived underneath as Edwards took one side deep, making space for Holmes to slant into. Defenses couldn't double-cover Holmes underneath because Keller and Cotchery were also working the seams and Sanchez took a big step up from 09 to 10. Then the Jets lose Edwards and their vertical threat. They lose Cotchery who had the knack of finding space underneath and obviously sold out on every play, stringing it out to the very end. They bring in Derrick Mason who was basically the exact same kind of WR that Holmes is and wanted the same routes to be successful. They bring in Plaxico Burress who is a completely different kind of WR than the Jets scheme called for, more like a Keyshawn Johnson possession receiver than a vertical threat. Then the line deteriorates badly early on and the Jets have Holmes and Mason running into each other and fighting for the same spaces over and over again as the plays break down. They have Plaxico basically completely out of the offense early on because he has no role that works. They have Keller being the closest thing to a vertical threat on his seam routes. They have defenses collapsing into the zone from the line of scrimmage to +10 yards, not because Sanchez can't throw deeper than that but because none of his receivers can get open deeper than that in the time he has to throw the ball. And they have Mark Sanchez unable to read his own receiver's routes let alone the defense because things are so clusterfucked all around him. So they get rid of Mason, because he's getting in Holmes way and not putting any numbers up in the process. They put Kerley in the slot (and then he too runs into Holmes before he figures it out.) But they still have the no vertical threat problem and Santonio Holmes is swimming in defenders and clogged zones and the offense never ignites. What a complete nightmare. This is like a story only the Jets could inspire.
Sanchez is a winner. The kid will come into his own as time goes on. As long as we solidify the o- line and play to his strengths( roll him out of the pocket) I've got every confidence in the world that we can win with him. I'm very interested in seeing how Sparano uses him because IMO Schotty had a lot to do with his lack of progress.
This. Times a thousand. Is he still getting paid a lot? more than he should earn? Yup. But we lowered, with few down sides for the team. We can still cut him in 2013, but at least we were able to get something out of it, we desperately needed the cap space and our options besides Sanchez aren't too great. Peyton specifically said he didn't want to come here and we don't have a high draft pick. So they did what they could out of a bad situation. Blame the old CBA and the rookie contracts for why he's getting paid so much. Bad or not, I dare someone to try and convince someone to take a multi-million dollar pay cut with a straight face.
