New York Jets coach Rex Ryan reiterates support for quarterback Mark Sanchez – NFL News Update
The New York Jets’ head coach, Rex Ryan, has reiterated his support for quarterback, Mark Sanchez, and shown determination to restore order in the team.
Support from the coach is something that is not new and it comes amid increasing doubt that has been prevailing over the future of Sanchez.
Ryan, in a conference call on Friday, once again took to expressing his confidence in Sanchez, saying that if not all but the majority of the team had confidence in Sanchez.
The Jets’ quarterback has been taking in criticism all along the season for failing to come up with a performance that many had been expecting of him.
Many had questioned his abilities as a leader and being the long term answer to the team’s vows.
There were even calls for his replacement with Peyton Manning due to failing to reach the playoffs this season, having ended up at 8-8, which had put Sanchez in an even more vulnerable position to criticism.
Following offensive coordinator, Brian Schottenheimer’s departure, who along with Sanchez was the target of critics, had only served in the critics turning their attention towards him.
The climax of opposition towards Sanchez reached this week after The Daily News reported anonymous players questioning Sanchez’s leadership abilities and quoted one player as calling him “lazy” and “content”.
That had resulted in some players like guard, Matt Slauson, tight end, Dustin Keller, and centre, Nick Mangold, coming forward to defend their quarterback, saying they had confidence in Sanchez.
The coach and the general manager, Mike Tannenbaum, too declared their support once again.
Tannenbaum noted that the new offensive coordinator, Tony Sparano, who has been hired as a replacement for Schottenheimer, will help Sanchez overcome his problems.
Tannenbaum said that Sanchez needed to be more consistent and spoke of how well he has performed over the last three years.
Ryan hit out on the anonymous players who had not shown boldness by keeping their names hidden.
Ryan said an “anonymous source” did not speak on behalf of the whole team.
''We do have an open-door policy and we encourage our players to express themselves'', Ryan said. ''Saying things and not putting your name on it? That's not being a Jet. So, that's going to change without question”.
Even Jets’ owner, Woody Johnson, has come to support Sanchez in recent days, stating that he was aware that there was frustration and that the team liked to have winners not losers but he still strongly supported Sanchez.
"He's the first guy in the building every morning and the last guy to leave, so lazy is the last thing he is. He's an NFL quarterback. I mean, that's what you expect of an NFL quarterback", Johnson said.
It seems that finally the $10 million-a-year quarterback will fight his way through the opposition.
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