Second-year Jets’ QB Mark Sanchez primed for takeoff
It’s a new season, a new stadium and it looks like a new team with all the off-season acquisitions, but the Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez is expecting the same success and even more.
“He’s got a command of this offence like he never had last year, even in the playoffs...the thing that I’m most impressed with is his mental preparation. He’s way ahead of where he was last year,” said Coach Rex Ryan of his young quarterback.
His first test in 2010 came under the night lights at the New Meadowlands Stadium on Monday. The new stadium is a 50/50 partnership between the New York Jets and Giants. However, the G-Men are calling it the "New Giants Stadium" while the Jets are calling it "New Jets Stadium."
Sanchez blocked out all the distraction in the team’s first pre-season game and was solid, connecting on 13-of-17 attempts for 119 yards with a touchdown and one interception. "Based on the way we moved the ball up and down the field, the interception on the first pass, I was happy with my performance," Sanchez said. "The only thing that really stopped our offence was the penalties, especially in the red zone."
Entering training camp as number one on the depth chart, this is Sanchez’s team, and he will not be locked in a battle with veteran quarterback Mark Brunell for the reins of the team. “The team knows who their starter is and who their leader is, and it’s my job to take on that role and own that,” Sanchez said.
This is one less issue that Sanchez, the former quarterback at the University of Southern California has to worry about as he is still learning the position and trying to decode defensive packages to make the right read and throw.
“It’s comfortable, and it helps your confidence because you feel like you don’t have to look over your shoulder,” said Sanchez. “You know that when you don’t have your best practice, you’re competing against yourself, and that’s sometimes the best for me. It’s about making a big jump this year and knowing that it’s my job.”
His job will not be easy as he prepares to face a difficult 2010 regular season schedule and the Jets are also in a tough division with the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots. With a rookie under centre, New York reached AFC Championship game last season. Although they fell short of their goal of playing in the Super Bowl, this was a valuable experience for Sanchez, who earned his post-season stripes and gained first hand insight on life in the NFL during the month of January, when the Wild Card, Divisional and Conference play-off matches take place.
During that run, Sanchez tossed four touchdown passes and two interceptions. But Sanchez has grown immensely from that experience and is not the same shy player who was mainly concerned with not making mistakes rather than trusting his judgement and being a leader. The Jets will continue to see how they measure up to last season’s team in their next exhibition game.
The Jets who have made some major modifications at key positions and feel that they can get over that hump that has kept them out of the championship game. They have added linebackers Bart Scott and long-time Dolphin Jason Taylor to their roster as well as defensive back Antonio Cromartie.
These talented players should excel under Ryan, known as a defensive guru across the league. New York made some significant changes to the offence with the addition of LaDainian Tomlinson and Santonio Holmes, two players that have done very well in camp.
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