The Rundown: Sanchez and the “It” Factor
The “It” factor can often become a cliche, but that is what folks have been talking about when Mark Sanchez has been discussed and from everything that he’s shown so far, could “It” be an understatement over the course of his career? It’s early, so who’s to really say, but while maybe Coach Ryan or others saw it coming sooner, it’s fair to say ther was some ambivalence on when he’d be ready. Why was there doubt around him? It probably didn’t help when his former collegiate coach, publicly chastised him for leaving USC early. But SI’s Don Banks sees through Carroll’s intention.
I’m really starting to understand why Pete Carroll (selfishly) didn’t want Mark Sanchez to leave USC a year early. The kid is pretty good…. If you thought the hype surrounding the Jets rookie quarterback and their bold-talking head coach was already at a fevered pitch, you ain’t seen nothing yet. Prepare yourself for full-blown media saturation on those two fronts. Starting now.
Like Bill Parcells likes to remind us about any rookie who excels, you can’t put Sanchez in Canton after just two weeks and two wins. But what you can say with some sense of certainty is that the NFL game is not too big for the former Trojans quarterback, even if Carroll tried to make the case last winter that Sanchez would benefit greatly from playing his senior season at Southern Cal.
Nice try, Pete … that “it factor” that everyone keeps referencing in regards to Sanchez is really another way of saying he has the cool to keep his head when the rest of the world is losing theirs. And the best quarterbacks always have it.
Maybe Carroll was looking out for his best interests, but it’s clear that if Sanchez is looking this comfortable after a limited (only 16 starts, remember) collegiate experience, it’s almost dizzying to think what the upside of his game will be. To help answer that, Rich Cimini of the Daily News talked to a guy on the Jets who got to watch Tom Brady in his nascent, Damien Woody.
Eight years ago, Damien Woody was a starting center for the Patriots. He was there when Drew Bledsoe was hurt in the second week of the 2001 season against the Jets. Enter Tom Brady, an unknown sixth-round pick who had thrown all of three passes in his rookie year in 2000. We all know how that turned out. Brady won the first of his three Super Bowls that season.
Now Woody is the Jets’ right tackle, giving him a unique perspective to compare Sanchez and Brady. Not with the Brady who has won three Super Bowls, of course, but with the inexperienced QB who stepped into the huddle the third week of the season in ’01.
Woody says Sanchez is “more advanced” than Brady was at a comparative stage in his fundamentals and understanding of the game. “He’s ahead of the curve,” Woody said.
That has made Woody optimistic about where the rest of this season might be headed. “When you have a really good quarterback on the team, it gives your football team so much confidence because you know you’ve got a guy at the helm that can make things happen and always give you a chance to win,” Woody said. “That’s how I felt when I was in New England. We had Brady and we always had a chance to win.”
Wow, those are some impressive statements from Damien Woody .. a guy who doesn’t seem to ever get too high or too low after any win or loss. Still, although it’s easy to get carried away, it’s early, and as Jeff Pearlman (who I respect very much and like a lot) writes in a tongue-in-cheek manner on SI.com, let’s not as a fanbase set ourselves up (yet again) for a Shakespearean tragedy by January.
Don’t get me wrong, this team looks good. The defense is on track and they’ve yet to get Calvin Pace back from suspension. I’ve seen little things from Sanchez that I haven’t seen … maybe ever … from a young quarterback in my time as a Jets fan. After watching last night’s Miami – Indy game though, I remembered why I love, but had such a hard time with Pennington, namely those hanging passes.
Sanchez is proving me to be soooooooooooo wrong about his ability to quickly adjust and contribute to this team, and he’s got a great team around him to help him succeed.
49 Responses to The Rundown: Sanchez and the “It” Factor
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JetObsessed28 says:
Drafting and developing a rookie QB can be a stressful thing. I was stressed about the thought of going into this season with a rook..
But, Sanchez is proving to be a unique kid.. I could not be happier right now.. I was also one of the wrong ones….
I’m loving this.. He’s a great one…. kudos to Rex, Joey Clink, and Tanny for finding this diamond. -
ramble914 says:
The “it ” factor, or talent, or devine intervention, whatever you want to call it, Sanchez has it in spades. This kid is a helluva QB in already his second NFL start. Everytime he gets under center I expect some great play to happen. I have never seen a kid QB come into the league and perform the way he has, and I’ve been watching the NFL for 40 years.
I can only imagine what he will be like in the next few years, can we dare imagine “unstoppable”?
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greg sec 130 says:
Is he a film junkie? I know Peyton used to watch film on Sat nights in his dorm room and studied film non-stop as a rookie. He threw for more TDs than any rookie and over 3700 yards (and Colts were a bad team).
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Jeff says:
Come on Ramble. Didnt Matt Ryan played extremely well his first couple of games also??? If he plays just as good or even better than Ryan did his first year then watch out NFL!!
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If you want to see a peek into the future watch Sanchez’s highlights of last years Rose Bowl game against Penn St. The kid was unbelievable, he scored 5 TD’s, 4 passing, 1 rushing and was offensive MVP. He passed for 413 yds, and had a 80% compl %.
You can see the highlights (2009 Rosebowl) on
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Jeff,
Matt Ryan absolutely played extremely well, and I didn’t mean to minimize anything he accomplished last season. I guess I’m a bit biased when it comes to our QB.
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Ramble – that link is taking me to a basketball video. Got the real one, I’d like to see it?
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JDB says:
part of what is making Mark look so good is that they aren’t asking him to do much. And that to me is a good indicator of Ryan and Schottenheimers being smart coaches. Next year is the time you ask Mark to win games.
You really need 16 games to understand the NFL as a QB, and mark being a junior may need a few more. But you can’t help but be excited.
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Ed L says:
if i am correct i believe it was schotty that developed rivers…or was it schotty who developed brees…idk cant remember…but which ever one it was that he developed in san diego he did a great job…and he is doing a great job with sanchez
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starz31 says:
People shied away from the Matt Ryan comparisons because Ryan was a 4-year starter at BC…which is alot more playing time than Sanchez had. But Sanchez’ maturity is a blend of a bunch of things. 1)he could be a unique talent that can handle these things or 2) he was already prepared for it. And #2 is quite possibly true. Young QB prospects these days have been playing QB for years. The fact he was on USC means he most likely was a top recruit out of high school, meaning he played under a lot of scrutiny at a young age. PLUS, young QBs in HS and college have been privately coached for years. Sanchez had a personal “tutor” at QB for years before becoming a starter at USC. This is the new day and age that the NFL is in. The Athletes are groomed from young ages to be professional athletes.
And we as a team are benefiting big time.
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Zartan says:
All Sanchez needs to do is play more games.
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Bent says: “Didnt Matt Ryan played extremely well his first couple of games also???”
Matt Ryan was very much a game manager in his first couple of games (you’ll recall they ran for 300+ yards in his debut, so he didn’t need to do much there).
He played mistake-free ball, but didn’t do anything extraordinary, until they needed him to against the Bears (in week 6). Down late, Ryan had to make a great pass to set up the game winning field goal. From there, he went from strength to strength and his role expanded, which ultimately pushed the Falcons to the postseason. Sanchez is currently on the same kind of learning curve. In fact, his game one numbers were better than any of Ryan’s first 5 games.
Flacco was actually not that good in his first five or so games, so I think Sanchez is ahead of him at this point.
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Give Leon The Damn Ball says:
i was against the sanchez pick (wanted bj raji) because i pretty much saw all of his starts in college and aside for the rose bowl, he never blew you away and dominated like carson palmer and even matt leinart did.
i dont know squat apparently and couldnt be happier to admit it
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Lonnie G says:
I was one of the guys who did not want Sanchez and did not want the Jets to draft a QB. I have never ever been so happy to be wrong. Sanchise has (so far) proved me wrong and I totally accept that. Let’s just hope what we see now is a sign of things to come in the next decade. This kid definitely has “it”. His strong arm, work ethic, footwork and intution while in the pocket. It all looks good. I really think he’s the real deal and this is only the beginning.
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oh, and jeff pearlman is a douchebag…that article wasnt funny at all..just real douchebaggy
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john sec.125 says:
give leon,….. i e-mailed mr. pearlman yesterday on behalf of jets nation and said hello@anngold22@gmail.com. i agree, he does have a little summer’s eve in him.
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tips at the line says:
Anyone else even a little worried by Sanchez’s height and how he seems to get at least a pass or two tipped at the line. I don’t want it to happen but it won’t surprise me if somewhere down the road a tip turns into a TD and a loss. Not like I’m not celebrating with the rest of you but the DE’s see to be getting their hands awfully close to the ball.
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ED says:
He also seems to have a bit of luck as well, and that never hurts.
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CWPOST1993 says:
3 things
Mark Sanchez was the diamond of this year’s draft ! I always stated he should have been the #1 pick. Look at what the #1 pick is doing in Detroit?
Our defense is only going to improve as the guys keep leaning and building a bond. Scary
For all the heat ( including myself) Lito has been getting this off season. Nobody is talking about the touch down saving deflection in the end zone. He made a great game changing play.
I’m pretty pumped up !! Oh Yah
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Also, what the hell are we all gonna talk about this off season? I think we’re in for a boring one–thank god! No more QB issues. Now we can build a champion. This team is young (except a few on the lines) and now we can draft to fill holes. Baring injury, we could go to the show in the next couple of years.
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matt says:
i love this kid but im worried about sunday tenn is playing for there season so i hope we r ready to go because i would love to see two undefeated teams going at it week 4
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Ferraro41 says:
Sanchez reminds me of Dan Marino as a rookie. He doesn’t have Marino’s arm (though his arm is damn good and far better than we were led to believe), but everything else is very Marino-esque. His vision. His footwork. His release. His poise. His ability to see the whole field and make all of his reads while remaining calm without happy feet.
Hey, one day someone is going to wake me up from this dream….but I’ve always watched other teams with great young QB’s and said “I wish we had one of those”. Now we do. :=)
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RetroFan says:
I’m definitely anxious to see Sanchez in action about 5 years from now. This is his niche and he’s blending in nicely.
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Bleeding Green says:
Hopefully he wins a few SuperBowls something Marino couldn’t do
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Merc20 says:
Tips, all QB’s get passes tipped/batted/altered no matter of size. It’s up to the QB to find a lane to get his passes off. Don’t worry about it until someone can game plan specifically to have it happen… a lot.
As to the Titans game this weekend. I think it will be a close defensive battle again. But the titans secondary seems very susceptible to getting gashed. I like our chances very much to go 3-0. I’m a lil more worried about the Saints, but lets take care of Fischer and his boys this weekend.
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Closest QB to Dan Marino is Drew Brees. He doesnt have the same arm, but his pocket presence and delivery is uncanny, not to mention that he is hard to sack and is accurate.
tips at the line, There is nothing wrong with Sanchez’s height. He is in fact just as tall as Brett Favre, Drew Brees, and Tony Romo just to name a few.
Tipped passes usually result from D-lineman blocking passing lanes or tipping the passes, nothing to do with height
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Vince says:
This kid has the skills and the mental toughness it takes to be a Good QB in the NFL. With that said I DONT think we can crown him king yet. Under his own admission he has “a lot to learn” and his mistakes are “unacceptable”.
Lets not forget he threw a 6 pick in Houston and was sacked striped on the first possession of the pats game to back us up inside the 10 yard line.
Let give credit where credit is due, the defense is helping Sanchez tremendously. Rex Ryan came into NY with a mean defense that was pretty much humming on opening day. Had the defense not played so well the pick six in Houston could have cost us the game and few people would be believing this hype about Sanchez. Jeter from the Yanks told Sanchez don’t read the papers and don’t buy the hype. We should listen to Jeter as well.
I want to assure people that I’m a die hard jets fan and i have high expectations for them. But we should listen to Rex has said in the locker & meeting room, ‘The defense will lead this team”. I full hope Sanchez is able to contribute to winning but the game is won in the trenches and championships are won by Defenses.
I love Sanchez, but i think I love the defensive unit more right now and will wait for Sanchez to arrive before I crown him.
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supercooljetfan says:
give leon the ball… the only reason i think that leinhart blew you away was he had steve smith,dewayne jarret and i think mike williams as his wr’s and reggie bush and lendale white as his rb’s…sanchez didnt have as many weapons like leinhart
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Los Angeles Observer says:
Congratulations Jet Fans (I’m a teamless Los angeles fan!-LOL),
I’ve been following Sanchez’s career since he played highschool ball (Mission Viejo High) literally a few blocks from where I live (My brother was in the school at the same time!) and I’ve come to the following conclusion:
He’s been absolutely brilliant at each level and the only thing that’s ever held him back is the playcalling or coaching – Let me explain:
In Highschool: His team was so good that he had to be taken out of the game by halftime to avoid the perception that they were running up the score. Nobody’s fault here except that he was just too good at this level (He was the No 1 ranked player in the nation).
In college: In my personal biased opinion, he clearly beat out John David Booty and should have started as a second year freshman. When he finally did start (As a fourth year junior), they didn’t let him “loose” until the end of the season where he dazzled enough to finally get noticed on the national stage. Pete Carrol did not live up to his motto that the “best” players will start at USC – Hmmm – Maybe that’s why he’s starting a freshman QB now.
NFL Level: Although I understand the cautious approach taken by the offensive coordinator, I really think that Sanchez is ready for the reigns to be loosened just a bit. I really believe that there’s enormous potential that will in the very near future finally be unleashed.
Miscellenous observations:
I never understood the notion that he had a “weak” arm coming out of college. From I’ve seen, he had a Rocket arm for the highschool level, a cannon for the college level and a gun for the NFL level.
He’s had the “IT” factor since highschool. I guess it’s just something you can’t teach or develop. – Although he’s always been a film junkie and a had a tremendous work ethic instilled by his father (firefighting captain).
New York fans, you have so many NFL teams…. Can I HAVE one! LOL (Best of Luck From Los Angeles)
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Vince, we can do could haves and should haves all day. That pick 6 could have been a simple pick and ended up a field goal if not for the fumble. They were ahead by a good margin at that point, I believe 17-0 so you should complain about the play call to pass, but not the fact that it was returned for a fluky touchdown. It certainly wouldn’t have cost that game.
I do agree with you through, the team is built for the defense to lead and the offense to work methodically/efficiently and I think you can agree he’s doing that.
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NYC Park,
In the search block put in “2009 rosebowl”.
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LA Observer,
Thanks for the insight, thats some pretty interesting information. I only saw MS a time or two last year, and he was impressive. Since seeing him here and as a pro you can see he has tremendous potential. I’m excited.
By the way you can have the Bills, we don’t want them. lol.
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IbngdPatschrldr-trustry says:
I respected Chad as a leader with a lot of heart, but wow what a difference. Also im so tired of the qb competition every off season.. always wondering if it’ll be addressed in the draft or FA. I would love to go into the next 6 seasons confidently knowing who our starting qb is for a change.
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Andrew Weiss says:
Schotty was QB coach in San Diego when Brees was drafted in 2001. Brees was expected to be traded when the Rivers-Eli deal was concluded in 2003 but Rivers didn’t sign until late in the preseason so Brees got the start and had a breakout year. The Chargers then franchised him so he was there in the 2004 season. Schotty left after the 2005 season to become OC of the Jets. So Schotty gave both Brees AND Rivers their starts.
What you have to like about Sanchez is a lot. Here are some things I like: After a great play, he finds the O-Linemen to congratulate. After a series, good or bad, he sits with Schotty and discusses it. He’s got a great relationship with Clemens. Boomer says he is very respectful with everyone including the cameramen, and not the least bit rude or full of himself. He works at his craft. Many will remember his ad-hoc preparation meeting with the rookies in mini-camp. Keller says he ran that double-move over the middle (the TD in Sunday’s game) ten times in practice until they had the timing right. He’s accurate and throws to receivers only when they’re open (Did anybody see the Cowboys’ game and watch Romo throw it all over the field into double and triple coverage?). I can’t remember a single pass that he tried to force into coverage in the two games. He seems to not make the same mistake twice (evidence-the arc over the defender on the TD pass to Keller after arcing it too low in the INT the week before. His evident knowedge of game situations (eating the ball on third down in Sunday’s fourth quarter, or staying in bounds the week before). Then there are those beautiful feet. Most of all, I like the way he doesn’t rattle. He may be flushed out of the pocket but he keeps his eye on the receivers while he’s scrambling and seems to be calm while he’s eluding rushers. And, he seems to throw really well on the run.
What can I say. His high school coach was Rob Johnson’s father. He’s so far handled the big stage brilliantly even with the GQ thing in preseason which eventually worked to his advantage making the other players more likely to accept him. I’m having trouble finding anything to NOT like. If he stays healthy, this kid could be a great one.
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Tips at the line, I find myself defending the jets on the jets blog Why? why do you worry about tips at the line? what will it do for you. Check how tall drew Brees is!
Good QBs over come some ints. we have that.
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I was one of those that did not think MARK would beat out Kellen. After seeing this man perform at the level he has in these two games, I think we have a great one on our hands! he does not act like an inexperienced QB. he is wise beyond his years. Viva Sanchez! GO JETS!
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benjam says:
cwpost1993-
i agree. its hard for me to believe that he wasnt the first QB chosen…
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StvDoe says:
I was thrilled on draft day when the Jets traded up to get him. I said that day and many times since that he’d be our opening day starter. I’d every confidence in Mark from the beginning.
But there was no way in hell I expected him to look this good this fast.
Whle I still expect some growing pains, (could he possibly avoid even that pitfall?), I’ve no doubt that the Jets finally have the franchise QB we’ve all longed for 40 seasons.
The fact that this development is paired with an amazing coaching hire sets us up for a decade of unprecedented success as a franchise.
Today, probably more than ever before, it’s good to be a Jet fan.
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stuckWtexans says:
i hate not living in NY
i have2watchd cow on
d helmets -
Eddie DiGio says:
Im not trying to sound like a douche but I thanked Rex and Mike T on this blog the day we drafted this kid. The only real knock on him was his experience (16 starts blah blah). I saw him this summer and I knew he was light years ahead of what Kellen Clemens has in terms of potential. To be honest, I thought he would be very similar to Flacco.
However I will admit though like StvDoe, I didnt expect him to have the laser that he has and to be as accurate as he has been. I saw him play alot in college and I knew he could read a defense, but how smooth he goes through his progessions and his footwork for a young QB in the NFL is just out of this world.
But the best part about Sanchez is he relishes the big moment. He has been money in the bank on 3rd down. He led that huge drive to start the second half in the Pats game that lifted a stadium and the Jets into a frenzy.
He may still be learning, and he is gonna make some mistakes, but he is a guy who cannot only be a good QB, but truly special. Not just with stats, but a guy who the whole team will follow to the depths of hell, knowing he can lead them out
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NYDREAMER says:
He’s up for ROOKIE of the week for week 2
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JetOrange says:
When you think of feet, you think of Offensive Left Tackles, when they talk about Sanchez’s feet , I didn’t understand what that had to do with Quarterbacking… As I watch I’m beginning to understand…
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The Moment of Truth for me, the highlight of the Jets beating up the Pats was when the TV coverage showed a medium shot of Tom Bradley, a recognized Master of this game, a future first ballot Hall of Famer standing on the sidelines riveted to the new kid on the AFC East block, The Franchize, the Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Mark Sanchez. Tom wasn’t sitting on the bench hanging his head in humiliation like earlier. He was watching a legend being born: this was simply a fan of the game witnessing The Ice Man deliver. It was a human moment. And when things got messy, there was always The Rexecutioner, the Master Sorcerer, cleaning up the mess by pounding on the Pats dirty laundry while they were still wearing it.
After the game Brady sought out the kid from USC and sincerely told him how good “Chez” played. They probably thought of exchanging autographs. On the other hand, the loser in every way, the HC of the NEP, shined on the kid, giving him The Full Mangini: a slap on the wrist and no eye contact. Couldn’t you have said something nice to the kid who just ruined your supper? Bill was a Jet for a while, you can love him or not, BB was family. We beat up on him and I’m sure he’ll try to return the favor up north in November. But first he’ll have to figure out how to break up a D that looks like its having a tailgate party before every snap with players milling around until just before the snap and then Chef D-Rex quickly serves the stew he just cooked up.
But you gotta hand it to Belicheat, he really loves this game and can’t stand to lose (who doesn’t) and is going to have a few bad nights thinking of the “Broadway Bullies” and the win that got away. The game is too big for him, too important. He can’t step back and be a good sport, congratulate the winners for playing a great game and let’s all go out and eat quiche. It’s just a freaking game! Life is bigger than that. The game is just another live “performance”, like a play or ballet, except the players and coaches and even the audience improvise every moment, like live jazz: it’s an emotional rollercoaster for winners and losers alike—like a great play or a spirited ballet.
I could see Sanchez and Brady becoming good friends based on their mutual respect. Rex and BB? As the Chauffer in Oz said, “That’s a horse of a different color”. But wouldn’t it be neat to actually have teams like each other, not cheat, not try to cripple each other? Recognize that they are only Actors on green pastures performing death defying feats with real blood and broken bones (am I in the coliseum?) and cheerleaders who dress as tarts, and who could all be friends (maybe even a little more with the cheerleaders) and they could all go out afterwards to dip chocolate fondue.
As for the pundits jumping on our bandwagon, where were they when we were carted off to the “Same Old Jets” executions? They wisely avoided us and our talent for blowing it all: the ancient pattern that still haunts our very thoughts.
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coachmach529 says:
I understand the concern with only 16 games under his belt in college. But think of all the reps he took in practice going up against that USC Defense constantly. I know not all practices are full speed but what other defense would you want to face daily to get optimum exposure?
Sanchez isnt going to canton just yet, but as we JETs Fans know its the ride there that is the most fun.
I want to see how the kid handles himself in the face of diversity when he S*&ts the bed and has to face the fans and the media in NY.I didnt jumpp on the farve bandwagon until after the Titans game last year. We all know what happen. So keep this all in perspective.
It should be a fun ride with Mark, Rex and Bart leading the way.
J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets.
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Wise Old Jet Fan says:
I was against Sanchez before I was for him, but I have eaten the requisite crow and now believe he should be the starter.
Whethar he was a good pick that high in the draft will be decided over the course of the next 30 games or so, as it is for every QB.
How will he adjust once defenses get film and design gameplans vs him, how will he handle playing with a two TD deficit when they are throwing blitzes at him, how we he handle the inevitable bad game, how will he handle being booed (they all get booed eventually)?
After two games the results are more positive than negative (yes, you would not know it from the coverage, but there were some negatives), but right now all the defenses are doing is stacking the box with eight defenders to stop the run and seeing if he can beat them. So far he has. Thats it, so far.
He is NOT Marino, Brees, Rivers or even Matt Ryan yet, he has accomplished nothing. He had one very good game against a Texan team that perhaps was not ready to start the season, and rode he defenses back to victory against a Pats team that may not be all that good. He has been good enough to win, which really is all we can ask at this point, but is not in those QB’s zip code. Yet.
Sit back, relax and enjoy his development while rooting for success, but do not compare him to those folks at this point of his young, young, career.
A lot of us were wrong about Sanchez. I think that the knock on him (not enough experience) makes perfect sense – the guy only started 16 games in college! But somehow he is able to handle all of what’s been happening and play pretty well. I find this pretty incredible and I think that the feeling that the team had for him – that they were willing to go get him – says a lot about the evaluation and football understanding in the FO (including Rex).