Pressure is a word thrown around a lot in sports. From NFL football to high school baseball, all areas of competitive sport understand pressure is a given. No position in any sports sees more pressure than an NFL quarterback. Whether it’s a 280 pound lineman that runs like a gazelle or the pressure applied by the media scrutinizing every decision made, it is a part of a quarterback’s everyday life. It’s because of the pressure and difficulty of the position as a whole that young quarterbacks are expected to go through growing pains. However the difficulty of the job for a QB multiplies to the tenth degree when the playoffs begin.
It is nearly inconceivable that a young QB who honestly has been mediocre during the regular season, can turn his game a complete 180˚ and show the "it" factor that is expected and needed to play at an elite level in the playoffs. However that is exactly what Jets 2nd year QB Mark Sanchez has done. Though you can’t deny he has shown glimpses of greatness during the regular season his play as a whole has been inconsistent and at times simply terrible. His career quarterback rating is a meager 70.2, with a touchdown to interception ratio of less then 1 – 1. The Jets regular season success has been more in spite of Sanchez then because of him, relying heavily on a monstrous defense, with maybe the best defensive mind in the league scheming up masterful game plans, and a take no prisoners running game that will ground and pound its way down field with ill regard for the defense.
However in the playoffs Mark Sanchez transcendent play has been nothing short of a late Christmas present to Rex Ryan and the Jets. Over his 2 years in the league he has compiled a stellar 4 and 1 playoff record all five games on the road. He has elevated his rating all the way to 92.2. His completion percentage is 7 points higher in the playoffs, while he has a touchdown to interception ratio of 7 to 1. His impressive resume includes road wins against the likes of Carson Palmer, Phillip Rivers, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. He has come a long way and is close to regaining his nickname the Sanchize.
This weekend Mark will attempt to add a great notch on his playoff belt by taking his jets to the cold of Heinz Field where they will face two-time Super Bowl champion Ben Roethlisberger and a scary Steelers defense, led by a now healthy Troy Polamalu. This is probably the biggest challenge he has faced to date in his young career. The Sanchez will need to be leave his average regular season performance and lofty New York City lifestyle behind and be prepared to let the Sanchize do battle with Big Ben and crew Sunday in what is sure to be a violent chess game to say the least.
For your on the job sanity. You're welcome. Justin Lovett-Blue Chad Sanders-White Greg D'Arco-Yellow Samson X-Grey
Sanchez is only 24 years old and has a very bright future with the New York Jets. I honestly believe that they (the Jets coaching staff) should have let him throw more in the AFC Championship game. He went 20 for 33, had 233 yds, 2 TDs and no interceptions. Maybe if they had a little bit more confidence in him he could eventually take the Jets to the big one. I would definitely like to see what the Sanchize could do in the Superbowl.
ReplyDeleteI believe the Jets offensive coordinators followed the same strategy as the Ravens against the Steelers. They tried to play conservative football on offense and hope their defense made big plays. Can't blame them, considering how good the Steelers defense is but after watching Baltimore fall, I expected the Jets to be a lot more aggressive on offense and defense. There was no team in the playoffs with more momentum than them at that point. They should have gone out swinging but instead they waited until it was too late to be aggressive...Oh well, maybe next year.
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