On to the Next One

David Otero
Sports Editor

Is this end for Mark Sanchez? The fourth season was supposed to be the year where everything turned around. There would be no more silly, rookie mistakes when dropping back to pass. His confidence would be at an all-time high. There would be no quarterback controversy because he would have learned enough through his first three seasons to no longer repeatedly make the same types of interceptions over and over again.

Yeah, about that fourth season…

It’s not how Sanchez drew it up and it’s definitely not how head coach Rex Ryan, general manager Mike Tannenbaum, and owner Woody Johnson thought it would play out. No, the fourth season was supposed to be similar to that of the other New York quarterback (and I’m not talking about the Bills here…), Eli Manning. Sanchez was supposed to have made significant improvements, but it’s the same old mistakes game after game. On Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals, Rex finally had enough and pulled the “Sanchise” in favor of little-known Greg McElroy.

Tim Tebow was not active for last week’s game due to an injury to his ribs, so McElroy filled in and orchestrated a touchdown drive on his first opportunity at the helm late in the third quarter and into the fourth quarter. Though only passing for 29 total yards, McElroy completed five of his seven passes, and got the team on the board when they hadn’t done so all game long previously with Sanchez.
Sanchez was relieved of his duties after an ugly performance. It was downhill from the first play from scrimmage for Sanchez. He stepped back to pass, surveyed the field, had plenty of time, and ended up heaving up a pass off his back foot directly into the waiting hands of Cardinals’ safety Kerry Rhodes. It was the type of interception that just wanted to make you give up on Sanchez completely.

The Jets edged out a 7-6 victory over the Cardinals, who have now lost eight games in a row. The Jets improve their record to 5-7, but the playoffs are very bleak for Gang Green. Although there is a consistent media circus surrounding the Jets, Rex has an intriguing decision to make at the quarterback position for this weeks game against the Jacksonville Jaguars (2-10).

Does Rex resort back to Sanchez who helped him lead his squad to back-to-back AFC Championship games in his first two years as Jets coach? Does he go to the fan-favorite in Tebow? Or does he go to the relatively unknown, under-the-radar play-caller in McElroy?

As if this Jets season couldn’t get anymore interesting, right?