The weather outside is supposed to be frightful. That’s perfect.
“Our team is built for playing in December,” Jets coach Rex Ryan proclaimed yesterday after practice.
The Jets may be built for December, but rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez must show he is built for playing in the cold weather. That’s the real challenge tomorrow against the Falcons.
Sure, the Jets have a run-dominated offense and their defense is ranked No. 1 in the NFL, but Sanchez has to come up big in his own way, even if he’s not called on to do that much. The Falcons have the 30th-ranked pass defense in the league. The Jets can talk about running the ball all they want, but at some point Sanchez is going to have to show that he can make big throws in the Meadowlands with the wind — and perhaps snow — swirling.
One more loss spikes the Jets’ season. The pressure is on the quarterback in many ways.
“He’s got both knee braces, so it’s going to be a Joe Namath throwback game for Mark,” Ryan said with a big smile.
You have to love the Joe Willie comparison, even when it’s a joke. Keep the references and challenges coming for the kid. Sanchez is so excited about the chance of playing in snow, after so many years of playing football in California, that he is like a 7-year-old.
He also is excited about the chance to get back on the field. The feeling here is that Sanchez will rise to the cold occasion. As he waited to run plays yesterday he was as antsy as a Labrador retriever, practically running in circles before he could get under center.
That forced week off due to a right-knee injury, then spending last Sunday away from the team, has made Sanchez desperate to get back on the field, two knee braces and all.
“He’s got big hands, which I think you have to have in cold weather games,” Ryan said. “In really bad weather games, if it’s raining, you need the big hands to zip the ball. He can throw it, so he’ll be just fine.”
The way veteran tackle Damien Woody sees it, Sanchez has to use those big hands to hand off the ball if it’s going to be a winter wonderland.
“We’re going to stick to the formula regardless,” Woody said. “We’re not going to ask him to put the game on his shoulders. Put the game on our shoulders, offensive line and running backs.
“If the weather is going to be what they are talking about, there should be even less pressure on him. All he has to do is make sure he gets the ball from center and hands it to the running back.”
Sounds like pretty simple stuff. But anyone who ever has watched a Jets game knows it’s never that simple for Gang Green. The Jets seem to have a knack for making every season a tortuous experience for their fans.
The biggest thing going on around the team this season is that Ryan is trying to change the culture. His message is clear: “Bring it on. Our house. Our game. Our December.”
That’s why there is all this talk about December being the Jets’ month, the Namath references and the smothering defense.
“Right now we’re just in the mode of putting [Sanchez] in situations to succeed,” safety Kerry Rhodes said, “running the ball, short passes, just be safe with the ball and let the defense do our job.”
The training wheels will not come off completely tomorrow for Sanchez. But considering the time of the season, the importance of the game, and the coming snow, the road becomes much more difficult to navigate. That’s a good thing.
Sanchez has to grow up tomorrow. It’s not just about managing the game, and reading the color codes and getting back in action, it’s about proving that the Jets and the quarterback truly are built for December.