Heading into last Monday night’s Jets game against the Patriots, the theme was how quarterback Mark Sanchez performs at his best in the biggest games.
We all know what happened — at least for one game.
This week, as the Jets prepare to reassemble their run at the postseason following their 45-3 debacle of a loss to the Patriots, coach Rex Ryan offered a different Sanchez theme: the bounce-back factor.
“If you look at how he responds to bad games. … He’s a guy that traditionally responds well,” Ryan said. “I hope that’s what happens this week.”
Indeed, Sanchez is 2-0 after losses this season and completed 62.3 percent of his passes (nearly eight percent better than his season average) with four touchdowns and only one interception in those games.
Ryan cited several examples of Sanchez bounce-backs, dating back to last season:
* After his five-pick performance in a loss to the Bills last season, Sanchez followed with a 107.0 quarterback rating in a win at Oakland.
* After a poor performance in the opening loss to the Ravens this season, Sanchez responded with a 124.3 rating in a win over the Patriots.
* After throwing two interceptions in a 9-0 loss to the Packers in October, Sanchez threw for 336 yards and led the Jets to a comeback win in overtime in Detroit the next week.
Asked why he plays so well after losses, Sanchez said: “You just never want to go out [on] a performance like I did [Monday night]. That’s sometimes the toughest thing. Bouncing back after a tough game, that’s kind of expected; you’re supposed to.
“But keeping it going over a long period of time, staying consistent, I think that’s one of the toughest things. We’ll bounce back this week, and we’ll keep it rolling.”
Sanchez’s coaches and teammates have sensed an air of confidence and a short memory from the quarterback in practice.
“He has shown the ability to put things behind him,” offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said.
Backup quarterback Kellen Clemens said that last year, Sanchez would let a bad performance affect him.
“If we lost and his play wasn’t as good as the standard he sets, it stuck around for a little bit,” Clemens said. “He’s been much more level-headed, even-keel this year. He does a good job of addressing the issues, working hard to fix them and moving on.”
Right tackle Damien Woody said the players notice a different Sanchez in his body language.
“This year he’s not worried about [the previous game], he’s focusing on the task at hand, the next game, and that’s what I see,” Woody said. “That’s what you want to see from your quarterback.”
The Jets offense has been struggling, particularly early in games. They have only two first-quarter touchdowns all season and managed only three field goals in the first quarter in the last eight games.
Not counting the final two minutes of a half, the Jets offense has produced only three touchdown drives of more than two plays in the past six games.
That can only change if Sanchez returns to the form he displayed earlier this season.
In the first four games, Sanchez performed like he was in the thick of the NFL MVP race, throwing eight touchdown passes and no picks.
In the eight games since, however, he has eight touchdowns and 11 interceptions. His 54.9-percent completion percentage is ranked 29th in the league.
“These turnovers need to get cut down,” Sanchez said. “There’s no two ways about it.”
Sanchez knows the world is watching to see how not only he, but the Jets, respond to the Monday night massacre in Foxborough, Mass.
“Winning this one for us,” he said, “might settle some things.”