NFL

Final game could be Mark’s last chance with Jets

Mark Sanchez was back where he wanted to be yesterday, his hands under Nick Mangold’s butt, not fumbling the football, but taking snaps with the first-team offense and preparing to start Sunday’s game at Buffalo.

Sanchez doesn’t portray himself to be a religious man, but the chance for redemption from a dreadful season should be taken as a gift from the heavens. Now it’s up to him to take full advantage and prove he’s not the lost cause he appears to be.

“I’m excited to be playing again and I’ll try to make the most of it,” Sanchez said yesterday in his usual unemotional tone.

Greg McElroy’s concussion, diagnosed after experiencing headaches and dizziness during a weight-lifting session early yesterday, gives Sanchez another chance to prove he’s worth salvaging. It’s a chance to offer hope he can reverse the tailspin he has endured this year and be the Jets’ Sanchise again.

Yes, it’s a long shot. But it’s the best-case scenario for the Jets because it would be costly to get rid of him. Cutting Sanchez would count as much as $17.1 million against the cap while trading him before June 1 would count $8.9 million toward the salary cap and the team would likely have to pay a sizable portion of the $8.25 million he’s guaranteed in 2013. That makes him virtually untradeable, given his performance this year.

Yet to be viewed as a potential Jets starter next year, Sanchez will have to make his coaches and fans believe in him again. The first step is to play at Buffalo like he did in the season opener when the Jets beat the Bills 48-28 at MetLife Stadium. Sanchez was brilliant that day, throwing for 266 yards and three touchdowns. His quarterback rating was 123.4, the highest it would be all season.

Rex Ryan said Sanchez’s success against the Bills in the opener was a key reason he chose Sanchez to start over Tim Tebow.

“He had success against Buffalo,” Ryan said. “He knows Buffalo and I think it’s the right decision.”

That game offered no indication of the regression that would make him the poster child for a 6-9 record. In his last three starts against Arizona, Jacksonville and Tennessee, Sanchez threw just one touchdown against seven interceptions, prompting Ryan to start McElroy against the Chargers.

It’s a good thing this season finale is on the road because Sanchez would be a target of scorn at home from frustrated Jets fans who expected more out of him and the Jets this season. At Buffalo, he at least has a chance for his season to be known for more than the buttfumble and the five turnovers against the Titans.

“Any competitor would be excited about getting another opportunity,” Ryan said. “I know he believes in himself.”

Let’s be clear. If Sanchez happens to play well, the Jets shouldn’t be fooled into believing he can be their starter next year. It could be viewed as more of an aberration than a revival. But at least he’ll keep himself in the conversation.

The only way Sanchez earns a serious look with the Jets next year is if he plays well Sunday, which is not a given. He’ll have to regain his confidence behind an offense that allowed 11 sacks last week and hasn’t scored at least 20 points in its last five games.

You would think playing the Bills would give Sanchez some positive energy. But he doesn’t necessarily see it that way.

“At the end of the day we have to react to what we see and be sharp and have a good plan and try to end on a positive note,” he said.

Ending on a positive note. That’s the mission this week — for the team, the coach and their beleaguered quarterback.

george.willis@nypost.com