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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jets coach Rex Ryan says he does not believe his job security is tied to his quarterback’s performance.
He is wrong.
Quarterback Mark Sanchez says he does not believe he is playing for his job and his career as a starter.
He is even more wrong.
Today’s 1 p.m. game against the 2-10 Jaguars at Everbank Field for Ryan and, particularly, Sanchez, is the beginning of a four-game trial period for both.
Everyone is on notice, beginning with Sanchez and Ryan and extending to general manager Mike Tannenbaum and the entire regime, which has left team owner Woody Johnson, known to be highly influenced by his irate fan base, disillusioned and disappointed.
Quarterbacks and head coaches have been cast aside by Johnson for far lesser
evils than these Jets have been party to this season (5-7 and a long shot for a wild-card playoff berth).
Quarterback Chad Pennington was hastily put out like last week’s trash because of the owner’s man-crush on Brett Favre. Later in that 2008 season, after Favre fell on his face, coach Eric Mangini was the fall guy, fired for going 9-7.
That, remember, is how Ryan and Sanchez got their current jobs. Ryan and Sanchez have to win their final four games, beginning with today, to finish 9-7. So no one on Johnson’s robust payroll should feel too comfy right now.
In our what-have-you-done-for-me-lately world, the two AFC Championship games Ryan and Sanchez led the Jets to in 2009 and 2010 seem like they took place during the Nixon administration.
Instead of any lingering celebration for those accomplishments, the current state of Sanchez and the Jets is damning because they have regressed since exiting that 2010 season as one of the league’s top Super Bowl contenders.
Sanchez, who was benched in favor of third-stringer Greg McElroy in the third quarter of last week’s 7-6 win over the Cardinals, starts today’s game as somewhat of a last resort for Ryan, who is trying to win consecutive games for the first time all season.
There is enormous pressure on Sanchez, who has turned the ball over 18 times in less than 12 full games, to rebound and stop making the same rookie mistakes he made four years ago — when rookie mistakes were considered part of the growing pains and were understood.
There, too, is big-time pressure on Ryan, who is attached at the hip to Sanchez.
Fortunately for both, the opponent is a Jaguars team that ranks 31st in the NFL in both total offense and defense.
“Protect the football,’’ Ryan said. “That’s all we’re asking him to do.’’
A read between the lines of those words told you this: The Jets will play so cautious and close to the vest against the Jaguars, it will be a miracle if Sanchez throws more than 15 to 20 passes.
Expect the Jets to force-feed the running game on a Jaguars defense that has not proven it can stop the run. Much the way the Jets handled McElroy with kid gloves when he stepped in last week, look for Sanchez to throw only when necessary.
Nevertheless, Ryan and the Jets need to restore Sanchez’s shattered confidence.
“He’s pulled himself up before in situations,’’ Ryan said.
“It’s my job to play the way I know how,’’ Sanchez said. “These last couple of weeks, and certain stretches of this season, I haven’t. It kind of culminated there [last] Sunday, and hopefully that’s the end of it. I think it is.
“I’ll be fine. I know how to play better, and now it’s time to go prove it.”
Sanchez said he was “pleased with Rex’s decision’’ to give him his starting job back, adding, “Now it’s my job to go make him right.’’
Both of their futures likely depend on it.
mark.cannizzaro@nypost.com