BACK-SLIDING: Jets starting quarterback Mark Sanchez barely held onto his job after being pulled last week. He better step up his game if he wants to keep it past this week. (
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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — One week after “The Benching,” Mark Sanchez gets the chance to prove he deserves to keep his job in the sun of North Florida.
Sanchez endured the first doubts from his bosses in his four years with the Jets this week. Coach Rex Ryan made Sanchez twist in the wind for two days as he debated whether to turn to Greg McElroy. Now, it’s on Sanchez to prove him right.
“I knew at some point before I died, I’d start at quarterback at some point,” Sanchez said. “I’m just glad it’s this week.”
Sanchez will start for the 66th time as the Jets quarterback today. It is clear, though, if he has another outing like last week, he will be on the bench again. Sanchez cannot afford another turnover-filled performance.
“It’s a frustrating thing, and then to have to step back on one hand, as much as you disagree with the decision — you never want to come out of the game — I understand where he’s coming from because everyone needs to be held accountable, myself included,” Sanchez said. “Coach said it last week that we need to take care of the football, and he also made the point after the game when he talked to me, that the play by [Cardinals cornerback Patrick] Peterson, those plays happen.
“The ball gets batted and tipped at the line of scrimmage. Those kinds of plays happen. You get blindsided and the ball goes flying in the air, it happens to everybody, but when you make a bad throw on the first play of the game, when you make a bad read and force it to Jeff Cumberland, those can’t fly. He made his decision and we’re all held accountable. I think that was the most important thing.”
Expect the Jets (5-7) to try to limit Sanchez’s chances at turnovers today. The Jaguars (2-10) are 31st in the NFL in run defense, setting up the Jets for a heavy dose of “Ground and Pound.” They also will emphasize throwing check-downs to the running backs and not taking many risks to Sanchez.
Ryan said he believes Sanchez will respond.
“Well, he’s pulled himself up before in situations,” Ryan said. “But I think his competitiveness [will help him] and he understands … you just have to go out and play the position and do it to the best of your ability, believe in your teammates, and I think that’s it. Protect the football, that’s all we’re asking him to do. Play the position, do what you do, but protect the football.”
A look inside the game:
MARQUEE MATCHUP
Jaguars WR Justin Blackmon vs. Jets CB Antonio Cromartie. Blackmon, a rookie, is the only weapon the Jaguars have on offense with running back Maurice Jones-Drew and wide receiver Cecil Shorts out with injuries.
Blackmon was the fifth overall pick in April. He has 39 catches
for 557 yards and three touchdowns this year. He will get a test today with Cromartie, who has been the Jets’ MVP this year. If Cromartie shuts down Blackmon, it’s hard to figure out how the Jaguars will score.
HENNE RETURNS
The Jets are familiar with Jaguars quarterback Chad Henne from his time with the Dolphins. He is 3-1 against the Jets in his career, including two outstanding games. The Jaguars have averaged 26.3 points per game since Henne replaced Blaine Gabbert, after averaging 14.1 in the first nine games.
“We know him a little bit,” safety Yeremiah Bell, who played with Henne in Miami, said. “He’s a guy with a strong arm. He can make all the throws. If you let him get hot, he can stay hot on you. We’ve got to make sure we disguise some things early and not let him get into a rhythm.”
TAKE YOUR PICK
The Jets secondary started the year grabbing interceptions in bunches — they had seven through their first six games. They have just two since. The defense needs to help Sanchez and the sputtering offense today by picking off Henne and giving the offense good field position.
TEBOW’S HOMECOMING
The most talked about sideshow of the Jets’ season gets another wrinkle today. Quarterback Tim Tebow returns to his hometown of Jacksonville with the question of whether he will be active. Tebow was inactive last week with broken ribs. Ryan has said Tebow will be a game-time decision. If he doesn’t play, there will be a lot of disappointed fans. The Jaguars opened up sections of their stadium that they never sell tickets for in anticipation they could sell them with Tebow coming to town.
JASON LIVES
The Jets still have nightmares of what DE Jason Babin did to them last year when he was with the Eagles. Babin had three sacks in that game, tormenting Wayne Hunter. Now, Babin is in Jacksonville, and Hunter has been replaced by Austin Howard.
Howard faced off with Babin when both were on the Eagles.
“Jason is a really active guy,” Howard said. “He has a knack for getting to the ball. He’s high energy. He’s one of those guys where you really have to be careful and focus on and study during the week.”
brian.costello@nypost.com