CORTLAND — Some people question whether Mark Sanchez is the best quarterback on his team. The Jets quarterback believes he can be one of the 10 best quarterbacks in the NFL.
Sanchez left SUNY-Cortland yesterday feeling good about how he played in training camp. Asked if he agrees with linebacker Bart Scott’s assessment this week that he can be one of the 10 best quarterbacks in the league, Sanchez did not shy away from it.
“Sure,” Sanchez said. “You’ve got to think that. You’ve got to play like that. As soon as you step out there, you’ve got to be the baddest guy out there, the toughest, the best, the most accurate and you’ve got to want to win.”
The fourth-year quarterback had a strong camp. He showed a command of new offensive coordinator Tony Sparano’s offense, a zip on his throws and leadership in the huddle. Unofficially, Sanchez completed 94-of-180 passes (52.2 percent) during team drills in camp with five passing touchdowns, one rushing touchdown, seven interceptions and was sacked 20 times.
Beyond the numbers, Sanchez carried himself much better than he has in the past. He looks like he has grown into the role of a leader.
“One of the things I felt more comfortable doing, especially with the younger wideout group,” Sanchez said, “was getting on those guys and letting them know when you come in the huddle, I’m not being selfish here, but this is my huddle. Don’t talk. Name your position quickly and let’s go. Get lined up because there’s a lot of stuff I need to go through to get us in the right position to be successful and Coach is expecting me to do that. If you’re not on task, I’m going to get yelled at. I’m going to be standing there holding the ball.”
The 25-year-old admits that being vocal does not come naturally to him. But he looks like he has more command of the offense and guys are looking to him for answers more than in the past. It should be noted that wide receiver Santonio Holmes has not practiced much during training camp due to various injuries. It will be interesting if Sanchez can maintain his hold on the offense when Holmes returns.
“It’s not the easiest thing to do,” Sanchez said. “It’s not necessarily my genetic makeup to just start yelling at guys. There’s a time and a place to give somebody a hug, to jump up and give them a chest bump and a high five, and there’s other times when you’ve got to get on guys and you’ve got to find the right ways to reach different people. I think I’m really navigating that a lot better now.”
Sanchez also has navigated the Tim Tebow arrival deftly. Sanchez has done nothing to fuel the fire of a quarterback controversy. He has artfully dodged every question about his feelings about the Jets’ pickup of Tebow in March.
Tebow had an inconsistent camp. His passing seemed to improve as camp went on, but then he had his worst day yesterday, going 2-for-10 with an interception and four sacks. Overall in camp, Tebow unofficially went 53-for-109 (48.6 percent) with two passing touchdowns, three rushing touchdowns, three interceptions and 29 sacks. Jets coach Rex Ryan said Tebow completed around 65 percent of his passes if you add in 7-on-7 drills.
The Jets worked on Wildcat plays again yesterday with the practice closed to the public. Tebow feels like he is picking up his role.
“It really didn’t make too much of an adjustment,” Tebow said. “I feel just the way I try to prepare and train and physically come in shape and ready to go, that it wasn’t too hard.”