It won’t be Mark Sanchez versus Geno Smith tonight against the Jaguars. It will be Mark Sanchez versus Mark Sanchez. It will be Mark Sanchez versus Jets Nation.
It is a sad commentary on the life and times of Mark Sanchez that, as he attempts to move another step closer to holding off Geno Smith and keeping his job, he finds himself guilty until proven innocent in the green-and-white court of public opinion. He has the same opportunity to turn the jeers to cheers Alex Rodriguez has at Yankee Stadium. If it is at all possible.
He is the pariah quarterback who made the bed, of course. And those restless natives who didn’t sell their souls to the devil so Joe Namath and the Super Bowl III Jets could shock the world would probably sell their souls for Tim Tebow to take a sabbatical from Foxborough to come down and heal Smith’s ankle through prayer so he can stay alive in the quarterback battle and keep hope alive for the disillusioned, disenchanted, disgusted fan base that cringes at the thought of Sanchez trotting out to challenge Darrelle Revis and the Bucs on Sept. 8.
Sanchez versus Smith: the devil they know versus the devil they do not know.
Smith versus Sanchez: The Kid versus The Dead End Kid.
If Sanchez versus Smith is as close as the Jets keep telling us it is, then they should extend the competition and make certain Smith has a fair and equal shot at the starting job.
But if this is about greasing the skids for the ultimate ruination of the pariah quarterback, if the fix is in, then that would be unfair to the team.
And, if he somehow does not have final say, maybe even to Rex Ryan.
Should Sanchez show up tonight as Joe Montana, should he somehow turn the night into his own personal Jets East, should he remember the incessant reminders about ball security, then Ryan and John Idzik and Marty Mornhinweg should think long and hard about ending the competition and declare him the victor. While that wouldn’t be fair to Smith, them’s the breaks, or the sprains. It would give Sanchez and the starters three quarters against the Giants, which means it would be fair to the team.
Of course, these are the Jets, where a smile is often a frown turned upside down.
Where the rookie general manager has a longer-term view than the head coach who is fighting for survival.
It means that one false step from Sanchez — one more pick-six, let’s say, or, dare we say, one more buttfumble — would open the door for Smith, his limp gone, to rally back to win the job with a lights-out performance against the Giants.
Because Idzik has tried to turn the old Hard Knocks Jets into the Kremlin, and Ryan into Eric Mangini, spewing party propaganda, conspiracy theories abound around Jetologists:
Ryan cannot possibly trust Smith and still clings to the belief Sanchez, as the lesser of two evils, gives him the best chance to win.
Ryan using “brutal” to assess Smith’s Wednesday practice was a message both to Smith and to Idzik.
By waiting until after the Giants game to announce the starter, it will become clear Idzik wants the quarterback he drafted to topple the incumbent and mollify the angry mob.
Ryan can make the case right now Smith is no Robert Griffin III or Russell Wilson, that sophisticated regular-season NFL defenses will eat the kid alive, that even Eli Manning struggled, even after watching Kurt Warner for nine games as a rookie.
Everyone knows Sanchez is Dead Quarterback Walking. We’re about to find out if the Jets cannot stomach the thought of Dead Quarterback Starting as much as their fans do.
3 JETS TO WATCH
BRAYLON EDWARDS
Wide receiver
The veteran receiver still believes he can be a difference maker, but it has been hard to see during training camp. He played 27 snaps last week against the Lions, a high number for a veteran. The Jets may be trying to figure out just how much Edwards has left.
CHRIS IVORY
Running back
The Jets traded for Ivory on draft day hoping he could solidify their running game. He has spent most of training camp sidelined with a hamstring injury. He practiced this week and is expected to play tonight, our first glance at the Jets’ new-look run game.
DEMARIO DAVIS
Linebacker
Run defense was an issue for the Jets last season. Tonight, Maurice Jones-Drew will give them a test early before the starters exit. Davis has replaced Bart Scott at inside linebacker. He is faster than Scott. Can he come up and deliver a hit like Scott?