BY DEFAULT: Mark Sanchez should be named the Jets starter for the season opener because Geno Smith hasn’t proven he can be trusted, Post columnist George Willis writes. (Anthony J Causi)
CORTLAND — The Jets remained non-committal on who the starting quarterback will be for Saturday’s preseason game against the Jaguars and kept insisting the competition between incumbent Mark Sanchez and rookie Geno Smith is on-going.
“There’s still work to be done to definitively win the job,” head coach Rex Ryan said on the eve of the team’s final day of training camp at SUNY Cortland. “We’ve got to see more out of both guys.”
I’ve seen enough. The Jets can start who they want against Jacksonville, but Sanchez deserves to be the starting quarterback when they open the regular season Sept. 8 against the Buccaneers at MetLife Stadium. Smith likely ruined his chance to win the job by regressing during the final week in Cortland.
It started with Sunday’s practice, when he was clearly hobbled by an ankle sprain suffered against the Lions, and continued yesterday, when he threw three interceptions during a team session and another during a 7-on-7 drill. Ryan called Smith’s performance “brutal.”
For a rookie to win the starting job over a highly paid veteran in his fifth year such as Sanchez, Smith needed to prove he is a better alternative and can be trusted. He hasn’t done that.
Yes, Smith showed toughness by not missing any of the workouts, but he limped through drills and couldn’t plant and throw with the force he had shown before the injury. The late throws, the interceptions, the missed reads seemed to escalate to the point Ryan suggested Smith might not play against the Jaguars if his ankle isn’t fit.
“I don’t think he’s close to 100 percent right now,” Ryan said.
Bad ankle aside, Smith has looked like a rookie this week, which should be no surprise. With as many as 20 plays being installed per day, the grind can be a difficult pace for veterans, much less a player in his first year.
Smith insisted the ankle wasn’t impacting his play even though everyone else could see otherwise. “I’ve done a good job of pushing through,” he said.
It hasn’t been good enough to unseat Sanchez. Other than the pick-six interception he threw early in the game against the Lions, Sanchez has shown himself to still be the leader of the Jets whether it’s on the practice field or having dinner with his offensive linemen as he did Tuesday night in downtown Cortland.
Sure, the interception against the Lions conjured memories of the 52 turnovers he has committed over the past two seasons. But if the competition is truly about this training camp and not the past, then Smith has a better chance of catching Usain Bolt than Sanchez.
While Smith was throwing interceptions yesterday, Sanchez took his team smartly down the field and finished by completing a 30-yard pump-and-go touchdown pass to Braylon Edwards.
“I’ve felt good through the duration of camp,” Sanchez said. “I’ve thrown the ball well and accurate.”
Having endured the spectacle of Tim Tebow and harsh criticism from Jets fans and the media, Sanchez has developed a thick skin. He remains a consummate professional with teammates and media. If he struggles early, he’s accustomed to handling adversity and even booing from the home crowd.
Smith, meanwhile, is starting to appear edgy. Twice yesterday he chastised the media for inquiring about his ankle, saying, “I hate the fact that you guys try to make it about me,” as if he has little understanding about the attention focused on a quarterback battle in New York.
Later when asked about his interceptions, the second-round pick dismissed the question by saying, “You’ve got to watch the tape. I’m pretty sure you’ve all got it. Go ahead and watch it.”
Smith may eventually be the Jets starting quarterback, perhaps even at some point this season. But for now, he’s still got a lot to learn on and off the field. As much as Jets fans might not trust Sanchez, the coaching staff can’t trust Smith.
george.willis@nypost.com