Grounded

I’m trying my best not to enjoy it. The Patriots still have the Thanksgiving game with the Jets. Even if the NYJ drop a winnable game against the Rams this coming Sunday, I would still expect to see Gang Green’s best efforts at home against their hated divisional rivals. Still, it’s almost too easy. The 3-6-0 record, Mark Sanchez’s on-going struggles, a playoff guarantee followed by a lifeless defeat, followed by rumors of a teary Rex Ryan imploring his unlovable band of misfits to believe, followed by Bart Scott insisting the Jets are family even as some family members are trashing their receiving corps and calling out their second string QB. Seriously? It’s the guy who isn’t playing’s fault?

This is your defense of Mark Sanchez? That he isn’t as horrible as Tim Tebow?

Are you sure about that?

 

It’s an NFL truism that quarterbacks get too much of the credit when their team wins and too much of the blame when their team loses. I suppose we should keep that in mind when assessing Mark Sanchez’s 2012 season. Let’s stipulate to the fact that it isn’t just Mark’s fault.

Arithmetic!

On the basis of Passer Rating, Mark Sanchez ranks 30^th among NFL quarterbacks. The only names in his rear view are Brandon Weeden, Matt Cassel and John Skelton. On the basis of Yards Per Attempt, Sanchez comes in at 29^th place. On the basis of Completion Percentage, Sanchez is dead last, completing 52% of his passes.

If you’re a Patriots fan, I’ll wait while you read that last paragraph one more time.

If you’re a Jets fan, I’ll wait while you go get a tissue.

Small Data Samples 

So, now that you’re back; in what other pigskin universe does a starting QB with Mark Sanchez’s numbers keep his starting job? If you’re Eli Manning and you’ve got two Super Bowl rings you could call this a “rough patch” but if you’re Mark Sanchez you’re simply having another year; another year where you don’t complete 60% of your passes, your passer rating is under 80 and you’re yards per attempt is under 7. Even when the Jets were losing AFC Championships, Mark Sanchez was not a very good quarterback. If the Jets were as good as the 49ers, Mark Sanchez would be as good as Alex Smith but the Jets are not that good.

The Benchmark

By comparison, Tom Brady (other than his rookie year cameo) has never completed less than 60% of his pass attempts, has never had a passer rating under 80 and consistently has averaged more than 7.00 yards per attempt (including 8.32 YPA in 2007 and 8.57 in 2011).

I’ll wait while Jets fans go and get that whole box of tissues this time.

Greg McElroy must really suck... 

Apparently, you’re stuck with Sanchez. As one of the heroically anonymous Jets described it, “there’s no other viable option.” Not Tebow. Not Greg McElroy.

Okay, everyone on the planet knows there’s a significant drop off from Tom Brady to Ryan Mallett but Pats players aren’t trashing Mallett anonymously in the press. (I actually can’t conceive of that happening in the Belichickverse.) If the unthinkable should happen and Brady couldn’t go, you know the players would publicly and universally rally around Mallett. Jets players have preemptively chosen to quit on Tebow, should he replace a benched Sanchez.

The 'Mighty Ducks' Story Line

Let’s forget the scenario where Rex Ryan benches Sanchez (that’s not going to happen); what should we expect in the event of an injury to their star-crossed starting QB? Will they quit or will they rally to Tebow?

The 'Sleepless in Seattle' Story Line

More importantly, will we be able to tell the difference between quitting and what they left on the field in Seattle last Sunday, an effort that left their head coach in tears?

What wins championships, again? 

Interestingly, Tebow has become something of a scapegoat even as he has played so few plays as to have had little impact on the actual outcome. Is it Tebow’s fault that the Jets once feared defense has become mediocre (at best)? Granting Darrelle Revis’ absence, the Jets defense is ranked 17^th in yards per game allowed, 30^th in rushing yards allowed and 24^th in points allowed (at 25.3 per game).

Yikes! You can’t have swag on defense if you can’t stop the run.

Quick digression for Patriots fans: I’m not saying that Aqib Talib is Darrelle Revis. Nor am I saying that Revis’ absence alone is the reason the Jets defense has tumbled from the ranks of the elite. Nor am I saying we will see a correlative, positive effect on the Pats defense with Talib at cornerback. I’m just saying.

For contrast, the much maligned New England defense is ranked 25^th in yards per game allowed (hence the maligning) but 9^th in rushing yards allowed and 15^th in points allowed (at 22.3 per game). Perhaps more importantly, the Patriots lead the NFL in turnover differential at +16. The celebrated Bears defense has more takeaways (30 to 23) but that’s offset by the less celebrated Bears offense, which has more turnovers (16 to 7), in case you’re wondering.

The Jets rank 6^th in the AFC for turnover differential (tied with the Chargers and Bengals) at -2.

Quick digression to those who think I’m cherry picking stats: If you don’t think turnovers are as important as yards allowed, I think you may have missed the end of the first Jets-Patriots game. And the end of last week’s Bills-Patriots game. And the red zone INT Mark Sanchez threw against Seattle. And so what if I am cherry picking stats!

Deja vu all over again

It’s been said the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Not that I think Rex Ryan has any real choice. His locker room has gone to the media and made it clear they are not down with the Wildcat or the Read Option or Tim Tebow. That the players on a team that’s 3-6-0 would think they should have any say in fixing what’s wrong when they’re part of the thing that’s wrong in the first place makes little pigskin sense. Why wouldn’t you be willing to try anything to win a game?  

Ladies and gentlemen, the starting quarterback for your New York J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets!

Mark Sanchez!