After watching Sanchez post shoulder surgery, I'm starting to think that for that rough 1 year and a quarter he may have been playing hurt a la Bret Favre at the end of the 08 season.
After watching him in admittedly limited action in preseason, I am more convinced than ever that he was injured--that his shoulder was pretty bad and couldn't make the throws he was comfortable with--in all of 2012 and part of 2011. Post shoulder surgery he looked pretty good. _
The difference in velocity especially is glaring. Sanchez always attempted throws he had no business attempting but during part of the 2011 and all of 2012 those throws had no chance what's so ever due to the lack of velocity. This pre-season was the first time in a while where I saw him putting some real zip on the ball.
He was probably playing with more confidence. Playing for Chip Kelly will do that to you. As will playing against 2nd and 3rd stringers who aren't blitzing or masking coverages...he's biggest weakness to figure out.
It's crazy but some of the throws he made to Zach Ertz looked better than any throw he made since 2010. I gotta admit, as a staunch Sanchez supporter, everytime he set up to throw in 2012 I thought it was going to get picked. _
Isn't average and mediocre one in the same? Anyway, see my last post. I'm saying when you look at him throw the ball know, it's pretty clear that there was something up his shoulder the last couple years playing here. I know the hate compels you to jump in and bash but the aforementioned comment doesn't mean he was ever or would have been very good or great if not injured.
Geno was viewed as a steal by the Jets who was supposed to sit behind Sanchez for a year, learn the offense, and then play once Sanchez failed/mediocre'd it again. Sanchez's preseason injury messed that plan up, and so we got to watch a guy who clearly wasn't NFL ready start all of last year. At the time he was selected, Geno looked like a good value pick to the majority of observers, and we DID need a QB. My issue with Geno now is that he doesn't seem to have fixed any his biggest problems - staring down his targets, being unable to move past his first read, (these are a large part of why he throws so many INTs) and targeting not-wide-open receivers significantly short of the 1st down marker on 3rd downs (drive-killing completions), etc. Barring two games this season (Raiders, Pats) the guy has played like a rookie QB. Part of this is the fault of his QB Coach and OC, and the Jets brain-trust in general for not developing him properly - surrounding him with the kind of talent he needed to develop as a rookie.
In this preseason he was throwing the ball as hard or harder than at anytime since 2010. Maybe that plays into his confidence but I'm strictly talking about arm strength and velocity. BTW since you brought it up, Sanchez did play against the Steelers first string in the preseason and played well.
Average and mediocre are two different things. I dont hate Sanchez, I never did. He was awful in his rookie year. Then he showed progress in year 2, but he was just average at best that year. Year 3 he was average to mediocre, then he regressed year 4. And there were no differences in his throws in any year IMO. He had the same decision making/inconsistent accuracy issues throughout his 4 years with the Jets.
He could be healthier, Idk, I'm just saying I think a lot of that velocity could have to do with playing with more confidence. If you are more sure of yourself you are more likely to fire it in there. Playing against vanilla defenses and scrubs is going to make you more sure of yourself especially after the buzz saw he was in NY. I didn't watch him though because I don't care anymore about him. I hardly watch preseason for my own team. Maybe he's got a better arm now but either way that wasn't his problem here.
I agree with the bold; that's why I said he always attempted passes he has no business attempting. That is also why we may have still gotten similar results even if he had a healthy shoulder. However, if anyone can watch him throw the ball this preseason and not see a noticeable difference in velocity from 2012, then "hate" has blurred their vision.
The problem with the shoulder injury excuse is that Sanchez's biggest issue was always his decision making. He was making the same boneheaded mistakes and committing the same unforgivably bad turnovers in his fourth season that he was in his first season.
I see the hate affects reading comprehension as well. Who's using it as an excuse? The bold is pretty much what I said from the jump.
i remember draft time saying...i just hope geno gets picked by another team before we can even get him...i didnt want to pass on him incase he turned out to be good and i didnt want to take him incase of the suckness... well he ended up falling to the 2nd round and at that time is was a no brainer..but if we could rewind the clock..i wish rex never put sanchez in that pre season game and got ONE MORE chance...even tho was sick of him at the time....god i was wrong..now since i want mariota really bad...i hope if we get him its not a disaster.....ughhh
LOL...You say anything remotely close to being viewed as slightly more than negative towards Sanchez and they come out the woodwork. It's pretty amazing.
I see the Sanchez nutt-hugging affects sensitivity as well. The bottom line is that Sanchez was making unforgivable mistake in his fourth season. He had his worst year in his fourth season. He regressed. So yeah, harping about a phantom injury (that I personally saw no evidence for in 2012, yet alone 2011) that supposedly made it "pretty clear that there was something up with his shoulder the last couple years playing here" comes off like subtle (or not so subtle?) excuse making to me.
That quote in a vacuum certainly sounds like an excuse but when it's preceded and/or followed in context with the following then it's not: -"...attempted throws he had no business attempting" -"...I agree [he had the same decision making/inconsistent accuracy issues]" -"...doesn't mean he was ever or would have been very good or great if not injured" -"...we may have still gotten similar results even if he had a healthy shoulder" -"...I'm strictly talking about arm strength and velocity. But hey, don't let the facts get in the way of the hate. As you were.
