There isn't much difference in talent level from Joe Flacco to Mark Sanchez. One had a team that was run properly, supported him, and had a good roster around him, the other was Mark Sanchez. We will never know how good he would have been with the proper support around him, maybe he still would have fizzled, maybe he would still be the Jets QB. Mark had some of the best moments in my lifetime watching the Jets, but he also had some of the worst moments. Up and down. Up and down. That was Mark Sanchez.
We could have traded down to take Flacco in 2008 instead of taking Gholston at 5. If we had done that we don't trade up to get Sanchez and could have added a player like Maclin to team with Flacco or traded back again. There were a lot of good players on the board in 2009 who weren't QB's. I always thought the Gholston pick forced the Sanchez pick. It's possible we could have traded up to get Matt Ryan in 2008 when we took Gholston. I doubt it because I don't think the 2 teams ahead of Atlanta would have traded out. If you really believe Flacco is as good as Sanchez we should have taken him. I think he was better but it's a great argument.
I totally agree with your first sentence. I disagree with the second sentence, however. ESPN should never have ridiculed him that way, but considering his poor level of play, I think he was more than fairly compensated. I can't believe he agreed to go to work for them considering the way they have treated him, but hopefully, that poor treatment will end, and we'll never have to see the butt fumble again.
I never felt bad for him. I'm not sure that he was such a hard worker or focused on being the best he could be. Eating hot dogs on the sideline during a game and yukking it up when the team was losing doesn't meet that criteria imo. Rex, Tanny, and the CS didn't help him any, but he didn't help himself, either. I never thought he'd amount to much, and I hated that the Jets traded up to get him. Still, I rooted for him and hoped that he would prove me wrong. I don't think he had the smarts, the right mentality, the ability to process quickly and make good decisions or the vision to see the field to ever be anything other than a game manager. I wish him well at ESPN. He probably has the right personality for broadcasting, but not for playing. I can't believe that he lasted as long as he did in the NFL.
I think that Flacco is better, but probably only marginally, and even that may be because he had better coaching, had better talent around him, and was put in a position to succeed. Sanchez wasn't. I don't think that he would have ever been good or consistent. I think he may have lasted longer with the Jets with better coaching and talent around him, but I don't think the Jets would have ever gotten past the AFC Championship Game with him at QB.
The Ying & Yang that was Mark Sanchez..... kinda fits the JETS as a whole when you really think about it * Dierking beat me to guapo comment
The rise and fall of Mark Sanchez in New York By Dan Hanzus The Mark Sanchez era in New York has come to a close. The Jets released the quarterback Friday after a turbulent five-season run that included four playoff wins, too many turnovers, a controversial shoulder injury, and of course, a butt fumble. Let's take a look back at the erstwhile Sanchize's rise and fall in Gotham: April 25, 2009: The Jets send their first and second-round draft picks, plus three players to the Cleveland Browns to move up and select Sanchez with the fifth pick in the draft. Sanchez takes on the burden previously inherited by the likes of Chad Pennington, Ken O'Brien, Browning Nagle and Richard Todd: Joe Namath's Rightful Successor. Sept. 13, 2009: To the surprise of no one, Sanchez beats out Kellen Clemens for the starting job. Things start out beautifully: After a pregame pep talk from the aforementioned Broadway Joe, Sanchez throws for 272 yards and a touchdown in a 24-7 road win over the Houston Texans. Fan confidence level in the Sanchez era hovers somewhere near 812 percent. Oct. 18, 2009: Jets fans (and Rex Ryan) get their first glimpse at Sanchez's propensity for destructive behavior. He throws five interceptions in an ugly 16-13 overtime loss to the Buffalo Bills at the Meadowlands. The Jets lost on a day they had 318 yards rushing, including 210 from Thomas Jones. "I don't know if I could play any worse," Sanchez said after the game. Hold tight ... Oct. 25, 2009: CBS cameras catch Sanchez wolfing down a hot dog on the sideline late in a 38-0 win over the Oakland Raiders. This innocent, albeit unusual, act leads to a solid rogering from the local and national media. The episode proved two things: 1) Playing under the New York spotlight presents unique challenges, and 2) The media can sometimes be insane. Jan. 24, 2010: The Jets are knocked off by the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Championship Game. This comes after Sanchez helped lead the Jets to back-to-back playoff wins over the Cincinnati Bengals and San Diego Chargers. The loss to Peyton Manning and Co. hurts, but the future seems bright for Sanchez. August 2010: Sanchez and the Jets appear on the sixth season of HBO's "Hard Knocks" series. The season represents the award-winning series at its zenith, and Sanchez comes off as the goofy and charismatic golden boy of the organization. If our memory serves us, Mark Brunell warns Sanchez to stay away from his daughter during one quarterback meeting. Good times. Jan. 16, 2011: Speaking of zeniths, the Ryan/Sanchez combo reaches its unquestionable high point in a road win over the New England Patriots in the divisional playoffs. Sanchez badly outplays Tom Brady, throwing for three touchdowns without a turnover. Sanchez now has four road playoff wins in two seasons. "He's just now getting better and better and better," Ryan said. Jan. 23, 2011: Sanchez and the Jets fall short in the AFC Championship Game for the second consecutive year. After a slow start, Sanchez catches fire in the second half, nearly leading the Jets all the way back from a huge halftime deficit. Still plenty of reason for optimism in Florham Park. September 2011: Sanchez graces the cover of GQ. The pictorial includes shots of Sanchez seducing a 9.5, channeling the Hoff and celebrating in a bathtub. Thankfully, there is no mirror action. March 9, 2012: After getting a hard no from the Peyton Manning camp, the Jets turned around and give Sanchez a rich contract extension. This despite the fact that Sanchez was coming off a 26-turnover third season and was under contract for two more years. The extension was head-scratching, but not at the level of what happened next ... March, 21, 2012: That would be this. Here was a personnel disaster of historic proportions that poisoned everyone it touched. Sanchez handled the situation with grace, and Tim Tebow never threatened his starting role. But cracks in the relationship between QB and team were now on clear display. Nov. 22, 2012: The Butt Fumble. However unfair it may seem, this is how Sanchez's Jets career will be remembered: A helmet-to-ass collision with guard Brandon Moore during a 49-19 loss to the New England Patriots on Thanksgiving night. This is arguably the lowest moment in franchise history, period. April 26, 2013: The Jets use their second-round pick in the 2013 NFL Draft on West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith. The Life After Sanchez Watch is on. Aug. 24, 2013: The Snoopy Bowl loses its innocence. Sanchez suffers a right shoulder injury in the fourth quarter of a preseason game against the New York Giants. The Jets downplay the injury for weeks, but the quarterback is headed for season-ending surgery to repair a torn labrum. Ryan is roundly criticized for playing his likely Week 1 quarterback behind an offensive line of future truck drivers and cable delivery men. March 21, 2014: Sanchez is released after the Jets acquire Michael Vick. Sanchez's final numbers with the Jets: 62 games (all starts), 33-29 record, 55.1 percent completion percentage, 12,092 yards, 68 touchdowns, 69 interceptions, 71.7 passer rating. What a long and strange trip it was. http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap20...the-rise-and-fall-of-mark-sanchez-in-new-york
Random Sanchez related story..... my old man was in the hospital recovering from a Knee replacement he had a few days before the 2009 draft. I went to see him at the hospital and watch the draft with him and snuck in a small soft cooler with a 6pack....which made his eyes light up. The JETS trade up shortly after I walk in, and when theyre on the clock, of course the DR. making the rounds decides to come in a check on pops and ask questions... ..... one being "any history of alcohol use?" I try not to laugh as my dad plainly says "no"... as he has his beer hidden under his bedside table.... I'm clearly getting aggitated trying to see the TV now, then the DR says in his strong Indian accent "OK, goodbye, enjoy your sports match"
The road playoff guru is retiring? Makes sense, retire while you are on top! Chances are he'll be a better commentator than NFL QB.
Yesterday I saw Jamie Lynn Sigler on some dumbass game show. I turned to my wife and said "Mark Sanchez used to tap that." He retired the next day. All I got.
When does he run into someone on the set and fall down? Will he eat a hot dog at the desk? What co-host will he wipe a booger on?
