More photos » Kevin Rivoli - AP

Browse more photos »

A tidbit in today's Daily News has to leave you encouraged about Mark Sanchez's work ethic.

With each day, the portrait of Sanchez becomes more defined. He's hard on himself, maybe too hard, because he's a perfectionist. On Sunday, he missed two open receivers for potential touchdowns. "Layups," he called them. Afterward, he studied the tape and noticed his throwing elbow was too low in his delivery. That explained why the ball was sailing on him. "It hit me like a ton of bricks," Sanchez said.

I'm really, really starting to like this guy. There's more to being the quarterback than making throws. Part of the position is displaying leadership. In the middle of an otherwise productive practice, Sanchez misses some throws he should hit, and immediately he's breaking down film to figure out what he's done wrong. That sets an example for the rest of the team and shows the kind of commitment a lot of rookies with big contracts don't have.

I couldn't tell you whether Mark Sanchez is really going to be the savior of this franchise. I get the impression, though, if he fails, it will just be because he isn't good enough, not because of his attitude or willingness to put in the work.