It is time for us to turn our attention to the quarterback, Mark Sanchez. Sanchez has not jumped into the elite level of quarterback play yet this season. I think we have seen continued progress from him, though.
The completion percentage is still too low at 55.8%. This does not tell the whole story, though. There is a difference between a guy playing at a level consistently, which shows no growthg and one bad game skewing things. Outside of the Baltimore game, Sanchez is a 60% passer. He has also been the victim of a lot of drops. These numbers are not all world, but it does seem his short accuracy is generally better this season.
He still makes a lot of ill advised throws, but he is on pace for 27 touchdowns and 13 interceptions this year. That is a good ratio. He had a fumbling problem early in the year, but he's been a lot better at not leaving the ball exposed in the pocket the last three weeks once the coaching staff started drilling into him the need to avoid fumbles.
Mark is not a top ten quarterback at this point. He is a guy at his best when things break down and he has to improvise. Sometimes these plays result in disaster. Other times they result in huge gains.
I think Sanchez is steadily getting better. During his rookie year, his critics claimed his numbers were on a JaMarcus Russell level. Last year, his critics said the Jets were winning in spite of him. Now his critics say his numbers are only middle of the pack. There is a trend here. Mark is getting better.
More important than the numbers is the way he performs in big spots. He does seem to have a stage presence about him. His play in clutch moments in games and big contests has been very good.
There is still much work to be done and much improvement necessary. I think there is a lot to like all things considered.
How about you?