Winslow Townson/Associated Press
Statistical numbers are a funny thing, they can be
either totally descriptive, or totally deceptive,
but the problem is, all players have them, and you
can't use them to prove how good one player is, and
in turn say that they don't mean as much for another.
Folks are quick to tell you that Drew Brees threw for
a record breaking 5,000 plus yards last season, and
that Tom Brady threw for 50 touchdowns in 2007, but
use numbers to say that a guy like Mark Sanchez has
gotten better every year since he entered the league,
and you'll be met by quite a bit of opposition.
Sanchez has been in the league just 3 years, and I
think his former coach at USC Pete Carrol was correct
when he said that he declared himself eligible for
the draft a little too early, but now as he starts
his fourth season with the Jets I think that you can
chalk up his time served so far as on the job training,
and experience that he probably should have gotten a
little more of in college. His numbers don't lie,
Sanchez's TD's have gone from 12 to 17 to 26, his
passing yards from 2,444 to 3,291 to 3,474 and his
passing percentage has also gone up every year, from
53.8% to 54.8% to 56.7%, and those last numbers are
probably the ones experts respect the most. Though
his Int's also went up from his 2nd year to his 3rd
year, it's really his only blemish, even if you admit
that though his QB rating isn't spectacular, it still
went up every year too.
To me these numbers say quite a bit, but they don't
say he's the next__________. Mark Sanchez can be
just fine being Mark Sanchez, problem is, will the
New York Jets let him? One of the best things that
happened to Sanchez this off season is that the Jets
hired Tony Sparano, but they off set that move as far
as Sanchez's success curve is concerned by trading
for Tim Tebow. The Jets can't seem to decide if they
want to sell tickets first and win later, or win first
and sell tickets later. Of course if they did any
true homework, they would realize that winning alone
will sell ALL of your tickets, so the only thing there
should be to worry about is winning. Tim Tebow CAN be
a very good thing for this team, but that's only if
Tony Sparano is allowed to run the offense with Mark
Sanchez in mind first, and gimmicks later. I believe
that Sparano both can and will, and everything he has
said thus far backs that up. Whether or not HC Rex
Ryan follows that doctrine as well or tries to please
owner Woody Johnson by showing off his new toy is
another issue. Mark Sanchez can and is set to have
a real good season this year, but will the Jets allow
it?
Tweet Don't Believe In Plays, Believe In Players - Al Davis
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