Mark Sanchez Set For Break Out Year, BUT...............

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

All The Right Moves? Well, Sometimes

Nowadays it's quite common to take shots at Al Davis
in the media, and truth be told, most that do are either
looking to fill some news space or too young to remember
that along with the likes of Dan Rooney, Wellington Mara,
George Halas, etc. of the world he is as much responsible
for the Multi Billion Dollar success of the NFL as they
are in many regards. You could also say that there were
times where he seemed to be a detriment to the league as
well, but what powerful league figure hasn't been accused
of that?

Saturday's game between the embarrassingly playoff bound 7-9
Seattle Seahawks and the defending Super Bowl Champion New
Orleans Saints was just one more example as to how many
things, be it in the NFL or life itself are interconnected.
Pete Carrol did Al Davis a favor that day. One that Davis
did want, need, or even ask for, but nonetheless he did.
Al has been taking a bit of flack from Raider fans and non
Raider fans alike for his decision not to renew the contract
of Tom Cable his head coach for the past 2 1/2 years.
I too thought this was a mistake, and in a small way have a
hard time admitting that it still might not be a mistake,
but after that debacle that was a title defense of sorts by
those miserable Saints, something Al said after the Raiders
finished their 2010 season with a victory came to mind.
He was asked if he thought their 8-8 record was an improvement
from recent seasons past (I'm paraphrasing here). His response
seemed harsh at the time, but made sense if your an owner that
wants to put a winner on the field. He said " If that's
the world you live in". At the time I kind of took it as
a snappy type of remark, but you see, his job or desire if you
wish is to win another Championship, not to make friends,
I'm sure he already has too many of those. If Pete Carrol
can take his 7-9 rag tag bunch into the playoffs and get one
step closer to a championship, one that would be an embarrassment
might I add, then why shouldn't he expect the same out of his
team and his coach? I'm sure that one of things that probably
annoyed Davis, even though the decision was made well before that
game was the fact that his Raiders had defeated those very same
Seahawks 33-3 this very season, and that the Raiders 8-8 mark,
though not good enough in his mind was still better than theirs.

Those who choose too criticize Al's football decisions should keep
in mind his many accomplishments as well. Under the watch of
Al Davis the Raiders have won more Super Bowl games than 43%
of NFL Teams combined, and they have appeared in at least one
Super Bowl game in every decade excluding this one so far.
I could bore you by going on and on with this, but I won't.
I will however speak to those that choose to say that it's time
for Grandpa Al to move over and let someone else take over the
franchise. Probably the same folks that would be quick to find
a spot for their parents or grandparents in the nearest nursing
home the minute they became useless to their needs. We live in
a what have you done for me a second ago society, but should
realize that we will be in that position sooner or later as well,
and we may not want to be judged so quickly or harshly when it's
our turn. Don't like that argument? Well how about this then?
It's his team, he can do as he wishes, even if it means not
thanking Pete Carrol for a favor he didn't ask for.