Let’s look at Sanchez Dan Leberfeld
Mark Sanchez was victimized by some drops, but he didn’t play particularly well either. Here is an extensive look at his performance in the Jets loss to the Packers . . .
On his first pass attempt, Sanchez threw a little behind Santonio Holmes on a quick slant. You could make the argument that the pass was catchable, but it wasn’t a great throw. This possession ended with DE Cullen Jenkins blocking a Sanchez pass attempt over the middle on the line.
This was a terrible first-possession coming out of bye-week. So often, you see a top-shelf quarterback and great offensive march down the field, especially against an average defense, on the first possession out of bye. The Jets came out with a clunker.
The second possession was a three-and-out, featuring all runs.
The third possession started out well with Sanchez hitting Holmes for a gain of 15 over the middle. This was a very good throw because CB Tramon Williams had tight coverage. But the next play seemed to take all the air out of the possession when Shonn Greene dropped a screen pass right in his hands. Two plays later, Sanchez was sacked by LB Brandon Chillar to end the possession.
On the fourth possession, it looked like the Jets were perhaps getting their act together. This possession started in the first quarter and carried into the second. On third-and-four, Holmes beat CB Charles Woodson on a crossing route for a gain of 10.
Two plays later, Sanchez threw to Cotchery over the short middle, and the two didn’t seem to be on the same page because J-Co didn’t expect the ball. On the next play, Holmes beat Williams on a deep comeback right on the right side for a gain of 18. But then a couple of plays later, Brad Smith fumbled on a QB keeper, and the possession was over. I think Smith is very good on these plays, but he almost never pitches, so perhaps it really isn’t an option.
On the fifth possession, Sanchez had a near pick down the deep middle by LB A.J. Hawk on a pass to J-Co. This possession ends with Sanchez scrambling to his left and overthrowing Holmes on the left sideline.
On a possession in the middle of the second quarter, Sanchez forced a pass to Braylon Edwards over the middle, and the pass went right into the hands of CB Charles Woodson, but he couldn’t hold on. Late in this drive, Williams picked off a quick slant to J-Co that he seemed to see coming.
In the two-minute drills at the end of the first half, Sanchez hit Keller on the short right side for a gain of five on first down, but then threw the same exact pass two plays later, and LB Desmond Bishop almost picked it off.
On the Jets first possession of the third quarter was a play that hurt the Jets a great deal. Holmes had CB Sam Shields soundly beat on a crossing route, but dropped the ball. He would have gone a long way if he caught it.
Late in the third quarter, Sanchez had his best pass of the day when he saw J-Co on a mismatch with Hawk, and hit the receiver for a gain of 48 down the middle. Sanchez helped his how cause with a pump fake that Hawk bit on. This drive ended with a missed field goal.
Another completion of note by Sanchez was a 32-yard pass to Braylon Edwards down the left sideline. Williams bit on a pump fake by Sanchez creating some space. This pass could have gone for more, but it got impacted by the wind, and Edwards had to come back for it a little.
In the middle of the fourth quarter, Sanchez hit Dustin Keller for a gain of 40. Sanchez did a great job of avoiding the rush on this play, creating extra time, and messing up the Green Bay coverage. Keller was wide open, getting behind S Nick Collins. But the Jets failed to capitalize on this big play. The possession ended with three straight incompletions to Cotchery, including a drop over the deep middle. J-Co should have had it, but in his defense, he was hit really hard in the back by S Charlie Peprah, knocking the ball out.
Dom Capers had a great game plan, but for a offense, with this many weapons, to not score coming out of a bye-week, is unacceptable.
