TOP 25 UNDER 25 - #16 Mark Sanchez

MARK SANCHEZ - Quarterback, New York Jets

Dirty Sanchez was making headlines this week for all the wrong reasons. But, hooking up with hot chicks doesn't get you booted from this list. Besides, she was of legal age in New Jersey. Creepy? Yes. Legal? Apparently.

Aside from the off-field shenanigans, Sanchez has led the Jets to two straight AFC championship games, and we can't knock him for that. Surely, the team has been driven by defense and a great running game but Sanchez has been pretty good when called upon. When you consider that he has started from day 1 in the NFL and didn't get a chance to be an understudy you have to be fairly impressed.

Born in Long Beach, CA Sanchez played his college ball at USC under then head coach Pete Carroll. As a sophomore Sanchez backed up John David Booty and really only started a full season for the Trojans as a junior in 2008. He finished the '08 season with 34touchdown passes, 2nd in school history only to Matt Leinart, and 3,207 yards. When Sam Bradford, Colt McCoy and Tim Tebow all elected to stay in school Sanchez saw an opportunity and wisely entered the NFL draft in 2009.

The Jets traded up to select him with the 5th overall selection and he immediately became their starting quarterback under new head coach Rex "pretty feet" Ryan. In 2009 he played a very conservative style, with the Jets limiting the necessity for him to win games for them. He was prone to the typical rookie mistakes, throwing 20 interceptions on the year and he also put the ball on the carpet too much for 3 lost fumbles.

In 2010 he had a more open playbook, though they did not run a wide-spread offense. He cut down on his interceptions significantly, while also throwing more touchdowns. Where Sanchez earns his dough is in the playoffs, where his passer rating jumps about 20 points compared to the regular season. He also manages to come up with some big throws when he needs them, none more so than his pass to Santonio Holmes that helped seal the victory against New England in the 2010 playoffs.
*Obligatory highlight...Pats fans need not rewatch.
He is certainly not the prototypical "pocket passer" that Brady or Manning are. He does have more mobility than those kind of quarterbacks and is a bit of an improviser, making plays outside of the pocket. And he doesn't have the all-around game that Aaron Rodgers put on display in 2010 for Green Bay. In some regards he can be viewed as a poor man's Ben Roethlisberger. Because he's viewed as a bit of a game manager, he's not higher on this list. That being said, many consider the Quarterback position to be the toughest position in all of sports, and this guy has managed it well enough to be in two straight conference championships. He may never be a 4,000 yard passer but winning counts for a lot and so far he's been pretty good at that.

The real question is why is this guy, the quarterback of a good football team in New York (more like Jersey...but still) who is young and considered handsome doing running around with 17 year old girls when he could be tearing up Manhattan in fur coats and white shoes like Broadway Joe before him? I just don't get it.


And that, Mr. Sanchez is why you're not higher on this list...no swagger. Tom Brady plays in Foxboro...not exactly a bustling metropolis and he snagged Giselle. She only needs one name! Sanchez is messing around with some 17 year old socialite. Pathetic.


None the less, Mark Sanchez looks like he can be the franchise quarterback the Jets need for the next few years, though he'll need to win a ring to replace Joe Namath as the all-time great Jet QB. At 24 years old he still has plenty of time and a talented team around him to help him get there.

Oh That Dirty Sanchez

New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez "hooked up" in his home with a striking 17-year-old after they dined at a swank New York City sushi joint early last month, Deadspin.com reported Tuesday. Deadspin reported the alleged encounter after three weeks of discussions with the mystery girl, who reportedly contacted the website's writer Barry Petchesky after she learned he was conducting research on the story -- a claim Deadspin denied in its report.

"We went back to his place in Jersey after dinner. He lives on a golf course. There was a big storm," the girl, identified only as E.K., told Deadspin. Asked if she "hooked up" after the dinner at Nobu in Midtown Manhattan with Sanchez -- who is 24 -- the 17-year-old high school student said, "Yeah," albeit somewhat reluctantly, according to Deadspin.

When a Deadspin editor told her he would check to make sure it was legal for a girl her age to "hook up" with a man of Sanchez's age, the girl reportedly replied, "It is. It's 16. I checked (myFoxChicago)."

Sanchez did nothing illegal, could be looked at as shady, but nothing illegal. That being said I think the bigger story here is that New Jersey's consent age is 16. What the fuck is that all about? I mean a 50 year old can have sex with a 16 year old? That's fucked up.

Maybe it's because I grew up with 3 younger sisters, but that seems really weird to me. In Mass it's 18, and that just seems about right.

As for Sanchez, he should be smarter then this. Like DP said about A-Rod, couldn't he do better? Here is a pic of her (name is Eliza Kruger)...

She's hot, no doubt about that, but he could find someone hotter and older then 17. That's my opinion anyways.

This is getting a ton of air time in the NY media and on WEEI. The Jets have to be getting sick of all this. Here is a quick list of the shit storm they have had this year...

- Rex Ryan foot fetish videos
- Cromartie and his 9 kids with 8 women. Plus having to give 50,000 to him so he didn't miss a child support payment.
- Braylon Edwards DWI.
- Assistant coaching tripping incident.
- Santano Holmes 4 game suspension.
- Sexual harassment of a woman TV reporter in Jets locker room.
- Sanchez banging a 17 year old.

Wow, that's a lot to deal with, but fuck it "Let's go eat a god damn snack".

Conference Championship Preview: AFC

Jets at Steelers

For the second year in a row, the New York Jets will be playing in the AFC championship game. Similar to last season, Rex Ryan will take his show on the road for a chance to reach the Superbowl. The only thing standing in their way is the AFC north champion Pittsburgh Steelers. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 Sunday night at Heinz Field.

The Jets have already proven that they can win at Heinz field, something only two teams (Jets and Patriots) have accomplished since Ben Roethlisberger returned from suspension in the middle of October. The Jets won a hard fought battle, 22-17, with help from their defense (4th quarter safety) and special teams (97-yard kickoff return by Brad Smith). Jets’ quarterback, Mark Sanchez, was held in check completing 19 of 29 passes for 170 yards. New York’s balanced offense (27 rushes, 29 pass attempts) confused the Pittsburgh defense and although Sanchez was not able to throw any touchdowns, he orchestrated two drives resulting in short field goals, on top of running in the Jets only offensive touchdown. Pittsburgh came up just short, with the ball in Roethlisberger’s hands in the final seconds, he was unable to complete what would have been the game winning pass, Where is Santonio when you need him?

Interestingly enough, the Superbowl XLIII hero was traded to none other than New York Jets following another disastrous off-season that netted Holmes a 4-game suspension of his own to start the season. Since returning, Holmes has had a remarkable impact on the Jets offense, hauling in 52 catches for 746 yards and 6 touchdowns. His specialty has always been the clutch touchdown. This year was no different. Holmes had game winning catches in back to back games against Cleveland and Houston. Most recently, Holmes sealed the victory over the Patriots with a magnificent catch late in the 4th quarter. Alongside fellow cast-off, Braylon Edwards, they have created a dynamic duo. Holmes has great hands and can be very explosive in the open field. Edwards is more of a deep threat whose long body can make for a challenging assignment to shorter cornerbacks.

Despite having two very good receivers, the strength of the Jets offense is their 4th ranked rushing attack. A year of resurgence from LaDanian Tomlinson has paid off with a chance to play in the Superbowl, something Tomlinson has yet to accomplish in his illustrious career. Spelling Tomlinson is second year back, Shonn Greene, many envisioned a bigger role for Greene coming into this season, however, the balance between LT and Greene has worked out favorably for both backs, limiting their carries to a manageable amount and preserving their legs for the postseason. Greene has posted back to back 70+ yard games in the postseason, and put the Jets up two scores in the closing minutes against New England. Look for these backs to get around 30 total carries for 150 yards if the Jets want to have any success on offense.

Another element the Pittsburgh defense should be concerned with is tight end, Dustin Keller. DK has been relatively silent the last month of the season, but out of sight does not mean out of mind in the eyes of an NFL head coach. The Patriots were able to dismantle the Steelers by matching up their tight ends against the slower Pittsburgh linebackers, if this is the case on Sunday, Pittsburgh could be in for a long evening.

Fortunately for Pittsburgh, as I mentioned, the Jets ability to win games is largely in part of their stellar ground game. However, Pittsburgh boasts the league’s best defense against the run, holding opponents to 62.8 yards per game. Defensive tackle Casey Hampton is superb at clogging up the middle and often commanding two lineman to prevent him from blowing up running plays before they can start. Lawrence Timmons led the team in tackles with 135, and remains a very underrated piece of the Steelers championship caliber defense. Both James Harrison and Lamar Woodley had 10 sacks this year. It marks the third straight season that both men had 10 or more sacks, and Harrison’s second year of 100+ tackles and 10+ sacks, the first time coming in 2008, when he was named the league's defensive player of the year and a Superbowl champion. Monitoring the secondary is All-Pro safety, Troy Polamalu. It is imperative that Polamalu finds a way to force a turnover; he is a menace in the backfield and plays a great center field for a strong safety. Sanchez has been known to leave a lot balls hanging up in the air this postseason. It is only a matter of time before one of those ill advised throws winds up in the hands of an opposing defensive back. The Jets did not have a single turnover in their first matchup one month ago, if they play turnover free football; they are almost impossible to beat.

The proverbial trick up the sleeve for Pittsburgh is breakout wide receiver, Mike Wallace. This guy can change the momentum of a game in an instant. His explosive speed has haunted defensive coordinators all season long. He has the ability to turn an 8-yard crossing pattern into a 75-yard touchdown in the blink of an eye. It will be interesting to see which of the Jets cornerbacks checks the speedy Wallace. Antonio Cromartie might make the most sense; he is a little bit faster than Darrelle Revis, and typically covers opposing teams’ deep threats. The Jets must also attempt to shut down future hall of famer, Hines Ward. In plain terms, Ward is a pest. He is the ideal Pittsburgh Steeler. Ward gives 100% on every play, a rarity for wide receivers, he can catch, run, and block at a very high level and always seems to play above his head in the playoffs.

The Jets 3rd ranked rushing defense will have the challenging task of stopping Rashard Mendenhall. He was limited to 46 yards on 20 carries against Baltimore on Saturday; however, he was able to find the end zone twice. The Jets had an ideal game plan last weekend against the Patriots holding running backs Danny Woodhead and BenJarvus Green-Ellis to 89 yards on 23 carries. Although Mendenhall is a better runner than those two backs combined, the Jets have only allowed one 100-yard rusher the entire season (Matt Forte, 135 yards).

Seeing as both teams have solid defenses, and equally strong supporting casts on offense, I think this matchup will boil down to Mark Sanchez vs. Ben Roethlisberger.

On paper, it’s an easy pick. One guy is 9-2 in the post season and owns two Superbowl rings. The other is in his second year, has never played in a Superbowl, but he is 4-1 in the playoffs. Conventional wisdom would say that the better quarterback is going to win at home. However, seeing as I am neither conventional nor do I have much wisdom, I am picking the New York Jets. There is something magical about the Jets in the postseason and I can no longer deny it. Last year I wrote them off as lucky after they were one win away from a Superbowl berth. This year, I thought they had the talent but no leadership and no quarterback. And now, I can admit, that I was wrong. This team is spectacular and they know how to win playoff games. Not to take anything away from Pittsburgh, they are an excellent team but the Jets are playing possessed football, and I am not sure anybody can beat them.

J-E-T-S 20 Steelers 16

Pats vs. Jets in Rubber Game

You get the feeling that it had to be this way. Even Rex Ryan seemed to be anticipating this Divisional Round matchup when last week he unfavorably compared Tom Brady's work ethic to Peyton Manning. Or maybe he was just putting his foot in his mouth. Or someone else's.

These teams not only split the season series, they've split their last 6 games. It makes sense when you consider how well their different strengths matchup. The Patriots pass first, ask questions later. The Jets run. The Pats have a young, sometimes shaky defense. The Jets have more experience, and are far sturdier. The Patriots keep their mouths shut. The Jets are a reality TV show.

I think the Patriots' ability to distribute the ball to multiple offensive weapons will allow them to regularly beat the Jets' defense. The Jets do have some exceptionally talented guys on defense, but Brady is the master at finding the weak spot, and hitting the open receiver.

However, I temper my optimism knowing that for many of the Pats' weapons, this will be their first postseason game. This past weekend, we saw playoff newcomers drop passes, fumble the ball, and generally fail to execute as they had in the regular season.

Aaron Hernandez, Rob Gronkowski, and BenJarvus Green-Ellis have never played postseason football. Danny Woodhead has 1 career touch in the playoffs. Even Wes Welker has only 3 playoff games under his belt. The defensive side of the ball is hardly any better. McCourty, Chung, Spikes, Cunningham, and so on, are all newbies to this scene. And while veterans like Brady, Branch, and Wilfork might settle locker room nerves, it only takes one or two players making one or two mistakes to screw up an entire game (See: Pierre Woods, Super Bowl XLII).

The Jets actually bring more playoff experience, or at least have theirs distributed more evenly throughout their roster. Sanchez already has 4 games under his belt. Guys like LT, Braylon Edwards, Shonn Greene, Santonio Holmes, and so on, have all been in big games. And won them. That's something to keep in mind.

The health of Danny Woodhead is also something to keep in mind, as he made nothing but big plays in the 45-3 win a few weeks ago. We know that it was a concussion he suffered. We know that he's been practicing with a non-contact jersey.

The key to this game will be how the Patriots do against the Jets' rushing attack in the early stages. In that 45-3 win, the Jets ran for 152 yards, but most of those came when the game was essentially over. The Jets can run (148.4 yards per game, 4th in the NFL), and run well. The Pats have a depleted defensive line. It will be up to guys like Wilfork and Mayo to contain the running attack, and to limit rushes to 3 or 4 yards at the most.

It will also be up to Brady and the offense to hold onto the ball, and to score. The best way to stop an opponent from rushing is to build a lead.

I think the Patriots will be hurt by the Jets' RBs, but not killed. The Pats' offense will score enough to force Mark Sanchez to try to make plays, and we all know what happens next.

Patriots win 28-17.

-The Commodore

J-E-T-S Lose Lose Lose

What a great weekend for Pats fans. Not only did the Patriots win, but the Colts lost, and the Jets lost. I don't mind the Chargers or Favre's Vikings losing either.

Mark Sanchez may have plenty of talent. But talent is about 10% of being a quality NFL quarterback. The rest of it is poise, decision making, awareness. So until The Sanchize shows some of these "intangibles," can we not give him credit for being anything but a subpar player? 10 for 21 for 74 yards last night. Of the 6 Jet first downs (not a typo, they got 6 first downs), only 2 came from the pass.

Then throw in the story of the Mexican reporter getting verbally harassed by Jet players AND coaches, and maybe people will start to realize that the undisciplined, snack happy atmosphere fomented by Fatasaurus Rex is better suited for reality TV, and not an NFL team.





Granted, she's ridiculously hot, and not a traditional reporter. Nevertheless, she's a member of the media, not a stripper. Somehow, every other NFL team has managed to treat her like a reporter.

-The Commodore

Reminder: The Jets Suck

They made the AFC Championship game. They have a budding young star at QB, the #1 defense in the NFL, an All-Pro cornerback, the #1 rush offense, so on and so forth.

But let's not forget that they were 9-7 last year. And one of those wins was against a Colts team that practically forfeited in Week 16. Peyton Manning played slightly more than a half in that game. And let's not forget that "The Sanchize" had a QB Rating of 63 last season. He threw 20 picks, to go along with his 12 TDs.

Oh, but they added LaDainian "I'm a classy guy" Tomlinson. Who will split carries with Greene. Then again, LT's ex-teammates went out of their way to criticize Tomlinson for bitching about a lack of carries. Maybe splitting carries isn't the best role for Mr. Classy.

The Jets also lost Thomas Jones, who was by far their best offensive weapon in '09. TJ ran the ball 331 times, for 1,402 yards. He scored 14 of the Jets' 37 TDs. He only fumbled twice.

But then again, they have Reality TV star Rex Ryan. Watching Hard Knocks this season, it's like that episode of Family Guy when Peter was the star of a reality TV show.



Rex Ryan is utterly obsessed with himself. He thinks everything he does is worthy of being nationally televised, then replayed, dissected and analyzed. He's a loudmouth jerk. He was praised for being such a phenomenal coach last year, turning the Jets around from a 9-7 team into a 9-7 team. But how hard is it to give Thomas Jones the ball 300+ times? How much thought goes into telling Darrelle Revis to intercept 6 passes (plus 2 more in the playoffs) and shutdown half the field?

Rex Ryan will be exposed as a fraud, either this year or the next.

OK, so maybe the Jets don't suck. But many out there seem to think a bit too highly of them.

-The Commodore

Sanchez To Have Surgery On Left Knee

Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez has decided to undergo surgery on his left knee, and there are many that believe this is going to lead to bigger problems down the road. Sanchez has had problems with his knee before while attending USC. Some people are starting to question if he is going to be able to hold up over the long haul. The surgery doesn't seem to be too serious, but considering his right knee has also been bothering his, the warning signs seem to be all there.

I believe in Sanchez and I think he will progress into a good QB, but if his knees continue to give him problem he might not be around long enough to reach his potential.

The surgery will take place in the next 2-3 weeks.

All I Do Is Report

I don't like to start rumors, all I do is report. However, our very own Captain (a doubter of Mark Sanchez) was seen on vacation in Maui with the Jets QB. It is reported that they got over their differences after the Captain said this about him; "The defense was excellent, but Sanchez makes that easy. He never tries to look safeties off, never does anything deceptive, nothing clever, his new nickname is Dr. Seuss because he's easy to read." This comes as a shocker out of New England as the Captain often daydreams about Tom Chokey.

This comes as a shock seeing how Tony Romo got a lot of media heat, after going on a trip with former girlfriend Jessica Simpson. Maybe Sanchez's ravishing looks has swayed him to be a Jets fan.

Why Not?

Watch Mark Sanchize make fun of Pete Carroll

Mark Sanchez Named Starting QB For Jets

"What the football world expected became reality Wednesday when the Jets' quarterbacks were informed that Mark Sanchez is the new starter, team sources confirmed to ESPN. Sanchez will start the Jets' third preseason game Saturday night against the New York Giants -- and, more importantly, the team's regular-season opener at Houston against the Texans (ESPN)."

I like Mark Sanchez a lot, but I am not sold that this is the right move. The Jets really have a good team other then starting QB. Don't get me wrong Sanchez will eventually be a very solid QB, but you have to wonder if it is worth going through his growing pains when you could be competing for the playoffs. I guess Kellen Clemens really wouldn't help that situation much, but in my mind that just sures up the division for the Patriots...

Jets Ink Sanchez

Mark Sanchez wanted no contract squabbles or training camp headaches.

The New York Jets' rookie quarterback got his big deal -- and a huge sense of relief -- before minicamp was even completed, signing a five-year deal Wednesday that could be worth up to $60 million, including $28 million guaranteed.

I still think rookie contracts are outrageous, but I'm glad they got this deal done. The last thing the Jets need is another distraction with Thomas Jones and Leon Washington creating their own drama. Sanchez is a stud, and will be very helpful to the Jets and will be the second best QB selected out of this draft (Josh Freeman being 1). Even if he struggles his rookie year, (sorry Kellen, you just aren't starting) he will be a hell of a qb in the future.

I think he’ll make a good pro.

“He told us, ‘I challenged him. I wanted him to make the right decision,’ ” the scout said. “He said, ‘I love the kid. I support him. I think he’ll make a good pro.’ “ Said Pete Carroll of Mark Sanchez.

I don't know about all of you but this makes me hate Pete Carroll even more. Wasn't Carroll the guy who said Sanchez' choice to go to the NFL was a "Bad Choice"? Now he seems to be thinking a little differently. The fact of the matter is, Pete Carroll was worrying about USC football and could give to shits about Mark Sanchez the human. When Pete ran away from the press conference like a spoiled brat, that all but proved he could care less about Sanchez. Fuck Pete Carroll, die.

Sanchez Impressive At Pro Day

"With another truckload of NFL-ready talent on hand, Southern California's Pro Day lived up to expectations Wednesday, and the workout will have an impact on how the first round shakes out April 25. Quarterback Mark Sanchez stole the show with a stunning throwing session (Sportsline)."

Every report I have read has said that they were blown away by the way Sanchez was throwing the ball. We all know that he will be the 2nd QB taken in the NFL Draft, but I wonder how high he can climb. Some mock drafts have Sanchez going #8 to Jacksonville and others have him going #10 to the 49ers. I think after today you will see Jacksonville taking a shot at him. Yet I still have my concerns...

USC has had a lot of big name QBs come out, and they really haven't done all that much (though they still have time). Matt Leinart is stuck behind Warner, but really hasn't done anything to force the issue. Palmer had a good couple of years, but hasn't been able to stay healthy, and his numbers seem to be on the decline every year. It is really funny that the guy who was backing up those two looks to have the most promising career (Matt Cassel).

My other concern is his health. He was beat up a lot at USC, and we all know he can take a hit, but how much can one guy take. If Jacksonville can't fix that terrible offensive line they might get this guy killed.

In the end he is a solid pick, and I actually like him a lot more then I like Matthew Stafford. Only time will tell, but I think Jacksonville should take a shot at him at #8.

Pete Carroll Is Not Happy

I personally think this is a douche move. he probably said the same thing to Matt Leinart and look how that turned out. Mark Sanchez is going to make a lot of money in the pros and thrive. With Bradford, McCoy and Tebow not in the draft that makes Sanchez that much more valuable. Carroll should have kept his mouth shut and stood by his players rather than sounding like a bitter asshole.

Mark Sanchez Going Pro

This is a great move. Especially now that Bradford is not in the draft, this now turns into a two horse race between Sanchez and Stafford. I believe that Stafford will be the first QB picked, but Sanchez will be a great pro qb as well. Sanchez played great in his one year of starting for USC, but I don't see his inexperience hurting him. I don't see the Lions picking any of these guys anymore, but I do see see one of these signal callers in a Jets uniform.

35 USC- 3 Ohio State

I gave Ohio State too much credit. USC absolutely rolled Ohio State led by Mark Sanchez who burned the Buckeyes for 4 touchdowns. The million of runningbacks USC has was led by Joe McKnight who had 105 yards on 12 touches. For Ohio State the Terrell Pryor calls might be getting a little louder as Todd Boeckman threw 2 picks.