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Dan takes an in-depth look at the performance of Mark Sanchez vs. the Miami Dolphins . . .
The Jets basically started the game with the same first offensive play from last week. It was a quick pass into the short right flat to Shonn Greene. Last week if worked, this week it didn’t. Sanchez rushed the throw this time, and it was off-target.
This three-and-out wrapped up with Sanchez floating a pass down the right sideline to Holmes that wasn’t even close to being complete. Vontae Davis had good coverage, and the pass should have gone somewhere else.
The second series, also a three-and-out, started with two non-descript runs, and then Sanchez who was somewhat off-target to Jeremy Kerley on the right side. Was it catchable, perhaps, but it could have been a lot more accurate, to make it a lot easier on the receiver.
The Jets third possession started with a quick pass to Joe McKnight on the short left side for a gain of five. This possession ended up being a three-and-out. On third-and-two, the Jets ran the same play that the Pats essentially iced the game with last week. It was a direct snap to the running back, where the quarterback flails his arms in the arm, pretending to catch a high snap. The Dolphins didn’t fall for this, and LT was sacked for a loss of two.
On the Jets fourth possession, they started with a first-and-15 thanks to a penalty, and then Sanchez threw two short pass to the right side, for five yard to Holmes, and then four yards to LT. On third-and-six, Sanchez forced a pass to Dustin Keller down the right seam. Keller wasn’t open. There was a linebacker in good position in front of him, and a safety in back of him. This was a force, and let’s be honest, if Keller was being doubled, somebody else was being singled, and Sanchez should have found that guy. Too often he is fixated on his first read, and is intent on making that throw happen, no matter what.
With 6:17 left in the first half, the Jets finally got a first down on a 14-yard crossing route to Jeremy Kerley on third-and-nine. He was wide open because of all the attention going to Plaxico Burress and Santonio Holmes.
But before we continue this drive let’s got back to the play before this, a pass from Sanchez to Keller that was incomplete down the deep right seam.
Sanchez got this his second read on the play, but as if often the case, was too herky jerky going from this first to second read. He looked left, and then threw right to Keller, but he flings his head from left to right so quickly, it has to mess up his vision. He needs to be smoother transitioning from read-to-read.
After the Kerley reception, the Jets went with three running plays in a row. Then on a second-and-13, Sanchez hit Keller for a gain of 27 down the deep left side. On this play, Sanchez stumbled from the center, and this seemed to throw the Dolphins off a little. Keller was wide open. Then he hit Holmes on the right side for a gain of 20. Two plays later, he dumped to LT for a gain of nine over the middle, and on the next play, ran it in from five yards out for a TD.
When the Jets got the ball in the third quarter, Sanchez drove the Jets 79 yards in 13 plays, for a field goal.
The biggest impact passes on this drive were a pair of 24-yarders on back-to-back plays.
On the first 24-yarder, Sanchez faked a pass to LT in the right flat, and then threw to Keller down the right seam. The fake did create nice spacing for Keller. Then on the next play, Sanchez looked left, and then threw to McKnight who was crossing to the right side.
Two plays later, Sanchez pumped to the short left side, and this pump made Vontae Davis crash into Holmes as he headed up field, and the cornerback was called for interference.
After three runs in a row by Greene that got another first down, the Jets had the ball on Miami’s 13. But then Sanchez didn’t get the play off in time, and was called for delay of game. The Jets never really recovered from this yardage-wise, and had to settle for a field goal three plays later.
Remember, on the last third down of this possession, Sanchez dumped to LT underneath on the short right, when he had Keller open in the end zone.
The Jets next possession was a three-and-out at the end of the third, and beginning of the fourth quarter.
The Jets final scoring drive was a short one, after the Jets took over on a short field, on the 50. LT ran for 12 on first down, and then three plays later, Sanchez out of a shotgun, hit Holmes on a crossing route over the short middle, and he was off to the races, for a 38-yard score. Kerley threw a great block on a linebacker in the middle of this catch-and-run.
Sanchez had forever to throw on this play, and couldn’t find anyone for the longest time. And then, what happens so often, happened again. When the play breaks down, if you are the receiver to flash in front of him, he will hit you, and that is what Holmes did.
Sanchez did enough for the Jets to win this game, but left some plays on the field. These kind of performances are good enough to beat bad teams like Jacksonville and Miami, but he will likely have to do more against San Diego.