Content available exclusively for subscribers
Mark Sanchez did a lot of good things in the New York Jets 37-10 win over the Kansas City Chiefs at “The Met.” Let’s get into it . . .
The Jets offense got off to a poor start when they had to call a timeout on the first play because they only had 10 men in the huddle.
But while this is inexcusable on the first series, to their credit, they didn’t let this hiccup faze then, and they marched right down the field.
On the very next play, Shonn Greene ran for 31 yards.
Then three plays later, on third-and-four, Sanchez hit WR Patrick Turner on a crossing route for 10 yards. What was interesting about this play was that even though Turner is the Jets fourth wide receiver, the Chiefs top corner, Brandon Flowers, was on him, and the 6-5 receiver did a really nice job against him. Flowers tried to jam Turner at the line, and the wide receiver, who is very strong, thrust him to the right, leaving him in the dust as he cut going left over the middle.
Two plays later, Dustin Keller had one of his better plays of the season. He caught a pass over the short middle, and proceeded to break not one, but two tackle attempts by linebackers – first by Derrick Johnson and then Jevon Belcher and made this short pass into an 11-yard gain.
A few plays later, Sanchez telegraphed a pass into the end zone, into double coverage to Keller, and the Jets are lucky it wasn’t picked off.
On third-and-three, the Jets drew for a holding call on Plaxico Burress by CB Javier Arenas on the goalline.
On the next play, the Sanchez ran an effective bootleg to the left side, and ran in for the score.
The Jets next drive started off well when Sanchez threw a pass, off play-action, to TE/FB Josh Baker, for a gain of 17 yards down the middle. I really like this Baker – he’s athletic and catches basically everything thrown his way.
But then on the next play, the Jets attempted a pass, and it was another example of Sanchez and Santonio Holmes not being on the same page. Sanchez threw a mid-range route to Holmes on the right side, and it wasn’t even close. The two players seemed to have different things in mind. And Holmes body language after the play was one of a player who wasn’t happy.
Two plays later, on third-and-five, Sanchez hit Keller, between cornerbacks Javier Arenas and Brandon Carr, for a gain of 11.
This drive ended up fizzling, and it ended with Sanchez being sacked by Arenas on third down, and the Jets punted. This sack might have been Mark’s fault. Every other blocker had his hands full, and this was the one free man. In a blitzing situation, the quarterback is responsible for the one free guy, and that was Arenas. Obviously the quarterback can’t block the free guy, but he negates him with a hot read.
The Jets next possession was as three-and-out, but they got the ball back three plays later on a Jim Leonhard pick.
Three plays after that, including a 36-yard run by Greene on first down, Sanchez hit Holmes in the back of the end zone for a touchdown. It was kind of strange formation because Jeremy Kerley was crossing about four yards in front of Holmes in the same area. So needless to say there was a lot of traffic in that region, but Sanchez got the ball through all of the bodies, and hit Holmes in the back of the end zone.
We will have Part II of our Sanchez review by 1 pm on Monday.