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Jets name Sanchez winner in QB battle
The Jets have seen enough of rookie Mark Sanchez and Kellen Clemens to determine a starter — and their choice is Sanchez.
"This comes with a lot of responsibility," a beaming Sanchez said. "As happy as I am, I know that this is just the beginning and I'm just excited, really excited, to get to play with such great players.
"This is something I've always wanted to do and dreams are coming true now," Sanchez added. "It's a special opportunity."
Coach Rex Ryan informed the QBs of the decision Wednesday morning. He made an official announcement after practice.
"I feel the best move for our franchise is to go with Mark Sanchez as our quarterback," Ryan said, adding that it was solely his decision.
"I think Mark gives us the best opportunity to win," Ryan added, "and I think that's what I owe this franchise. I feel very comfortable and confident in my decision."
The last time a rookie started a season for the franchise was in 1960, when Dick Jamieson quarterbacked the then-Titans. Joe Namath didn't start until the third game of his rookie season in 1965. Matt Robinson was the last rookie quarterback to start for the Jets in 1977.
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Sanchez won't have an easy welcome to the NFL, though, facing a tough Texans defense in the opener, followed by home games against New England and Tennessee.
Despite a rough start against the Ravens in his last preseason game, Sanchez never lost his cool and battled back. The team has been impressed with his command of the huddle and the offense. Sources say the team has been impressed with how much he has not looked like a rookie. Drafted out of USC, Sanchez has gone 6-of-12 in two preseason games, with one touchdown pass and one interception.
"I think it's not about just one game and I think that (Ravens) defense, I'm not making excuses here, but they're a great group," Sanchez said. "They make veteran quarterbacks look silly out there. It wasn't my best game, that's for sure. Do I need to improve? Absolutely."
Clemens, in his fourth season, is 9-of-14 for 84 yards in the preseason. He also has one score and one pick. Entering his fourth season with the Jets after being a second-round pick in 2006, Clemens also had a solid but unspectacular camp, but threw 12 interceptions compared to the rookie's five.
"I'm disappointed overall because I think I left some plays out there that I should've made, both in practice and in the games," Clemens said. "It's Mark's job and I'll support him moving forward.
"I'm glad the decision was made earlier rather than later," said Clemens, who added he thought the competition was fair.
A former Ravens coordinator, Ryan took over as coach in the offseason after the departure of Eric Mangini. Ryan said early in training camp that he would like to have made a decision on his starter by the Jets' third preseason game, and he apparently saw enough from the two quarterbacks through two games.
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"At the end of the day, I'm going to rely on my instincts, just a gut feeling that I had," Ryan said.
The Jets signed their franchise quarterback to a five-year deal that could be worth up to $60 million, including $28 million guaranteed, just a few weeks after the draft. Sanchez was already being touted as the new face of the franchise and it appeared it was his job to lose after that.
Sanchez had a sizzling NFL debut Aug. 14, when he came in with 28 seconds left in the first quarter, completed a 48-yard pass to David Clowney on his first snap and engineered an early scoring drive in New York's 23-20 loss to St. Louis.
He struggled against the Ravens in the team's 24-23 defeat at Baltimore, but Ryan said he expected both quarterbacks to have their problems against the defense he helped build during the previous 10 years as an assistant and then coordinator.
Sanchez forced a pass on the second play as he was hit by Ray Lewis, and Haloti Ngata rumbled 25 yards for a score. His second pass was almost picked off by Lewis, who dropped the ball, but Sanchez settled down after that.
Ryan made it clear after the team drafted Sanchez that he wouldn't be afraid to start a rookie quarterback, particularly after watching Joe Flacco lead the Ravens to the AFC championship last season.
The Jets traded up in the draft to acquire the fifth overall pick from Cleveland and Mangini. New York jumped at the chance to select Sanchez, who was considered one of the top prospects in the draft despite a lack of experience.
Sanchez went 14-2 as a starter with the Trojans, leading them over Penn State in the Rose Bowl in January. The Jets were comfortable with Sanchez's ability, putting him through a private workout and holding a classroom session in a hotel room at the owners' meetings in California in March.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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