Sunday

The Daily Mark Sanchez to Canton Watch: Ticket to Indy

While analysts have been concerned this week about the Jets’ lack of a top-flight passing attack, they’ve forgotten that Mark Sanchez isn’t one-dimensional. He’s a mobile quarterback and if he picks his spots on Sunday, he will sting the San Diego Chargers with his cleats. Expect Sanchez to make a play on a bootleg or a scramble, possibly in the red zone, maybe resulting in a touchdown.

The kid’s youthfulness has been criticized often but where it benefits his team is in his mobility. A 23-year-old that can pick up a first down with his legs is something that can hurt an aggressive defense and the Chargers will be hell-bent on blitzing Sanchez in the AFC divisional playoff game at Qualcomm Stadium.

We all know by now the Chargers’ weakness is against the run (their rush defense ranked 20th in the NFL during the regular season) and we also are well aware the Jets led the league in rushing. But San Diego stiffened near the goal line. The Bolts’ red-zone defense ranked in the top 10 in the league and they allowed 20 points per game, 11th overall. That means Sanchez is likely to face a third-down situation in tight space and with points at stake. The Chargers’ linebacking corps, led by Shawne Merriman, is among the NFL’s best and will likely neutralize tight end Keller. Quentin Jammer and Antonio Cromartie are among the league’s top cornerback tandems, which means the receivers may not be open. What does that leave?

Once the pass rush closes in, it will open up the middle. And Sanchez, as Jets fans know too well, isn’t shy about tucking the ball and taking off. That can end horrendously or, just maybe, with a victory.

If Sanchez is able to make enough crucial plays – either by throwing or running – then the Jets could be on their way back to Indianapolis, where they ended the Colts’ bid for a perfect season last month. Peyton Manning and top-seeded Indy knocked off the Baltimore Ravens 20-3 on Saturday night to advance to the AFC Championship Game next Sunday.

Sanchez aims to take the Jets there too. When he hit Dustin Keller over the middle in last week’s wild-card win against Cincinnati, he made the one big throw Gang Green needed from him. He also converted key third-down passes, extending drives and grinding the clock down on the 24-14 victory.

Even though he only threw the ball 15 times, he completed 12 of those passes and did what was necessary within the game plan. Against the Chargers on Sunday, he’ll have to come up with a similar performance.

Will Sanchez move within a victory of becoming the first rookie quarterback to play in a Super Bowl? Or will his homecoming to Southern California also mark an end to his first season in the NFL? NFLPosts.com and the DMSTCW* predicts his legs, not his arm, could be the determining factor.

Game info: Sunday, 4:40 p.m. ET, CBS; point spread: Chargers by 9; over/under: 42.5.

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*The DMSTCW forecasts Mark Sanchez will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2030 after an 18-year career during which he will accumulate: 111,186 passing yards (he was born on November 11, 1986); 6 Super Bowl championships (to go along with his uniform number); $1 billion in endorsements (including several deals involving teeth-whitening products); 11,550 panties (same numbers as the zip code of the Jets’ headquarters in Hempstead, New York, which incidentally, will be renamed Sanchezstead upon his retirement); enough pats on the behind from Fireman Ed to make him feel uncomfortable; and 1 kiss from Suzy Kolber (willingly given).