The 2010 playoffs mirrored those of 2009. Sanchez threw for less than 200 yards against the Colts in the Wild Card game, as the Jets ran for 169 yards and held Manning to 54 offensive plays and 16 points. Then followed the big Divisional Playoff win against New England: 25 passes for Sanchez and less than 200 yards. A bad start in the AFC Championship doomed a Jets team not built to rally from a large deficit: after falling behind the Steelers 24-0 in the first half, New York could not come back.
What’s happened in 2011? The twin foundations of the team have not performed at the necessary levels: the Jets rank 22nd in rushing, averaging only 104 yards per game. The defensive deterioration has been just as striking:
in points allowed, they also rank 22nd.
These failings have placed the burden on Sanchez to suddenly be something he was not ever expected to be: a lead quarterback who is the focal point of the offense.
Sanchez was not drafted to play that role, and he’s not capable of it.
So make no mistake, the Jets struggles are not merely surprisingly poor play.
They stem from the very heart of the team and how it’s seen itself during the 3 years of the Ryan era.
Nothing significant about Mark Sanchez has changed. It’s the rest of the team that has changed. That’s what has magnified their quarterback’s limitations.
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