Diner Morning News: Mark Sanchez Needs Time

National Football Post

"My ultimate vocation in life is to be an irritant, someone who disrupts the daily drag of life just enough to leave the victim thinking there's maybe more to it all than the mere hum-drum quality of existence."—Elvis Costello

 

Jets' Quarterback Decision

Watching the New York Jets game Monday night, it was clear to me that Mark Sanchez is the right choice to start at quarterback—Ravens-frustrate-Sanchez-in-2423-win.html" target="_blank">not because he looked great or because he seems ready to handle the NFL—but because the Jets don’t have any other choice.

I admit I’m not a fan of Kellen Clemens, so for me, Clemens is not an option. To me, he doesn’t demonstrate the skills of an NFL starter; he plays like a backup, and last night it was very obvious. I realize he led the team to a second half touchdown, but that was when the second team had already entered the game.

As we know, the key to correctly evaluating players in the pre-season lies in correctly evaluating the competition.

The Jets will struggle early in the season as Sanchez learns the offense and the Jets give him more offense to run. When playing a team like the Baltimore Ravens, it requires you to bring a volume of offense into the game, but unfortunately for Sanchez, he can’t handle all of the volume right now. Clemens can, but he can’t execute it, so either way you’re screwed.

Therefore, you’re better off starting Sanchez and allowing him to grow.

That’s why the Jets' decision is not that difficult. They don’t really have a choice. They have to find ways to win with their defense and kicking game early in the season and get the ball to Leon Washington as often as possible (they better get his contract redone; he’s their best player). Washington is the one player who can make plays for the Jets.

I’ve been writing this all offseason—I love the Jets' move with Sanchez, but they’re far from being Super Bowl contenders in 2009. They’ll get better as the season goes along, but as I evaluate them, they’re rebuilding this season, not reloading.

One question I did have watching the game: Why did the Jets play Calvin Pace and Shawn Ellis as much as they did in the first half? Both have to serve suspensions early in the season, Pace for four games, Ellis for one. Pace might be their best player, but if he can’t get pressure, then the scheme must get pressure. I can’t imagine Vernon Gholston being able to start for more than one game.

Once America watches him play in a real NFL game, that will be enough to send him to the bench. A mistake is hard to cover up.

 

49ers: I Wonder What Coach Thinks

So much for all talk in the spring about Alex Smith turning the corner and looking great in San Francisco. I even wrote about it in the Sunday Post. The games count in the evaluation process, and Smith has not played well in either game.

Coaches fall in love during the offseason with players who are compliant in the program. Being compliant is important, but being effective is what matters most.

Smith is headed back to the bench.

This was another easy decision based on not having any choices.

I really feel the San Francisco 49ers are going to rue the day they didn’t select a quarterback in the NFL Draft this year or even try and trade up to get one.

It’s another example of not knowing your own team. Where are the 49ers this year? Do you 49ers fans really believe that Shaun Hill is the answer? Michael Crabtree is not going to make a difference this year, even if he does show up.

When I look at the 49ers on tape, or look at their talent base, I’m often reminded that they somehow lost their voice that came from coach Bill Walsh—the voice that placed a premium on the quarterback position, that understood that the game must flow through the quarterback, and that if you didn’t have one, you needed to get one. Coach would always tell me that if you knew you didn’t have a poker hand to win the pot, you’re better off discarding it and trying again. He was not afraid to make moves to ensure he had the one position solidly covered.

These 49ers think the quarterback position is not that important, or they do think it’s important and just wrongly evaluated their current talent level. Either way, they’re falling victim to the words of their former head coach, "There are very few people who can evaluate the quarterback, and fewer that can coach him."

 

‘Edge’ in Seattle

The Edge is back.

I’ve been taking a boatload of criticism for writing that the Seattle Seahawks needed a runner. Entering the season with Julius Jones was a dangerous proposition. Now they sign Edgerrin James to a one-year, $2 million contract.

I’m not a fan of signing older running backs for the runner role. I don’t mind them for the nickel back role or the short-yardage role, but for the main down-and-distance role, I’m very reluctant.

James will fit in the Seattle scheme, but he needs to demonstrate he still has juice left in his lower body to break tackles and make yards after contact. James is 31 and has been on a decline the past three years. In two of the last three seasons, he’s had more than 300 carries, but has not come close to breaking the four-yards-per-carry mark. This clearly shows that he doesn’t break tackles like he once did.

The Seahawks may have signed James, but they still need a back.

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