Mark Sanchez Wins Round One Against Matthew Stafford

The New York Jets started the game off looking much like the team plagued by inconsistent play and dropped passes the past few weeks, but turned it on at just the right time to win in overtime against the Detroit Lions.

The game was billed as the first matchup between two first round picks in Matthew Stafford and Mark Sanchez. All week, analysts poured in with their opinions on which one of the two will have the better career. It was almost an even split with some favoring Stafford because of his howitzer for an arm and others liking Sanchez for his moxie.

Although, the real comparisons come down to what happens on the field every week, and in this match-up, it was Sanchez who shined brightly. Gus Johnson, the game's announcer, rightly pointed out during the game that Sanchez had been hitting his receivers on target, yet they continued to drop passes.

Those detractors who point out that Sanchez has a low completion percentage: take note. Sanchez was able to compose himself and come up big when it mattered most. Before the first half ended, Sanchez injected life into the lifeless offense of the Jets with a 74-yard bomb to Braylon Edwards, which put the Jets up 10-7 heading into the half.

Unfortunately the same-old inconsistent Jets showed up to start the second half as none other than Edwards caught a great pass before immediately fumbling. This is a problem that needs to be addressed team-wide, but that is another story.

With the Jets down 20-10 with a little over six minutes remaining, Sanchez drove his team down the field, cutting the lead to 20-17. He took matters into his own hands by diving into the end zone himself and left the Jets with a little over two minutes to get the ball back and drive down the field.

It seemed impossible, but the Jets, specifically Mark Sanchez, engineered yet another great drive. He utilized his feet to buy some time in the pocket when necessary and showed the fans that yes, he too has a pretty good arm. 

The drive set up a field goal attempt for Nick Folk who connected and sent the Jets into overtime when Sanchez lead the third game-winning drive in his young career.

Sanchez is quickly developing the cold blood, which is needed to be an elite quarterback. He calmly sidestepped the pressure he felt on a third down play and found former Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes for a 52-yard gain. 

The run and catch set-up the game winning kick for Nick Folk and capped a game in which the Jets showed they have the heart of a champion. When things are not going their way, they can still overcome and get the job done.

It also doesn't hurt to have a young quarterback who is quickly climbing himself into one of the game's better players at his positions. He will have a bright future for the Jets, but Sanchez is making fans think the future is now.