Giants vs. Jets: 3 Reasons Why We'd Rather Have Mark Sanchez Than Eli Manning

On the surface, what a ridiculous thought. There is no reasonable explanation for choosing an erratic, inconsistent playboy who has brought his team to the brink of greatness in two consecutive seasons, only to leave them shivering at the doorstep, over a Super Bowl champion who dances on the line of elite status.

This is not a conversation about which quarterback is destined for Canton. This is not a debate over which of these two marquee New York icons will end their career with more passing yards ,more touchdowns or more statues with the name Lombardi inscribed on them in their trophy case.

I believe that, right now, two days before the merriest day of the year and twenty four hours before the Jets and Giants take the field in undoubtedly the biggest game that any played between the two teams sharing Metropolis have ever played against one another, I make the argument that taking the field with No. 6 as my quarterback gives me the better chance of winning.

Everything that has been the 2011 NFL season is on the line tomorrow in MetLife Stadium, and only one team can come away knowing that their season will continue beyond next week. Mark Sanchez is the reason why the Jets will be playing into January.

Youth

Now 25, Sanchez is five years Manning’s junior and has only three seasons as an active pro quarterback, having taken the field in an NFL stadium on 72 fewer occasions that Eli.

Even with this lack of game experience, Sanchez’ 23 touchdowns are very competitive with Manning’s 25 touchdown heaves. Sanchez has also thrown two less interceptions than Manning so far this season—a statistic that is often skewed by the inexplicable perception that Sanchez is an interception machine.

The primary reason why the age of the young Jets signal-caller makes him preferable to his MetLife Stadium counterpart may actually rest in the pressure Sanchez has felt this season. Whereas Manning is afforded the luxury of the occasional mistake because of his record of accomplishments and longevity with the Giants, Sanchez is constantly hounded, relentlessly analyzed and scrutinized with every game he plays in.

This choice may just come down to who has more to prove.

Youth also plays a hand in a quarterback’s ability to adapt and alter his play throughout a game. There is no doubt that Eli Manning is a phenomenal NFL quarterback and may be one of the most understated leaders in the game today. The Giants’ effort against the Packers, Cowboys and Eagles were only possible because of his performances.

In reviewing game film, it is apparent that many of Eli’s late-game mistakes come from his occasional tendency to become predictable. Manning’s progression and field view, while superior to that of many other quarterbacks, rarely changes as game situations evolve and flow. Manning has spent the last eight seasons honing his craft and his reliance on instinct hamstrings him at times.

Conversely, Mark Sanchez has shown an innate ability to alter his game as four quarters tick by. True, these adjustments sometimes cause Sanchez to become inconsistent with accuracy and timing, but for the most part, it stands as the underlying cause for Sanchez's late game comebacks.

Sanchez’s pension for play-extending scrambles and off-balance throws typically come more often in the later parts of games, and his performance becomes more of the free-for-all sandlot environment he excels in. The desperation felt by the Jets this weekend may trigger that type of contest early on, benefiting Sanchez and the Jets.

Pressure to Succeed

Taking all subjectivity out of the equation, an undeniable truth remains that Mark Sanchez has everything to lose this season. An entire franchise, a franchise in one of the largest sports market in the entire world, is relying on him to lead them back to a Super Bowl for the first time in 43 years.

The pressure Sanchez has going into Saturday’s game against the Giants has almost no bounds. His bombastic, outspoken coach is four quarters away from cementing himself as the NFL’s boy who cried wolf.

Should the Jets prevail on Christmas Eve in this all-important playoff deciding game, Rex Ryan will once again prove that his loudest moments are his most successful. If the Sanchez-led Jets fail, there may be no recourse for this team in its current incarnation.

Meanwhile, Eli Manning seems to have built a 2011 season performance that has exceeded all expectations. He is repeatedly considered the stand-alone reason the Giants have been competitive in the majority of the games they have played in this season.

While the Jets are playing this upcoming game with the weight of the world on their shoulders, it seems the only concern for Eli and the Giants is whether or not Manning is bestowed the meaningless title of “elite” when ranking him among fellow NFL quarterbacks. The Giants also take the field on Saturday led by a coach who seems to constantly dodge the guillotine after every failed attempt at a Super Bowl (sans one) without exhausting much effort in doing so.

In simplest terms, the balance of pressure put on this game for the Jets far outweighs that of their opponent and the strain put on their quarterbacks is definitely just as lopsided.

The Team

The once heralded Jets defense was completely decimated last week against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Jets’ prized offensive line has recently come into increased suspicion, suddenly no longer included in the conversation of the best blockers in the league.

The leader of Gang Green, always considered a blowhard by nature, is now considered nothing more than that. Not too long ago viewed as a coach whose product was nearly as good as his salesmanship, Rex Ryan is on the brink of total credibility loss.

Mark Sanchez himself has been forced to hear rumblings of who will be the next heir apparent to the Namath throne, casting him aside like some $60 million failed experiment. The walls, all of the sudden, are closing in on the New York Jets.

If you ask the members of the 2010 New England Patriots how they feel about backing the Jets into a corner, given no chance of success, I figure they would advise we not count these Jets out so quickly. Mark Sanchez and the New York Jets may just be the proudest team in the NFL, and they may not have ever received the pride ruffling they received recently.

The Jets are a team now asked to back up every bit of their bluster. They have every chip laid on the table, and their cards have been flashed. The Giants, on the other hand, still have a tremendous hand to play next week in a divisional clash with the Cowboys in Dallas. It would be difficult to expect the Giants to come with everything they have, to the degree that the Jets absolutely must, knowing that there would be one more hurdle to climb.