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Despite Playoff Appearance, Mark Sanchez Not Quite Matching the Big Ben Rookie Mold

Jan 6, 2010, 8:10 PM UTC

Having set NFL rookie records for completion percentage and passer rating in 2004, not to mention helping his team to a 15-1 regular season record, Ben Roethlisberger set the benchmark by which all successful rookie quarterbacks will be judged.â†µâ†µWhich was fitting last year for Joe Flacco and Matt Ryan, who, while not quite meeting Big Ben’s ‘04 standards, put up solid statistical years that helped their respective teams into the postseason.â†µ

â†µâ†µWhile the team surrounding Jets QB Mark Sanchez is comparable to that of Roethlisberger and Flacco (probably less so for Ryan), his play has been well inferior to those three. Sanchez had played as well as fellow rookie Matt Stafford, only with a much better supporting cast. Sanchez and Stafford are respectively 28th and 29th in passer rating and tied for 2nd in the NFL with 20 interceptions.â†µ

â†µâ†µSo while I suppose it’s admirable that Jets defensive end Shaun Ellis wants to say glowing things about how his teammate is an effective game manager, it’s not exactly true.â†µ

â†µâ†µâ‡¥Ellis compared Sanchez’s situation to that of the Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger when he entered the league with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2004. He was raw but full of spit and vinegar.â†µâ‡¥â†µâ‡¥ “They had a huge running game, great defense — he just managed the game,” Ellis said. “Then all of a sudden he evolved into the player he is today. I see the same similarities here with Sanchez.”â†µâ‡¥
â†µâ‡¥â†µâ‡¥For Ellis, Sanchez’s performance down the stretch, particularly against the Colts and the Bengals, is evidence that Sanchez has begun to see the light.â†µâ‡¥

â†µâ†µ â†µâ†µI guess it also helped in those last two games that both defenses had nothing to play for and pulled starters for a large percentage of the game.â†µ

â†µâ†µSanchez has not played particularly well this year. You could reasonably argue that Stafford would have fared much better had he gone to the Jets in lieu of Sanchez. It’s not a huge knock on the Sanchise. He might eventually transform into a good NFL quarterback, but he’s not there yet.â†µ

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This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.

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