Mark Sanchez Report Card

Ask the analyst

Newsday's Neil Best turned to some former NFL quarterbacks who are now analysts for insight into the biggest issue facing the Jets: Mark Sanchez's abilities, or lack thereof. They helped us break his game into key components, without ignoring the larger question hovering over the franchise. That is, in his fourth season, is Sanchez on track to someday be a Super Bowl-winning quarterback?

Click a category on the left to read an analyst's take, then give Sanchez your own grade.

Born: Nov. 11, 1986
Birthplace: Long Beach, Calif.
Height: 6'2" Weight: 225
Throws: Right
College: USC
Acquired: No. 5 overall pick in 2009 NFL Draft
Status: Extended through 2016, with $20.5 million guaranteed through 2013.

Year	G	COMP	ATT	PCT	YDS	TD	INT	RATE
2009	15	196	364	53.8	2,444	12	20	63.0
2010	16	278	507	54.8	3,291	17	13	75.3
2011	16	308	543	56.7	3,474	26	18	78.2
2012	13	216	390	55.4	2,547	12	13	71.8

Intangibles

Phil Simms

"I'm just saying [Sanchez's game] is OK. I'm not going to say it's great. It's some pretty tough circumstance, so you have to be careful how you judge him . . . You built the team for the defense to be dominant and for the run game to supplement the defense and then the quarterback has to be sure to take advantage of the opportunities that are presented. Everything the Colts do is about making Andrew Luck a better player and building around him. Never have the Jets said, 'We're going to do all this for Mark Sanchez.'"

Arm Strength

Tim Hasselbeck

"From a physical standpoint of being able to make every throw, able to get the ball out of your hand quickly, work a hard play-action pass, push the ball down the field, there is no question he's more than sufficient in that area. I think he has above-average arm strength. There are more accomplished players either currently playing or who played in the past that don' play with the amount of arm strength that Mark possesses."

Head

Ron Jaworski

"It's obvious to me he's lost his confidence and it's almost baffling when I think back to those first couple of seasons of playoff teams . . . He made throws that were helping his team win games, playing with confidence. To see where he is right now, it's a head-scratcher."

Mobility

Trent Dilfer

"I think his mobility hasn't been used well. Here's a guy who when he came out, he threw the ball on the run and from multiple launch points as accurately as I'd seen in a college player. How often do you see that in this system? Most of his signature plays have been second-reaction plays, where his athleticism has been allowed to come out in him. It's inexcusable not to use that aspect of his game."

Accuracy

Rich Gannon

"His completion percentage still bothers you. He still misses throws, still makes mistakes. There is such a fine line in our business between 8-8 and 11-5. The difference between even 7-9 and 11-5 could be six or eight plays in the course of a season. It seems like every game he has six or eight plays that hold him back."

Mark Sanchez report card

Ask the analyst

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