Whether it’s Geno Smith or Mark Sanchez making the throws, the New York Jets look great one week, and then transform into an archetype of self-destruction the next. So that naturally begs the question, if given the same supporting cast, who wins in a game of Geno’s Jets versus Sanchez’s Jets?
This season, Geno has led the Jets to a surprising 5-5 record in 10 starts despite turning in a Dr. Jekyll performance one week and a Mr. Hyde routine the next. Sanchez posted an 8-7 record during his rookie campaign and has gone 33-29 in his four seasons as the team’s starter, including two trips to the AFC championship game. Advantage: Sanchez.
Next, during his rookie season, Sanchez completed nearly 54% of his passes while throwing 12 touchdowns to 20 interceptions. In Geno’s first 10 starts, he has thrown 8 scores against 16 picks with two or more interceptions in six of those games…and that’s not good. Advantage: Sanchez.
Finally, over the course of his 62 starts as the Jets’ quarterback, Sanchez led the team to 12 game-winning drives. Geno on the other hand, despite his often erratic play, has posted a 56% completion percentage with four game-winning drives in only 10 starts as the young kid seems to be able to turn it on when it counts. Advantage: Geno.
At this point in their respective careers, these two quarterbacks are eerily similar, as they tend to err on the side of either just good enough to win or…terrible. The big difference lies in the fact that after four seasons Sanchez hasn’t gotten any better while Geno could get better with more experience. So, in game versus each other where the stakes are the highest and the lights are the brightest, I’m going to take a dirty Sanchez butt fumble for the Geno Smith win.
