It's way too early to judge Mark Sanchez

DENVER

The expectation of immediate production never has been more overwhelming for an NFL quarterback.

From blue-chip prospects to undrafted free agents, the scrutiny is so intense and the judgments so instantaneous that it often seems impossible to take a longer-range view of a quarterback's progress. In a league in which the demand for excellence runs at a fever pitch, the sweeping evaluations are made on a week-to-week -- if not quarter-to-quarter -- basis.

This relatively recent phenomenon hit home during the Jets' 37-16 loss to the Patriots Sunday night, when a media colleague wondered whether the Jets would consider jettisoning Mark Sanchez in the not-too-distant future. This despite Sanchez turning only 25 last week, having four road playoff wins and owning a career record of 28-18.

Oh, there is no question Sanchez needs to improve his accuracy. And he needs to make quicker reads, especially in the face of a heavy pass rush.

There's no suggestion here that Sanchez is about to elevate himself into the small cadre of elite quarterbacks that includes Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Peyton Manning. That day may never come.

But these short-term snap judgments cloud the bigger picture in determining whether the Jets can win with Sanchez in the long term. If they've experienced success in the short term with a quarterback who is still finding his way, then wouldn't it stand to reason that he can continue to achieve promising results well into the future?

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Definitive judgment halfway through a quarterback's third NFL season? C'mon!

"I think Mark is an outstanding quarterback," coach Rex Ryan said. "I like the guys that win, and I think Mark is a winner. We've won a lot of games."

The Jets (5-4) have been to two straight AFC Championship Games and are in the playoff hunt again. Thursday night they face the improved Broncos, who have their own quarterback issues accompanied by a spotlight as intense as the one on Sanchez.

But Ryan knows that until Sanchez wins a Super Bowl, doubts won't be resolved.

"Have we won the big one yet? No, we haven't won the big one yet," Ryan said. "I think if we do, then maybe everybody will look at Mark in a different light. But I think he's a terrific quarterback. The thing that you're excited about is that when you get that right, when you draft the right guy to lead your franchise, that usually is a good sign for you for 10 years. And I think we have the right guy."

Ryan will get a more accurate assessment in the coming years, but he should be encouraged by Sanchez's progress. Yes, he's had some clunkers like the one against New England. But he has shown resiliency in bouncing back from similarly poor efforts and welcomes that opportunity.

"It's a good challenge," he said. "There's two ways to look at it: We can kind of hang our heads from the New England game and be upset about not being in the driver's seat in the division, or we can turn right around, get the bad taste out of your mouth and play well on a short week."

Good thing for Sanchez he has things in perspective, especially in a market as intense as this one. Like Bill Parcells said about playing and coaching in New York: It's euphoria or disaster.

"It's easy to be the quarterback when you're on a three-game win streak," Sanchez said. "But when you lose a tough divisional game, that's a good test for a young quarterback."

If Sanchez comes up with another bounce-back performance, he'll keep the skeptics at bay for another week. If not, then he'll invite even more questions. But no matter what happens against the Broncos, this much is clear: Casting final judgment on a quarterback who is still in the early years of his NFL apprenticeship is premature and misguided.