Ryan believes in Sanchez and rightly so

FLORHAM PARK, N.J.

To all you Jets fans looking through the microscope and suggesting that maybe quarterback Mark Sanchez really isn't the guy to lead this team to the promised land of a Super Bowl championship, Rex Ryan is standing by his guy.

Does the coach think Sanchez, even after all the struggles he has endured this season, is still capable of winning it all?

"Absolutely," Ryan said. "100 percent. I'm more confident now than I've ever been."

So say what you will about Sanchez's uneven performance so far this season, including a mystifying inability to move the offense in the early stages of games and continued issues with accuracy. As far as the coach is concerned, Sanchez is still the guy to get it done.

Even if he's still a work in progress.

"I think he's a young, developing quarterback," Ryan said. "I don't think we'll say he's completely developed until maybe six years [into his career]. Obviously, there are guys who have developed before, there's guys who have never done it, and there's guys who have taken even more time."

Ryan then threw out Aaron Rodgers' name for emphasis. He wasn't trying to directly compare Sanchez to the Packers' star quarterback, who is playing historically well coming off his Super Bowl win, but to compare the experience factor.

"I don't know how long Aaron Rodgers was on the bench," Ryan said, "but our guy has played, and he's getting better and better."

For what it's worth, Rodgers didn't start a single game in his first three seasons with the Packers, sitting behind iconic quarterback Brett Favre while waiting for his shot in 2008. Sanchez has been the Jets' starter from Day 1, a far higher degree of difficulty than absorbing the offense as a backup before getting into the lineup.

It's therefore much easier to see the warts in Sanchez's development and lose sight that he's still a young quarterback at age 24. Yes, he still sails some of his passes. Yes, he still locks on to his receivers too often and doesn't look them off when the coverage dictates that he should. And yes, his accuracy on even the simplest passes is disturbingly inconsistent.

It's fair to wonder whether Sanchez's upside will not be quite as high as the Jets envisioned when they pulled off the blockbuster draft-day trade to get him in 2009. But I think it would be a mistake to sit here 37 regular-season games into his career and declare that Sanchez can't get significantly better from this point forward. Even if that seems to be the prevailing opinion among many Jets fans who have grown increasingly disenchanted with Sanchez's inconsistent play this year.

It's too early to make definitive judgments about what Sanchez can't do. Especially for a quarterback who has displayed an uncanny ability to perform well in big situations, despite his relative inexperience.

Sorry, but I'm not ready to bail on a quarterback who has four road playoff wins in his first two years in the league. Frame of reference: Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, who will go down as one of the great quarterbacks this league has ever seen, was 1-4 in his first five road playoff games. And that was over a seven-year span.

Yes, there is room to grow for Sanchez -- a lot of room. But there have been too many instances where quarterbacks have been given a failing grade early in their careers, only to show gradual improvement over the years and develop into capable and consistent performers. Is there a chance that Sanchez has topped out so early? Well, sure, anything's possible.

But he already has displayed too many examples of quality play in big spots to make such a definitive diagnosis so soon. He flashed it against the Cowboys in the opener, when he brought the Jets back with a fourth-quarter rally. He flashed it again late in the Patriots game, shaking off a horrid start to get the Jets to within six points at 27-21 with a little more than seven minutes to play, only to have the defense fail to stop Tom Brady and running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis.

There have been unfortunate moments, too. The four turnovers against the Ravens. And the slow starts in far too many games.

"The main thing is that these are long games," he said yesterday, referencing quarterbacks coach Matt Cavanaugh's weekly reminders. "Coach Cavanaugh says it maybe every Sunday, 'Hey, man, we're in this thing till the end, so don't get frustrated. Don't get down. Keep these guys positive.' My rookie year, I didn't really understand it. Last year, I started to get a grasp of it."

This year, he gets it, even if the 3-3 record might not show it.

"We take care of the ball and get a few third downs, we'll have a chance, and whenever you get that chance," he said, "we'll be in the game."

Patience is in short supply when it comes to quarterbacks, especially around here, and Sanchez is no exception. But with a coach who believes so strongly in his young passer, it's a mistake to dismiss the idea that he can't take the next step.

Maybe not this year, but not too long after that.