Jets get a little batty with mobile Sanchez
New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez looks downfield during the third quarter against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. (Nov. 7, 2010) Credit: AP
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - Move on over George and Weezy. Take a seat Tom and Helen Willis.
The Jets are utilizing a scene straight out of "The Jeffersons" to help Mark Sanchez's pocket presence, a trick that's the brainchild of veteran backup quarterback Mark Brunell. And no, it has nothing to do with moving on up to the East Side, to that deluxe apartment in the sky.
They've been playfully beating up their cover boy quarterback with foam bats during drills in practice, whacking him around the same way George pounded on Tom in that one episode where a therapist attempted to help them relieve their tension.
"At the beginning, I thought it was just an excuse for them to hit me," Sanchez cracked Wednesday. "But now I'm seeing the result of that kind of practice and they're talking to me about remaining a passer on the move, slipping defenders, protecting the ball and just moving up in the pocket, attacking vertical in the pocket instead of running side to side and just giving us more options down the field."
Sanchez, who took most of the snaps Wednesday while recovering from a calf injury, is acquiring a serious knack for keeping plays alive with his feet, making some defenders look silly with his slithering, elusive moves that could have him looking to top Jason Taylor's exploits on "Dancing With the Stars" pretty soon. It's becoming a huge part of the second-year pro's game.
"Mark has a rare ability to keep the play going with his legs, just keep on running," tight end Dustin Keller said. "He also throws the ball really well on the run. So when he's doing that, I think the defense starts to panic and we can kind of play street ball a little bit.''
Sanchez has made big plays scrambling - that key fourth-down play to Santonio Holmes against the Broncos and the amazing third-down conversion to Jerricho Cotchery versus the Browns in overtime Sunday come to mind - and is gaining new admirers with each side step.
"He's like [Ben] Roethlisberger," Browns linebacker David Bowens said after the game. "The guy's big, he's hard to bring down. He's the same way, except he's more elusive.''
When Sanchez starts moving around, it's sort of like organized chaos. The Jets also practice a scramble drill with each receiver running assignment-specific routes.
"Some people are supposed to go deep, some people are supposed to mirror Mark, other people are supposed to come to Mark," wideout Braylon Edwards said. "This is something that we've practiced and we go over, so when it happens in the game, which happens quite often, we are ready for it.
"We actually have a designed scheme and we have specific things that we have to accomplish in that situation."
Just like in their practice drill with Vito Contento, a member of the Jets' equipment crew who serves as a stand-in receiver while Sanchez plays the role of George.
"Poor guy, we're just pelting him with the ball," Sanchez said. "But it's easier in the game when you have Jerricho and Santonio and all those guys catching the ball for you.''
