Jets' maturing Sanchez on a serious roll

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - Mark Sanchez has compared the Jets' offense to a shiny new luxury automobile, explaining how he wasn't allowed to play with some of the neat buttons and options during his rookie season because he wasn't trustworthy yet.

So it's only fitting the quarterback used a common Southern California phrase Wednesday to describe his recent play. He sounded almost as if he were motoring down the Pacific Coast Highway while behind the wheel of the Jets' suddenly high-octane offense.

"I'm putting the top down," he cracked in a conversation with Newsday.

And apparently putting the rest of the NFL on notice.

Sanchez's play has been off the charts the past two games, divisional triumphs over the Patriots and Dolphins. He's connected on 36 of 58 attempts for 476 yards, tossing six touchdowns and zero interceptions.

The second-year face of the franchise compiled a 122.5 quarterback rating in those games, second only to Peyton Manning. Those six TDs tie him with Manning for the most during the past two weeks.

Sanchez's 79 attempts without an interception this season are a career best, evoking memories of his postseason run - not the five-interception flop last October against Buffalo, Sunday's opponent.

"He's having the kind of year we expect,'' Rex Ryan said. "The thing I loved about Mark, his confidence never [left]. He's got plenty of confidence and the team has confidence in him - the staff and everybody else. We know he's the leader of our team right now.''

And Sanchez understands when it's time to take his foot off the accelerator.

"I'm checking it down because I'm using the emergency brake when I need to," he said. "Sometimes it's OK when you need second gear. You don't need to swerve around every corner in fifth gear. It's OK. Just slow it down, be smart."

That comment shows Sanchez's increased maturity. As a rookie, he never wanted to check the ball down to his running back because he felt as if it was like giving up and that he wasn't doing his job. But now?

"It's like cheating," he said. "Now it's like you laugh almost 'Even that got 'em! Nice. Cover that one. Take that.' It feels good, and I mean as funny as it sounds, you see L.T. scamper off for 13 yards, you're like, 'That's 13 more passing yards.' "

"Aw, man, he's on fire," Shonn Greene said. "He's doing everything he needs to do - going through his reads, taking care of the football, no turnovers."

Still, don't think Sanchez's head is getting so swollen that he can't fit into his radio-equipped helmet. It's all about perspective for the 23-year-old.

"I think it's putting pressure on myself every day that, 'If you think that was good last week, just wait,' " he said. "Just like last year. 'We got to the AFC Championship game, I'm not even good yet. Just wait.' I've always wanted to feel that way, like I'm going to be a little bit better."

That's the approach he took Wednesday, when he beat himself up in a position meeting about an ill-advised fourth-quarter shovel pass for Tomlinson that Miami's Kendall Langford almost picked off.

"You can't ever do that," Sanchez said. "As much as they want to praise me and give me pats on the back, that can lose a game. And those are the most important lessons to take each week.

"Yeah, you are checking the ball down, you are throwing the ball well, you are being accurate, you are getting the ball down the field. But you can't do that. So for me being Negative Nancy, I've been focusing on those things. That's just the way I am - just clean those up and we've really got a chance."