Stats not pretty, but Sanchez gets it done

LANDOVER, Md. -- Mark Sanchez spent the afternoon at MetLife Stadium on Nov. 27 hearing boos, then spent the ensuing week talking about hearing boos.

It was a strange, disconcerting week for the Jets quarterback, especially given that he threw four touchdown passes against the Bills, including the winner with a minute left.

So did he feel any extra satisfaction Sunday after leading the Jets to a 34-19 victory over the Redskins, again rallying the team with a touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes?

"It's satisfying for our team,'' he said. "There are bigger things on our plate than worrying about things like that. That's what my focus is on."

Truth was, had Sanchez been playing at home rather than at FedEx Field, he likely would have heard plenty more boos before the late comeback.

Although he led the Jets to 10 points in their first three drives, he and his offensive teammates were out of sync throughout the middle of the game, totaling two first downs in the second half's first six possessions, one of those on a Washington penalty.

Then the game turned on a drive that began with Josh Baker returning a short kickoff 29 yards to the Jets' 49-yard line. On third-and-4 from the Washington 45, Sanchez eluded pressure coming from his left and hit Shonn Greene for a pivotal 10-yard completion.

Two plays later, Holmes burned Redskins cornerback Josh Wilson by faking a slant and cutting back toward the sideline. Sanchez found him at the 5 for a 30-yard touchdown reception on a rare deep throw.

"We had a double-move set up," Sanchez said. "We felt their cornerbacks and safeties were sitting on some of our shorter routes. We had called quite a few shorter routes, a lot of quick-hitting stuff.

"It was a good opportunity to get a double-move on. We got the perfect coverage. We had plenty of time to throw it. I just had to get the ball there and Tone did the rest.''

Sanchez finished 19-for-32 for 165 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. But it should be evident by now that he is not the sort of quarterback best judged by statistics.

"Mark at times sailed a couple of balls, but when it counted the most in the fourth quarter, he found a way to get it done," coach Rex Ryan said. "I was proud of that.

"I'll take it when a guy can roll his sleeves up and say, 'We're going to get it done' and everybody believes in him. It's just a matter of time."

During the week, Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall had spoken unkindly of Sanchez in an interview with The Washington Post, saying "he just gets confused sometimes'' and that he stares down receivers.

Hall added that Sanchez is "middle of the pack, definitely not the worst in the league."

Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis laughed when asked about Hall's comments.

"That's just DeAngelo talking," he said. "DeAngelo always says what's on his mind. He's a trash-talker . . . We won and Mark managed the game very well and threw a touchdown for us late in the game. DeAngelo, go ahead and talk now.''

Sanchez has led the Jets to 10 fourth-quarter comebacks or overtime wins in his career, six of them on the road.

"That kid just plays his best football in the fourth quarter," running back LaDainian Tomlinson said. "Whenever we need him the most is when he shows up, and that's all I care about -- wins and losses."