Stafford vs. Sanchez: Did The Lions Make A Mistake?

For those of you that don’t know, Matthew Stafford was selected first overall by the Detroit Lions in this year’s draft; Mark Sanchez was taken 6th overall by the New York Jets (moving up 11 spots to select him). One crucial reason that the Lions opted to go with Stafford was that Sanchez was relatively inexperienced, with only one full college season under his belt. These two young quarterbacks are impressing so far this season, and they appear to have the potential to keep up this success, so I would like to table a debate for Grid-X readers: who will have more success as their respective careers continue to progress?

As pick number one, Stafford will get the honors of being evaluated first. Stafford had a very impressive college career; his only weaknesses were occasional lapses in judgement and needing to improve his accuracy. At the pro level Stafford seems to be developing more with each start, however I’m hard pressed to say that he has been fantastic. He seems to be progressing rapidly and looks quite poised in the pocket, with only a small dose of happy feet. He is gaining a firmer grip on a talented but not yet cohesive offense. As long as Stafford’s injury doesn’t severely affect him, expect him to develop at a progressive rate and have a flourishing career.

It was tough for Mark Sanchez to even get onto the field in college, having to sit on the bench and watch John David Booty lead USC. Fortunately, Sanchez got his opportunity and took advantage of a year’s playing time during the 2008-09 campaign, where he threw for 34 touchdowns with a 65.8 completion percentage. Chapter 1 of this NFL career has gone marvellous for Sanchez, leading the Jets to a 3-1 record, while winning the “NFL’s Rookie of the Month” in the process.  Sanchez is a natural athlete and displays his talent every game. The chatter surrounding Matt Stafford is his arm strength, but I believe Sanchez has a superb arm that is vastly underrated. The biggest variable may be that Sanchez is clearly surrounded by a much stronger team that will aid and accelerate his development. At this rate expect big things for this young man.

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Growing up we’re taught that it’s not nice to judge people. But in the world of the NFL, reality rules. So with no further adieu, here is my pick.

I can’t speak for all of the Gridiron Experts crew, but I believe that the Detroit Lions made the right pick. At first glance Sanchez may seem to have what it takes to outshine Stafford in the pros, but upon closer analysis it just isn’t true. Stafford is playing with a much less developed team than Sanchez is. The Lions are off a 0-16 year that was completely revamped in the off season. Yes, Stafford’s stats are tainted at the moment, due to a horrendous first game, but his line since then shows great improvement: 689 yards, 3 TDs, 3 INTs and a 61.7 completion percentage.

The Jets have an amazing offensive line. Sanchez is playing great but is not the only reason why the New York Jets are 3-1; the defence has been not talked about enough, which shut down Tom Brady and the Patriots in week 2.  I have all of the faith in this young man and truly believe he will prove to the Lions and the fans in the Lions den that they made the right decision in the long run.  What do you think?

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Mark Sanchez: Looks Good In Green

Even before Sunday’s NFL action showed us just how ready rookies Mark Sanchez and Matthew Stafford are for the pros, the comparisons to John Elway, Peyton Manning, and Ryan Leaf had to be made.

Oh, and to that other guy, Dan Marino.

The same thing happened for Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco last year. Both quarterbacks started their careers with victories, and while the top overall pick in this year’s draft, Stafford, couldn’t follow suit, Mark Sanchez did. After several experts and analysts said it was a mistake for the Jets to throw him into the mix, Sanchez stood poised, a giant among men, victorious over the favored Houston Texans, and impressively so.

Sanchez was wildly effective in his NFL debut, only making one major mistake, a pick six in the fourth quarter (Houston’s only score), with the game already out of reach. Stats don’t lie and with a solid 18 for 31, 277 yards, and a touchdown pass, the NFL world collectively was impressed. And if history teaches us anything, there will be more to come.

We witnessed this kind of “unlikely” success last year, as Matt Ryan started off with a bang, literally, as his first pass went for a 60+ yard touchdown to Michael Jenkins, and Ryan finished his first game with 161 yards and a victory. But if Ryan and Flacco were so impressive last year, both as fantasy options and NFL leaders, how do they compare to Mark Sanchez?

First, more was asked of Sanchez in week one. He was going up against an aggressive Houston front line. He threw 31 passes, which was 18 more than Ryan did in his debut, and aside from one mistake, was nearly flawless. Sanchez was also very effective on 3^rd down, especially in 3^rd and longs.

Not even Dan Marino could touch what Sanchez was able to do on Sunday. Marino’s first performance in his rookie season ended with two touchdowns, but only 90 yards in a 27-14 loss to the Oakland Raiders. Sanchez, unlike most rookie quarterbacks before him, threw the ball with confidence and precision, threw it a lot, and nearly escaped unscathed.

Most importantly, however, he escaped victorious.

But despite the success of Sanchez, Flacco, and Ryan, the questions remain: which performance is best? Can Sanchez touch Marino’s 20 touchdown total of the 1983 season, and are the Jets playoff material? While it may be too early to answer any of those questions, it’s entirely possible that Sanchez has the mental make-up, intangibles, and moxie to be the best rookie passer we’ve seen in some time. That’s right, the same kid with only one year of starting experience at USC. The same kid that Pete Carroll thought was foolish for entering the NFL Draft this year. The same kid that all those experts predicted would crumble under the pressure of week one. But if you ask Rex Ryan, Sanchez, his teammates, or even the Houston Texans, it’s pretty obvious he’s not a kid anymore.

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