I understand what you're saying, but that's not a philosophy you can build your offense around and I think you're giving Sanchez too much credit in this regard. Sanchez isn't big enough to absorb hits like Roethlisberger is and he certainly isn't the athlete that Aaron Rogers is. Both of these QBs are elite in ways that Sanchez can never be when it comes to their escapability. He can get away and he can occasionally take a hit but I haven't seen the evidence that he can do it like these two can. There's also the fact despite their QBs' abilities to overcome their OLine deficiencies, both teams have made picks within the first two rounds of the 2010 and 2011 drafts to improve their OLines. The Packers spent first round picks on Brian Bulaga and Derrick Sherrod and the Steelers took Marcus Gilbert in the second round of this past draft after spending a first round pick on Pouncey in 2010. Even the teams that have elite QBs are placing a huge focus on protecting them. It takes an elite QB to overcome a protection deficiency like that and right now, Sanchez isn't an elite QB. Of course we then get to here and you just lose me completely:
The only QB in the NFL who really prospers despite porous protection is Roethlisberger and that's only because he's big enough to shake off a tackler fairly regularly and can throw over a defender in his face and complete a pass. He's also tough as nails and can take a hit. He was sacked 46 times or more 4 seasons in a row and won a Super Bowl in that span. He's been sacked 289 times in a 104 game career. Rodgers also had one high sack season with 50 in 2009 but he has not taken the punishment that Roethlisberger has taken over the years.
Ben isn't going to last long getting clobbered like that. Rodgers has concussion problems Rodgers hasn't been taking beatings like that luckily for him. QB's can't take beatings like Ben and survive typically.
I don't know where I saw this. Either Br4dw4y5ux said this, or Smash from Pats fan board said this: OL and DL are force multipliers, and the stronger they are, the better the entire team will perform. Look. If you are investing the entire franchise on the QB, shouldn't it make sense to also invest in protecting that investment as well? Last, but not least, NO QB performs when he is constantly harried by pressure. Once QBs start getting hits here and there, they start reacting to simulated pressure as if they are harried by actual pass rusher. (Rex Ryan is a master of this.)
And I've seen Sanchez do this in the pocket because he doesn't trust his line. If that line fucks him up this year, he may be mentally cooked for good. That's the absolute last thing I want to see happen.
His internal clock has definitely been messed up even when he's had time this season. The line needs to have some consistency and give him his confidence in their protection back.
I feel like Keller and Conner dropped last week's confidence builders. No 3rd year QB is going to win shit without a good OL. Besides, Rodgers was still holding a clipboard in his 3rd year and Ben was protected by a very solid running game and better WRs than Mark has. At this point, Sanchez isn't able to win in spite of his supporting cast.
I should have clarified: we don't need a top 5 OL, but we do need a good OL that keeps Sanchez upright, and you guys are right that it's more important for him as a young quarterback that he gets better protection. We need a top 15 OL, preferably a top 10 or top 5 one. Would it be preferred to have a top 5 OL? Yes. What I meant was that it's not necessary. It is necessary to have one that doesn't get your QB killed every week like what ours is doing. By no means do I want Cutler's situation here. That's a disaster. I'm just saying Sanchez looked shellshocked that game, while a guy like Cutler actually made some plays. Sanchez is still a growing QB, and he hasn't faced that much pressure before. My point was that it's not impossible to play adequately behind a bad line, like some people seem to think. I've always been a guy who wants to build the offensive line up, and I still am. But as long as the OL is adequate enough to keep Sanchez upright, which it SHOULD be, then we should be able to pass the ball. The running game is more dependent on offensive line play than quarterback play, unless the line is just terrible.
A lot of the drop issues on short range routes are on Sanchez in my opinion. He really does not deliver all that well at short range and I think his receivers tend to mirror that problem by not catching all that well on short routes. This is at least partly because his receivers keep changing. You really can't do more to disrupt a young QB's progression than having his line fall apart as he is trying to develop some chemistry with new receivers. Schotty is an issue also and it's kind of an all-around clusterfuck at times. Sanchez isn't throwing all that well at the start of the game and Schotty is tentative in the play calls and rule bound which makes it hard to adapt on the fly and the line is having issues and the new receivers and Sanchez can't get on the same page and in the end the real problem is Mike Tannenbaum. For all the reasons above.
Offensively, I agree. Tanny has fucked this up immensely this season. I forget which football god said this, but they own the phrase, "Never think you're one player away." And Tanny has done that twice. Once in 07, and again this year. Now, he doesn't do that in absolution. He doesn't only acquire one player and think his team is set. But after 06, there was little done to improve on an above average team that surprised people, and thus 07 happened and there were 40 issues before Chad got hurt. That wasn't the only reason the year failed. And now, once again, we find the Jets offense in the worst shape its been since 07 due to Tanny and the offense thinking that little needed to be done to fix this offense. I didn't want Plax here to begin with (but defended him when he got here... I'm a Jets fan), same with Braylon (hated the trade, still am meh about him), and both are now either gone or not producing due to various reasons. This team has needed a go-to slot WR since they traded Chansi Stuckey. This league had made the slot WR a weapon that is tough to deal with, and Keller has been chosen for that role, who honestly IMO looks better coming off the line than he does in the slot. Kerley may be the answer, but its something Schotty has never used correctly. The NFL's new rules lets the slot WR do whatever they want. Going over the middle of the field used to be a no-no in the NFL, now its welcomed. And yet its not emphasized in this offense. Its like Joey Harrington with the Lions, but with a better QB. Just keep getting him new WRs until he looks like Tom Brady. But Sanchez was getting great rhythm with his WR corps until it changed this season in a lockout year. That would be a fireable offense to a GM who doesn't have 3 playoff appearances and only 1 bad season under his resume. He'll be retained this offseason and will be given the orders to put this team back at SB contention immediately. Problem is, will Sanchez be facing two new WRs, or will he have a team that resembles the same one as this season? The Plax signing was done before he went to jail in terms of the organization wanting him on this team. Woody and Tanny were enamored with him before he shot himself, and loved him after he was released. I can see him getting a 2 year offer to stay, and mentor the new young WR they want coming in. I don't know how I feel about it. Let's go with no, but at least continuity would be nice... so yes? The OL, I don't know. I can agree with why they went with Hunter. His January performance told everyone he can carry the load, and now he's regressed to JAG status on a line that must protect Sanchez at all costs. I think he was playing for a contract, but I using hindsight for that reasoning. The WR corps is the most botched plan on this team, and then they decided to become more of a passing offense. AYFKM? That's atrocious groupthink from both the CS and FO, seeing as its been reported that they wanted to do that going into training camp. How a team goes against their identity in a shortened offseason is beyond me. It's the type of move angers the football gods in which they warrant the death of a postseason opportunity. In doing so, the defense hasn't been stout against the run, therefore letting teams control tempo, momentum, and possession. Its been a mighty clusterfuck, and its pissing me off more everyday. It goes on the entire CS. The one silver lining is they they've seen the error of their ways, and they are correcting it. Problem is, it might be too late. And if it is too late, then someone's head rolls. My guess - the OC. Although, IMO, I'd like the entire offensive staff replaced save for two or three position coaches when Rex hires his guy for the position. Not Marty's son who is coveted by this organization who was strongly referred to Rex. I'm really tired with how this season has went, and its only week 5. They better come out desperate and pissed when they play the fins and put up 35 on them, both offensive and defensive TDs.
Agreed. Cutler is just a gunslinger who's a tough fucker who doesn't give a shit. Sanchez is a young QB who can still have his internal clock ruined by shit pass protection combined with routes that aren't conducive to his rhythm. It will ruin him as a passer.
Tom Brady begs to differ. P.S. Looks like he studied last year's loss a lot. He learned to shift the pocket to earn time. Unless Jets get a stud pass rusher of Strahan's caliber, it will be a hard shell to crack.
The problem is, short range passes - especially swing passes and short flat route passes - were not Sanchez's forte, even during his college days. When it comes to short routes, quick out patterns and slant patterns work well with Sanchez. I don't know about dig ins or crossing patterns. flat and swings are disaster waiting to happen. (If you remember, Sanchez's pick-6 during Baltimore game came from flat pass to Holmes) When it comes to short routes, Sanchez seems to have a critical mechanic problem, i.e. he does not step into the throw, merely floating the ball with arm strength alone. (Outs and slants work rather well because he has to step into the throw for these.) Watch Brady or Manning throw; especially Brady. Whatever the throw is, his throwing mechanic is almost identical *unless he is going bombs away with 50+ floater* Same with Manning. Manning's throwing mechanic is especially important for Sanchez, as he shows you how to play taller than your actual height. When Manning throws the ball, his body is literally stretched to the maximum height (from his left foot to right hand) and the release point is the highest point of the arc his arm makes. That's good 7 feet high - no wonder his passes are rarely tipped at the line. I believe it will take some time, but mechanic problems are not incorrigible. It can be corrected. If short, one year will do it. If it takes long, it could go up to anywhere between 3 to 5 years. Sanchez does have long arm, but his release point is not much higher. I am pretty sure his release point is much lower than that of Drew Brees. Anyway, Sanchez must correct his throwing mechanics first and foremost - or his short passes will lack the accuracy.
