NFL Offseason Thread

[Savonarola]

Bengals mired in mediocrity

Some teams have all the luck.   

[Ed Anger]

Every Bengals fan seems to think he is young Corey Dillon and young Rudi Johnson reborn. 

That's one guy my brother doesn't talk up too much.  Not sure why.

Cedric was lazy with the Bears.

[callmeclemens]

NFL.com Reports Bucs are dealing either Leftwich or McCown.
My best guess is McCown. Any other idea's

[Vince]

His first pass was a pick six. There's no way In hell we can give this team back to Kellen, does anyone Remember Thanksgiving 07? 34-3.

To be fair the week before the Dallas Thanksgiving Turkey Shoot the Jets upset the Steelers.  Nobody at QB that year would've done well in 2007 with that surrounding cast.

But I digress...Sanchez is now the starter.  Let's see what the kid can do.  Per ESPN:

What the football world expected became reality Wednesday when the Jets' quarterbacks were informed that Mark Sanchez is the new starter.

Uncharted Territory

No Jets rookie started the first game of a season since Dick Jamieson started the first game in franchise history in 1960 when the Jets were known as the New York Titans.

The last Jets rookie QB to start a game was Matt Robinson on Nov. 27, 1977 at home against Pittsburgh.

So when Sanchez starts in Week 1, he'll do something even Joe Namath didn't do. Namath made his first start as a rookie in the Jets' third game of the 1965 season.

Rookie pass attempts by Jets QBs drafted in first round:
Year    Quarterback    Attempts
2009    Mark Sanchez    ?
2000    Chad Pennington    5
1983    Ken O'Brien    0
1976    Richard Todd    162
1965    Joe Namath    340
1962    Sandy Stephens    0
Source: ESPN Stats & Information

Sanchez will start the Jets' third preseason game Saturday night against the New York Giants -- and, more importantly, the team's regular-season opener at Houston against the Texans.

"I feel that the best move for our franchise and our team is to go with Mark as our quarterback," Jets first-year head coach Rex Ryan said Wednesday.

It wasn't a question of if Sanchez would be named the starter, but when. Even though he struggled some against the Baltimore Ravens on Monday night, the Jets have seen enough moxie and talent from Sanchez to make this year's fifth overall pick the face of the franchise.

"I think Mark gives us the best opportunity to win," Ryan said.

The designation of Sanchez as the Jets' starter was first reported by FoxSports.com.

The Jets traded up in the draft to select Sanchez, who was signed to a five-year deal that could be worth up to $60 million, including $28 million guaranteed.

Vying to become the Jets' starter, Sanchez, drafted out of Southern California, got off to a wretched start Monday night but finished with a flourish in a 24-23 preseason loss.

Starting for the first time, Sanchez handed off the ball on the game's opening play from scrimmage. Then he forced a pass while being hit in the stomach by middle linebacker Ray Lewis. The ball was intercepted by Haloti Ngata, who rumbled 25 yards for a touchdown to make it 7-0 with 52 seconds elapsed.

"Not obviously the way you want to start. I thought I was doing the right thing; I felt Ray come free on the right side from the protection," Sanchez said. "I was checking it down to the flat, perfect. Haloti just jumped right in front of the ball and made a really athletic play."

Mike and Mike in the Morning

ESPN NFL analyst Chris Mortensen confirms the news that Mark Sanchez has won the starting QB job with the Jets. Plus, he goes over other QB battles and talks about the Cowboys' stadium issue.

More Podcasts »

Sanchez nearly had his second pass picked off, too. On his final play, however, he threw his first NFL touchdown pass -- a 19-yarder to running back Leon Washington with 5:50 left in the second quarter.

Sanchez went 3-for-8 for 43 yards. He didn't experience success until the Ravens removed several players from the first-team defense, including Lewis and safety Ed Reed.

Ryan spent the previous 10 years building the Baltimore defense, but there was no way he could fully explain to Sanchez the experience of going up against the wickedly effective unit.

"You put a young guy like Sanchez in there and you see our defense, it can be difficult," Lewis said. "You saw his eyes get big, and he was jumping around in the pocket. Bottom line: We gave a lot of looks and disguises and we confused him a little bit."

To say the least.

AFC East blog

Graham ESPN.com's Tim Graham writes about all things AFC East in his division blog.

• Blog network: NFL Nation

"Oh, they were flying. They were flying around," Sanchez said. "You practice for it and you see it on film. These guys were doing it. You're trying to keep one eye on Ed Reed and one eye on Ray Lewis and a D-lineman gets you."

Clemens, who started New York's other exhibition game, was 5-for-10 for 60 yards. Like Sanchez, he had an interception returned for a touchdown and threw a TD pass (a 28-yarder to David Clowney in the third quarter).

Sanchez finally started to move the offense on his final drive Monday night. A short pass to Washington on a third-and-12 went for 16 yards, and a run by Washington for 15 yards on a third-and-10 set up the TD pass.

"I'm proud of the way he responded," Ryan said of Sanchez. "It ain't going to be perfect; sometimes you have these type of nights. You've got to give credit where credit is due, and most of that goes to their defense."

[derspiess]

But I digress...Sanchez is now the starter.  Let's see what the kid can do.  Per ESPN:

Hopefully he's still alive in Week 17 when they play the Bungles

[jimmy olsen]

Just picked up Edgerin James for LFFL. 

[derspiess]

Just picked up Edgerin James for LFFL. 

Sucker...

[jimmy olsen]

Just picked up Edgerin James for LFFL. 

Sucker...

Not bad for a backup.

[Vince]

But I digress...Sanchez is now the starter.  Let's see what the kid can do.  Per ESPN:

Hopefully he's still alive in Week 17 when they play the Bungles

I've suffered through multiple seasons of the Jets resorting to their fourth and fifth stringers at QB. 

Another year of that wouldn't surprise me.   

[Sophie Scholl]

Vince, we should organize a Utica Languish meetup for October 25th to watch the Raiders and Jets game.  Got a preferred sports bar in the area?

[jimmy olsen]

Cable Bumaye!

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4424500&campaign=rss&source=NFLHeadlines

Police: Cable will be questioned

Updated: August 26, 2009, 6:16 PM ET
By Colleen Dominguez
ESPN

The Napa, Calif., police department plans to question Oakland Raiders coach Tom Cable about his alleged role in a skirmish that left assistant coach Randy Hanson with a broken bone in his face.

A department spokesperson said Wednesday that Cable would be interviewed as part of the ongoing investigation in the near future, but a date was not specified.

The department has been contacted by NFL security and said it is cooperating with the league, the spokesperson said.

Hanson was hospitalized following the Aug. 5 attack that he told police was initiated by a member of the Raiders coaching staff at the team's training camp hotel in Napa. According to reports, Cable attacked Hanson during a meeting with some of the team's defensive coaches.

Last week, Cable said "nothing happened."

"When all the facts come out, everything will be fine," he said.

Hanson has spoken to Napa police and has not been seen at Raiders camp since the incident. The case was initially closed and then reopened Friday when Hanson agreed to cooperate with authorities.

"Hanson's future with the team is currently being addressed," a Raiders executive said Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Hanson has retained an attorney specializing in employment law, potentially signaling yet another lawsuit for team owner Al Davis, who's already locked in a legal battle with former Oakland coach Lane Kiffin.

Collen Dominguez is a reporter for ESPN. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

[CountDeMoney]

A photo the Jest fans should get used to, since this is what their season will usually look like.



J-E-S-T JEST JEST JEST

[Vince]

Seedy I'll be the first person to tell you the Jets will probably start 0-4 since they play Houston, NE, Tennessee and New Orleans. 

Worse still I found out the QB position coach for Sanchez on the Jets is the same guy that was the position coach for Kyle Boller on the Ravens.   

[MadBurgerMaker]

Yeah right.  The Houston secondary is about as creampuff as they get, and the run D is questionable at best so far.  Good confidence builder for Sanchez (unless Mario Williams gets to him and kills him, I guess) and the Jets.

[Grey Fox]

I guess Joe Buck & Troy Aikman had really nothing to say in the last 30mins or so.

Freaking Rain Delay, this is football!