The Jets have announced this morning that veteran QB Mark Sanchez will start Saturday night in their preseason home opener at MetLife Stadium against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Sanchez continues to practice well. After struggling early in the Green & White Scrimmage on Aug. 3, the fifth-year veteran ended on a high with a 57-yard scoring strike to Stephen Hill and that carried over to the SUNY Cortland practice fields. But for one poor decision in Detroit, Sanchez would be on a roll.
"I felt good throughout the duration of camp. I thought I threw the ball well. I was accurate," said Sanchez, a career 55% passer who completed 77% of his throws at Ford Field. "I did my best to take care of the ball and move the team down the field. I thought we did that really well in spurts. I thought we got a little more consistent as things went on. We just have to keep improving."
Rookie Geno Smith, who completed six of seven passes against the Lions last Friday night in Detroit, tweaked his right ankle on a scramble in the third quarter. The West Virginia product practiced Sunday and Monday with his ankle heavily wrapped in black tape, but he had his toughest practice of camp — without the tape — Wednesday with four interceptions.
Throughout the first week and a half of camp, Smith was one of the best players on the field. When healthy, he has a big-time arm, he can zip it on the run and also has the ability to pick up yards on the ground. But Smith, who won't practice today, was clearly impacted by his ankle injury.
"He's not able to move like he normally does, he's not able to drive the ball like he normally does," Ryan said Wednesday. "With his velocity that doesn't mean that he still can't get out there. He's competing. He's been out there every day. But is he 100 percent? I would say that he is not 100 percent." The Jets will practice today at Cortland and then break training camp and return to the Atlantic Health Training Center,
