Rex Ryan: I never said Sanchez won Jets’ QB job
By Mike Dyce
There was the perception that Mark Sanchez had won the starting quarterback job for the New York Jets after some poor showings from rookie Geno Smith in the preseason. Sanchez himself said that he had won in an interview with NFL MEdia’s Rich Eisen on Thursday.
“What I’m really disappointed about is that I got hurt because I won the competition,” Sanchez said, via NFL.com.
“Do you feel you won the competition?” Eisen asked.
“There’s no doubt,” Sanchez said. “It was a done deal.”
Apparently, Sanchez was mistaken and Rex Ryan says he never declared that Mark Sanchez was going to start.
“I never said he won the competition,” Ryan said in a conference call with reporters, via NFL.com.
“That’s his opinion,” Ryan continued. “It’s not about a company line. Apparently, if that’s what he said then that’s his opinion. Again there is that ongoing competition.”
That could be Rex Ryan just trying to show confidence in the rookie quarterback who will be playing for a while. Smith played pretty well in his debut completing 63% of his passes for 25g yards a touchdown and an interception. Against the New England Patriots on Thursday night he struggled. He completed 42.86% of his passes for 214 yards and three interceptions.
The Jets were still close and within reach to win until Aqib Talib’s interception and Nick Mangold’s brawl starting late hit.