Sanchez to start against Ravens
By Mark Cannizzaro
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August 16, 2009 | 6:40pm
CORTLAND _ Mark Sanchez not only took the snaps with the first team in today's practice, but he'll be taking them with the starters to begin next Monday's preseason game against the Ravens in Baltimore.
Rex Ryan made it official today, announcing that Sanchez would make his NFL preseason starting debut on Aug. 24 against his former team.
Ryan, too, reiterated that he'd like to decide on who the starting QB will be before the Jets' Aug. 29 preseason game against the Giants..
"I know I want to have it done by then," Ryan said. "I'm not saying 100-percent it will be (done). I'm assuming it will, but I'm not going to guarantee that I have it done by then."
Sanchez took the news, which was delivered to the two QBs sight after practice this morning, in stride.
"It's just a matter of the rotation," Sanchez said. "Nothing's changed yet, and that's just the way things shake out. Of course I'm excited."
Clemens insisted that, despite Sanchez' fast start Friday against the Rams (3-of-88 yards) and the fact that the rookie has been impressive in camp, he refuses to try to figure out who has the edge at the moment.
Conventional wisdom says that Sanchez has a huge advantage, having outplayed Clemens Friday and now having the chance to cement himself as the starter with a strong performance against the Ravens.
Asked if he feels like he's "fighting an uphill battle," Clemens said, "Mark is a very talented player, so I'm in a competition with a guy who obviously has some pretty serious ability. But I don't rank myself all that low. I'm not going down the road with my thoughts the way you're kind of suggesting I might."
Clemens on Sanchez' debut: "Pretty good start; he set the bar pretty high with that one."
Neither Sanchez nor Clemens looked particularly sharp in today's practice. Sanchez was 2-10 and nearly threw a couple of INTs to CB Drew Coleman and S Kerry Rhodes.
Clemens was a little better, completing 7-of-13 passes, though Coleman dropped an potential INT on him as well.
Jets LG Alan Faneca, who had surgery on the broken finger on his left hand the other day, might be out for the rest of the preseason.
Ryan, who said Faneca would definitely miss the Ravens game, actually hinted that Faneca might not play the remaining three preseason games.
"He'll be ready to go for the season; we just want to get him fully healed," Ryan said.
Faneca's backup, Stanley Daniels, was excused from today's practice for personal reasons and is expected back today, so Nevin McCaskill played with the first-team OL.
Along with Faneca, RT Damien Woody (concussion) and C Nick Mangold (knee) sat out practice and their status is uncertain for the Ravens game.
Also out was FB Jehu Caulcrick, who hurt his left knee in the Rams game, CB Darrelle Revis (hamstring) and NT Kris Jenkins (calf).
Ryan is kicking mad about the Jets' punting situation, and he's doing something about it.
The Jets had Ken Parrish, formerly of the Eagles, in for a tryout today during the morning practice.
"I'm tired of seeing ground balls," Ryan said. "You watch practice and it's like we have Ray Guy. I want to see that (in a game). I want to see an NFL punt."
Reggie Hodges, who took the first two punts Friday night against the Rams, averaged 49 yards, but one of his kicks was short and got a good roll. Rookie T.J. Conley had punts of 50 and 27 yards.
"We're going to find a punter," Ryan promised. "If he's here or if he's on somebody else's team we've got to find a punter. I don't care where we go to get one. If he's here, great, then step up and punt."
When I asked Jets LB Bart Scott about Rams QB Marc Bulger commenting (after being sacked three times that the Jets) that the Jets were using "mid-season blitzes," he was amused.
"That was basic stuff, like second day of training camp stuff," Scott said. "We went at (that game) like a scrimmage. We didn't even watch tape of those guys."
A Ryan musing on TE Dustin Keller, who caught three passes for 52 yards Friday: "This Dustin Keller is pretty good. I might throw to him."
Cool moments after yesterday's Ryan's mid-day press conference. He invited the writers into the team meeting room and showed us some cut-up video of the Rams game to illustrate how some unsung players are exuding his team-first values.
Ryan offered particular praise to Sanchez, LB Vernon Gholston, CB Drew Coleman, Scott, LBs Marques Murrell and Bryan Thomas, WRs David Clowney ad Jerricho Cotchery, RB Leon Washington, C Rob Turner and G Matt Slauson.
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