Sanchez deems three days of Jets player workouts a 'success'

NEW YORK -- Mark Sanchez got a few dozen of his New York Jets teammates together to practice for three days in private.

Yep, one of the NFL's chattiest teams went silent and got to work.

No cameras. No fans. No reporters.

"We just wanted to be able to focus," Sanchez said during a conference call Wednesday. "I think we've seen the extreme in 'Hard Knocks,' and how everything with the media, every little thing, if you sneeze, it's out there in print, on a blog or on TV. This is our chance to really just relax and do it our way, keep it quiet, have fun with the guys and keep it just a team thing."

About 40 players wrapped up three days of player-run workouts at Fairleigh Dickinson University, across the road from the team's facility in Florham Park, N.J. Unable to work out at the facility because of the lockout, it was the first time the Jets' players have gotten together as a large group since the end of last season.

"It was definitely a success, got some of the younger guys acquainted with veteran players, got everybody back again," Sanchez said. "It was good to see everybody's face again and make sure guys are looking like they are in good shape, and they definitely looked like that."

Center Nick Mangold remains hopeful that he and his teammates can soon get back to business as usual. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and several owners met with NFL Players Association chief DeMaurice Smith and a group of players for a second straight day in Maryland.

"As much as we get to do these player workouts and stuff like that, it's not the same as having, for myself, an elite offensive-line coach like Bill Callahan out there coaching me," Mangold said. "So I think that it would be a good thing for us to get everything wrapped up in time."

Sanchez and his brothers, Nick and Brandon, helped organize the workouts -- dubbed "Camp Lockout" -- which included film sessions and 7-on-7 and team drills. Mangold and right guard Brandon Moore sent emails to several players, who agreed to gather from Monday through Wednesday. Sanchez also credited FDU basketball coach Pete Marion for setting things up at the school.

The days began with an hour of film study, followed by two hours of on-field work. Sanchez also made copies of old playbooks that he distributed to all of his teammates.

"When you don't have that time, potentially not going to Cortland, potentially not going to training camp," Sanchez said, "this was as close to that as we could replicate."

Sanchez, Mangold and Moore ran the offensive position groups, and cornerback Darrelle Revis and linebackers Bart Scott and David Harris ran things on the defense.

"The 7-on-7 was pretty competitive and the team stuff, as far as tempo, not anything crazy," Sanchez said. "Guys just wanted to make sure we stayed injury-free, and I think we did that."

The players preferred to not give a full attendance report, but among those who reportedly didn't participate were some of the Jets' biggest free agents: cornerback Antonio Cromartie and wide receivers Santonio Holmes and Braylon Edwards. ESPNNewYork.com reported that wide receiver Santonio Holmes attended at least one day, but didn't participate in drills.

"That's something I kind of expected and can understand," Sanchez said. "As teammates, it's hard, because you want those guys there, but as a professional football player and somebody who understands that there is a business side to this sport, unfortunately, I understand where these guys are coming from."

The players also had some down time, including a 3-point shooting contest in FDU's gym, which running back Joe McKnight and cornerback Drew Coleman won. They took home Hugo Boss suits as their reward.

"We had a good time with it, make sure guys are having fun, getting a little conditioning in at the same time," Sanchez said. "I don't even think they even realized that they were, so it was good."

Sanchez said players are considering additional workouts "in small pockets" until the lockout ends. He got the offensive skill players together for his "Jets West" camp in Southern California in early May, and several defensive linemen have been working out at a high school in New Jersey.

"It actually worked the opposite of what a normal offseason is," Sanchez said. "We're together so much and the offseason seems so short that when you get those times off, guys want to get away and focus on their family and relax. ... Well, now, we've been apart for so long, guys couldn't wait to get here and see each other again and have fun."

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

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Ryan weighs playing-time options for Jets QB Sanchez vs. Bills

New York Jets coach Rex Ryan has not ruled out playing Mark Sanchez against the Buffalo Bills in Week 17, despite a slight tear in the starting quarterback's right (throwing) shoulder.

"He's in such a groove right now," Ryan told reporters Monday morning, adding that the health of his quarterback is a top priority.

Sanchez seemed fine in the Jets' 38-34 loss to the Chicago Bears on Sunday, after playing during most of last week's win over the Pittsburgh Steelers with a shoulder injury. The second-year starter threw for 269 yards and a touchdown, completing 24 of 37 passes, as the Jets (10-5) clinched their second straight postseason trip under Ryan after Jacksonville's 20-17 loss to Washington.

Ryan talked Monday about the possibility of starting Sanchez against the Bills and pulling him early for backup Mark Brunell. Ryan said he hasn't made a final decision on how much playing time either quarterback will receive.

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Ryan: Jets will start Brunell vs. Bears if ailing Sanchez lacks 'zip'

The New York Jets might have to try to clinch a playoff spot this weekend without Mark Sanchez.

Jets coach Rex Ryan said Thursday that Sanchez's sore shoulder is worse than he first thought, though he still expects the quarterback to start Sunday at Chicago. If not, 40-year-old Mark Brunell would be under center.

"This one could be more of a game-time type decision than I thought it would be," Ryan said.

The Jets (10-4) will clinch a playoff berth if they beat the Bears (10-4) at Soldier Field.

Sanchez was limited in practice for the second consecutive day and "never had a ton of zip" on his passes, according to Ryan. But offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer saw it differently, offering a more optimistic evaluation.

"As he got going a little bit, he looked pretty good," Schottenheimer said. "Early in the day, Mark was trying to get loose. He had an 18-yard curl route that was awfully sharp."

Ryan wouldn't confirm published reports that an MRI exam Monday revealed a slight cartilage tear in Sanchez's shoulder, hurt during New York's second drive in last Sunday's 22-17 win at Pittsburgh.

NFL Network insider Albert Breer confirmed the report Wednesday through a league source.

Sanchez finished the game and played well through the injury. He was 19-of-29 passing for 170 yards and ran for a touchdown, stopping an eight-game interception streak.

"I still think he's going to play, but I was shocked a little bit," Ryan said. "The fact that he played the game and he looked great, I think I made an assumption that maybe I shouldn't have."

Earlier in the week, Ryan said he was 99 percent sure that Sanchez would play. The coach downgraded that number to 80 percent Thursday.

Sanchez wasn't available to the media because he talks on Wednesdays, but he has said he's "playing, that's all there is to it."

Ryan said the decision whether or not Sanchez plays will be made by the team, along with input from the quarterback. The coach said he made a mistake earlier this season when he allowed cornerback Darrelle Revis to decide if he was ready to return from a tweaked hamstring, and it worsened.

Sanchez threw more passes during practice Thursday than he did Wednesday, an encouraging sign. Both Ryan and Schottenheimer believe the decision likely will come down to Sanchez's threshold for pain, but the team won't put him in if he can't perform.

"He's still got to improve before we'll be comfortable with him out there as our starting quarterback," Ryan said. "Do we think he will? Yes, we do think he'll be better. This is what I've said the whole time about it being a sore shoulder."

Brunell, signed during the offseason after two years with the New Orleans Saints, is prepared to step in for Sanchez if needed. Brunell's last start came in the regular-season finale last year as Drew Brees rested for the Saints' eventual Super Bowl-winning push.

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"You have to be ready, that's the job of a backup," Brunell said.

Schottenheimer said the Jets wouldn't have to change much of their offensive game plan if Brunell starts, except for the fact he's left-handed.

"There'd be a few things here or there you might want to flip over and run the other way," Schottenheimer said. "For the most part, you don't change too much."

Ryan said it's "not essential" that Sanchez plays against the Bears if he's still hurting, especially since the Jets have confidence in the experienced Brunell.

"He's smart, he's done it all," Ryan said of the 18-year veteran. "We're not talking about a guy who's never done it before in his career. This guy was a Pro Bowl quarterback for a number of years. Is he as good as Mark Brunell was back then? No, because he'd be our starting quarterback. I feel comfortable with Mark, I really do."

Notes: Safety Eric Smith (concussion) was ruled out for the second consecutive game, as was RT Damien Woody (right knee). ... WR Santonio Holmes (turf toe) was limited in practice, but Ryan expects him to play Sunday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Jets' Sanchez has MRI on shoulder, should be OK to face Bears

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Mark Sanchez beat the Pittsburgh Steelers with a sore shoulder.

Coach Rex Ryan said the New York Jets quarterback had an MRI exam Monday on his right shoulder, which was "kind of sore" after it was banged up early in the team's 22-17 win Sunday. Ryan downplayed the MRI, saying it was strictly "precautionary," and Sanchez should be fine to play at Chicago next Sunday.

"Anytime it's your quarterback, you're going to make sure he's OK," Ryan said.

Ryan said Sanchez banged up the shoulder during the Jets' second drive.

"It was like the first time he ran with the football," Ryan said. "His arm was in an awkward position, but it never affected him."

Sanchez was 19 of 29 for 170 yards with a touchdown rushing and no interceptions, snapping an eight-game streak of being picked off at least once.

"As somebody said, 'Maybe this should happen to you in all these games,' because he played great," Ryan said.

And, would that "somebody" happen to be Ryan?

"No, it wasn't me," Ryan said with a big grin. "Mark and I aren't talking. I'm just kidding."

Ryan also joked that he probably shouldn't have said anything about the shoulder.

"Now that's going to be our story," he said. "Oh, no."

Ryan added that Sanchez might be limited at practice this week because he got "beat up pretty good," along with several teammates in a physical game with the Steelers. He also revealed that he took some practice snaps away from Sanchez -- "one or two" -- last week to "tick him off more than anything else."

Sanchez had been struggling coming into the game against the Steelers, having thrown one touchdown and five interceptions in his last three games.

"You send a message that, you know what? You're my guy, and everybody knows you're my guy," Ryan said. "It will make him accountable, I'll make everybody accountable."

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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Sanchez rallies Jets in fourth quarter and finishes Lions in overtime

DETROIT -- Mark Sanchez threw a lot of passes high, low and wide.

When it mattered most, he found his target.

Sanchez connected with Santonio Holmes for 52 yards to set up Nick Folk's 30-yard field goal 2:18 into overtime, lifting the New York Jets to a 23-20 win over the Detroit Lions on Sunday.

"He's at his best when he's not thinking and he's just a California boy playing football," Jets receiver Braylon Edwards said.

Sanchez scored on a quarterback sneak with 2:46 left in regulation and led a nine-play drive that set up Folk's 36-yard kick to send the game into OT.

He successfully lobbied Jets coach Rex Ryan to run the two-minute offense in overtime.

"When I started running it, we got them on their heels," Sanchez said. "It was obvious that we took over the game at the end."

Knocking Matthew Stafford out of the game certainly helped the Jets take control.

Stafford threw two TD passes and ran for a score to give Detroit a 10-point lead before re-injuring his right shoulder and leaving the game with 5:19 left. Stafford separated his shoulder in the opener and was out until last week.

"You don't want to hurt a guy, but that changed the game," said linebacker Bryan Thomas, who tackled Stafford from behind and sent him crashing on his right shoulder. "I was just trying to make a play."

Lions coach Jim Schwartz gave Sanchez extra time to run more plays on the game-tying drive when he called a pass on third down and Drew Stanton threw an incompletion, giving the Jets the ball with 1:40 left.

"I didn't make myself clear enough that we shouldn't worry about taking the lost yardage play right there because the clock obviously was important," Schwartz said.

The Jets were stunned at Schwartz's decision not to run the ball and take time off the clock when they were out of timeouts.

"They gave us about 40 more seconds to work with," New York offensive tackle Damien Woody said. "That was huge."

The Jets (6-2) took advantage against the Lions (2-6) and silenced a previously boisterous crowd at Ford Field.

"Obviously we feel fortunate we got the win, but we don't care -- we'll take it," Ryan said. "That's what good teams do, find a way to win."

In a matchup of first-round quarterbacks from last year's draft, Sanchez came out on top and Stafford couldn't stay on the field. Stafford was the No. 1 pick overall and Sanchez was drafted fifth.

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Sanchez was 22 of 39 for a career-high 323 yards with one TD -- a 74-yard, go-ahead pass to Edwards with a minute left in the first half -- and one interception.

Stafford was 20 of 36 for 240 yards with two TDs, no interceptions, and a rushing score. Calvin Johnson was held to 1 reception for 13 yards, getting shut down by All-Pro cornerback Darrelle Revis.

"He brought the best out of me," Revis said.

The Lions were at their best and looked like they were going to win a third game this season -- to surpass the victories they had the past two years combined -- when Stafford lobbed a 2-yard TD to Nate Burleson with 11:51 left.

But they couldn't overcome Stafford's injury or Schwartz's questionable call and linebacker Julian Peterson's personal foul on the game-tying drive.

"This is the worst loss ever, I think, in my 10 years," said Detroit center Dominic Raiola, whose record with the franchise is 35-117 since 2001.

New York, which was shut out at home last week by Green Bay, didn't score in the first or third quarters at Detroit.

Sanchez and the Jets, though, were explosive enough to score 10 points in the last 2:46 and on the opening drive of OT.

Detroit got off to a good start and led for much of the game, but couldn't make enough winning plays on both sides of the ball to snap New York's seven-game winning streak on the road.

Stafford connected with Brandon Pettigrew for a 10-yard TD on the first drive against a team that had given up three points in the first quarter of its first seven games.

A missed extra point proved to be costly for Detroit.

Rookie defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, filling in for injured kicker Jason Hanson, hit the right upright on an extra point in the third quarter when the Lions led 13-10.

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Hanson, whose right knee was evaluated on the sideline, was healthy enough to return to kick an extra point that put Detroit ahead 20-10 in the fourth.

The Jets would've been more aggressive if they needed a TD on the final drive of regulation, but they only needed three points to force the game into overtime against Stanton, who was active because backup QB Shaun Hill is injured.

Notes: New York's LaDainian Tomlinson and Shonn Greene combined for 101 yards rushing and Holmes had 114 yards receiving. ... Burleson had seven catches for 113 yards and a TD. ... The Jets gave DE Vernon Gholston his first start of the year and he didn't make a tackle.

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press.

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Better decisions by Jets QB Sanchez mean no interceptions

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Mark Sanchez believed his streak was over.

The New York Jets quarterback zipped a pass through the wet Meadowlands air Monday night, and -- whew! -- Minnesota Vikings cornerback Antoine Winfield couldn't quite get his hands around it.

A few close calls, and still no interceptions through five games.

"It's one of those things that you can't let up, and I feel like when I was late on a couple last week, I lucked out," Sanchez said. "We joke about it in the quarterbacks room: 'You must be living right to luck out like that.'"

There have been a handful of other near-misses this season, including a pass that Braylon Edwards tipped away from a Vikings defender and was called for offensive pass interference. Two interceptions also have been overturned.

"Mark would agree with this, that we've been fortunate, especially this last game," said Jets backup quarterback Mark Brunell, who's in his 18th NFL season. "There were a couple of tips, and we were like, 'Oh, that was a close one!' Sometimes those go your way, and sometimes they don't."

And, this season, they all have -- so far.

Sanchez, who has eight touchdown passes, is the only NFL quarterback with at least 100 attempts without an interception this season. The only other player who has seen significant playing time and not been intercepted is Philadelphia's Michael Vick, who has thrown just 96 passes.

"It's been a point of emphasis all offseason, and I'm really glad that things have gone well so far," said Sanchez, who set a career high with 44 attempts Monday night. "A lot of it is the decision making. A lot of it is the accuracy, and I lost a little accuracy last week. It's something that I'm constantly working at, and hopefully this week is not the week to start."

Sanchez and the Jets (4-1) will take on the Broncos (2-3) in Denver on Sunday.

"He's grown up," Broncos linebacker Mario Haggan said of Sanchez. "He was a rookie last year and made some rookie mistakes. Now he's a more mature quarterback. He understands the offense, he's reading the defense better and he's got some targets he trusts now."

Sanchez has made a huge turnaround after being intercepted 20 times as a rookie last season, and his ball security is a major reason the Jets are among the NFL's best teams.

"I think it's definitely his development, the way he studied, the time he put in in the offseason," Jets coach Rex Ryan said. "It's starting to pay dividends right now for us. But luck, if that's thrown in there, that's fine."

According to the NFL, Sanchez joined former Jets quarterback Vinny Testaverde (2001) as the only players since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970 to start the first five games without an interception after throwing 20 or more the previous season.

"We've been very fortunate, but they're a part of the game and they're going to happen," Brunell said. "It doesn't mean it's going to be a bad decision. Sometimes, there's tipped balls and things happen, but if he continues to play like this, he'll get to the end of the season and there will be very few."

That means Sanchez will have made major progress in an area that was a huge concern coming into a season in which the Jets are thinking Super Bowl.

"Part of it is just knowing your reads," Edwards said. "A lot of times last year, Mark was trying to find himself and trying to force some things. A lot of times when you force things into the wrong situation, that's when you get those interceptions, those fumbles, because you're not necessarily going where you're supposed to go."

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This season, Edwards said, Sanchez is making the correct reads down the field.

"Even when he's getting some tipped balls, the reason they're not getting intercepted is because they're going where they're supposed to go," Edwards said. "So, he's getting (defenders) who are out of place. That's why they're not getting the interceptions."

Sanchez often sends his receivers text messages or e-mails with ideas on how to approach the next opponent or notes to keep them motivated. He wants to keep the mistakes to a minimum and keep getting better, especially with red-zone efficiency after going 0 for 4 against the Vikings.

"If we just convert a couple of those red-zone opportunities, we can be explosive," Sanchez said. "That's our goal. We've just got to improve a little bit each week and we'll be ready to play."

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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