The New York Jets have a very tough decision to make when the season begins about whether to start Mark Sanchez or Geno Smith and while the two have been doing battle in training camp and the rookie arguably has done better than the vet, Rex Ryan gave the Week 1 preseason start to Sanchez.
According to Pro Football Talk, Ryan confirmed that Sanchez will start on Fridays against the Detroit Lions in the teams preseason opener after the two have been duking it out in training camp over the past couple weeks. The team has a lot invested in Sanchez and it will be a major decision to see who Ryan ultimately selects to lead the franchise into the 2013 after how the team played last year as well as how Sanchez performed. Ryan said that Smith will also play in the game and this comes as reporters have said that the rookie has been playing better than the vet in camp.
Sanchez starting isn't a big surprise since it is the first game and he was the starter last season, but if has another poor performance that would not bode well for his chances heading farther into the preseason. The Jets likely will start Sanchez anyway since they will be bad and then they can have a legitimate reason to bring Smith in, while the rookie is competing to win the job now after being taken in the second round and he has a bit of a chip on his shoulder after slipping in the draft.
The Jets went just 6-10 last season and 2-4 in the AFC East and while Ryan thinks the team has playoff potential, the roster is even worse than last year and after Sanchez had too many turnovers last year, he needs to prove he can hang onto the ball. Sanchez passed for nearly 3,000 yards last season, but he appeared to regress and now the Jets need to figure out if he can be the starter in the future.
The team opens the season with a home game against the Buccaneers that marks the return of Darrelle Revis to New Jersey and then they will play at New England to visit their old friend in Tim Tebow. The team then has another division game against Buffalo before going on the road against the Titans and Falcons for a Monday night game. The tea has its bye in Week 10 and will head into it after a game with the Saints.