Actions speak louder than words; the Jets proved that by trading for quarterback/punt protector/dog-name-changer Tim Tebow.
But when it comes to the flaws of starter Mark Sanchez, the words are there, too. Most recently, they came from his position coach, Matt Cavanaugh.
“There were turnovers that were not his fault that were credited to him,” Cavanaugh told Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. “But there were enough that playing that position he needs to cut some of those down. Most of them came from just poor decision-making.”
The goal, then, is to get Sanchez to be more careful with the ball. “I spent a lot of time with him talking about ‘Let’s get focused on managing the game,’” Cavanaugh said. “Taking the big plays when they’re there (and) understanding that . . . even though it’s drawn up to be a touchdown, not every play has to be a touchdown. Not every play has to be a completion. Sometimes throwing it away is a good thing. Sometimes taking a sack is better than throwing an interception.”
The deeper point to which Cavanaugh is speaking is Sanchez’s overall ability to get and remain, as Cavanaugh said it, “focused.” As FOX’s Jay Glazer said in a recent appearance on PFT Live, the Jets hope that the presence of Tebow (Glazer called it “football Ritalin”) will keep Sanchez focused continuously, since Sanchez knows that the Jets now have a viable alternative.