The New York Jets created a quarterback controversy when they traded up to select quarterback Mark Sanchez. The right move is to give quarterback Kellen Clemens the starting job.
In the past quarterbacks as rookies were backups for a year to learn the ins an outs of the National Football League.
However, that changed in 2004 when the Pittsburgh Steelers were forced to use then rookie quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. He went on to have a stellar rookie year to only fall short of leading them to the Superbowl.
Then last year two more rookie quarterbacks started all sixteen games last season in Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco.
The thing is, which was first pointed out by ESPN radio’s Colin Cowherd, that all three quarterbacks had solid offensive lines with good running games. That allowed their teams not to have to rely much on the quarterbacks.
Also, which is an original point, all three are highly intelligent individuals with good memorization skills.
Even in high school is takes a lot of work to memorize what you have to do on certain plays for an offensive or defensive lineman. For a quarterback it is even much harder, because they have to remember what each player running a route is doing.
Also, quarterbacks have to memorize blitzes that teams use a lot, and what are the telling signs that they are running that certain play.
Clemens on the other hand is going into his fourth season with the Jets, which is the same number of seasons that offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer has been with the team.
That means Clemens should know the playbook like the back of his hand. As well as what the other teams in the AFC East like to do on defense, because the coach staffs for their opponents are the same as last year.
Simply, the Jets do not have to rush Sanchez along into the starting role and they should not with one of the NFL’s all time best defensive minds in New Englad Patriots head coach Bill Belichick being in the division.
