Mark Sanchez and his new facial hair don't expect to be starting Saturday when the New York Jets battle their same-state rival Giants in both team's third preseason matchups Saturday at MetLife Stadium.
Sanchez, currently wrapped up in a quarterback competition with Jets rookie and 2013 second round draft pick Geno Smith, told reporters Wednesday that he didn't expect to start Saturday's game. Sanchez doesn't believe it's due to the rookie being ahead of him in the competition to see who will start under center for Week 1 Sept. 8 when the Jets tangle with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but rather because the incumbent quarterback has started both the team's preseason games thus far, including last week's where Smith was hobbled by an ankle injury.
Therefore, it just seems logical that head coach Rex Ryan will announce Smith as the starter for Saturday.
"I'm assuming," Sanchez said Wednesday according to FOX News when asked if he expected Smith to start. "I don't know. They haven't said."
Sanchez is sporting Hulk Hogan-esque facial hair, a photo of which can be viewed here.
Ryan has been secretive about who will get the nod to start at signal caller for the Jets, and while Sanchez has been up and down and Smith has experienced growing pains but also shown signs of brilliance, there has been no clear and decisive winner yet.
Smith has only played for 14 snaps during the preseason after spraining his ankle early in the third quarter against the Detroit Lions in the preseason opener for the Jets, so he hasn't had time to show what he can do.
Smith, who has worked with first-team offense for three straight days much like Sanchez had done last week, said his ankle is progressing just fine.
"It's getting better," Smith said of his ankle per FOX News. "I wouldn't say it's 100 percent. I just got to continue to treat it every single day. Every day, it has felt better than the previous day. I just got to continue to treat it and just get better."
Just one week after Ryan described Smith's practice as "brutal" because the 22-year-old had four interceptions, Smith put together a great practice Wednesday going 15-for-16 with two touchdowns in team drills.
Sanchez also had a solid practice Wednesday as the fifth-year quarterback unofficially went 10-for-14 with a touchdown. Sanchez had a troublesome season last year when he went 246-for-453 for 2,883 yards with 13 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. In his senior year at West Virginia, Smith went 369-for-518 for 4,205 yards with a career-high 42 touchdowns and just six interceptions.
The quarterback situation between the Jets could spill over to Week 4 of the preseason when the team takes on the Philadelphia Eagles.
While not committing to a specific deadline, Ryan knows he'll have to name Sanchez or general manager John Idzik's preference of Smith as the starter eventually.
"You know eventually we have to name one," Ryan said to FOX News, "so we'll see."
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