New York Jets rookie quarterback Geno Smith's terrible practice Wednesday may have been Mark Sanchez's saving grace.
One day after ripping Smith and calling his practice "brutal," Jets head coach Rex Ryan decided Thursday that Sanchez will once again get the reigns as starting signal caller when the Jets take on the Jacksonville Jaguars Saturday at MetLife Stadium.
The announcement, which wasn't expected until Friday, was made on the Jets official twitter account.
QB decision made for this weekend: Mark Sanchez will start vs. Jacksonville.
— New York Jets (@nyjets) August 15, 2013
Smith may not play at all against Jacksonville as his mild ankle sprain that he suffered early in the third quarter in last week's preseason opening loss to the Detroit Lions is still "not 100 percent," according to Ryan. Smith hasn't missed any practice time, which is curious considering the ankle isn't healthy.
Ryan has insisted that he may let the quarterback competition spill over into the third preseason game, which is untraditional and could be damning the offense as usually the quarterback is known by the third week of the preseason so that the offense can adjust.
Smith played for just 14 snaps before his injury, so he hasn't had a real chance to compete for the spot yet. Jets general manager John Idzik, who reportedly is hoping for Smith to get the job, said he'd have a big say in who gets to start Week 1 when the Jets take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 8 at MetLife Stadium.
Ryan ripped Smith following Wednesday's practice where the rookie threw three interceptions.
"It was brutal," Ryan said according to the Daily News. "That was Geno's worst day, obviously. The ankle is part of it. That's way too many picks. He didn't look comfortable today. It was a bad day. We've seen guys have bad days, but this was a really bad day."
Smith, who wouldn't comment on the prospects of starting Saturday according to various media reports, started off great in camp but has experienced some growing pains in his first year with the team after he was drafted in the second round (39th overall) in the 2013 NFL Draft.
Sanchez has played well in practice, but threw a terrible interception against the Lions in the preseason opener and knows that he must be better and avoid the mistakes that have plagued the fifth-year quarterback in the past.
Still, Sanchez believes the first phase of camp has gone well.
"I think it went just about as well as it could," Sanchez said according to ESPN. "I felt good. I thought I threw the ball well. I was accurate. I did my best to take care of the ball. I moved the offense down the field. I think we did that in spurts."
Sanchez will have another opportunity to snag the starting job away from Smith Saturday, but whether or not he steps up and takes control of the competition remains to be seen.
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