Mark Sanchez has taken the next step

Another game in which sloppy play, blown opportunities, and all around disappointing play highlighted another Jets Sunday.  And, like 7 other times before, the Jets somehow prevailed.  And they did it from the hand of their rapidly improving 2nd year quarterback, Mark Sanchez.  After throwing an almost-certainly backbreaking interception that led to a Texans field goal, Sanchez drove the team down the field 72 yards in 45 seconds with no timeouts.  The drive was highlighted by a 42 yard bomb to Braylon Edwards, followed by a 6 yard game winning touchdown strike to Santonio Holmes with 10 second left on the clock.  Overall Sanchez was 4/5 on the drive, with his incompletion coming on a clock stopping spike.  It was just the latest in a string of Sanchez miracles.

The stats aren't great for Sanchez: 55.2% completion rate, 16 touchdowns to 8 interceptions, and an 81.9 passer rating.  Statistics don't tell the whole story, though.  The overall stats don't, for example, tell you that Mark Sanchez went 9/10 in the final 4 and a half minutes to score 10 unanswered points against the Detroit Lions, tying the game and sending it into overtime... where Sanchez then hooked up with Holmes for a 52 yard pass to set up the game winning FG.  They don't tell you that Sanchez threw the game winning 37 yard touchdown toss to Holmes in overtime 8 seconds before a tie was declared.  Or how the Jets have 3 victories after trailing in the 4th quarter with 5 minutes or less to go in the game. 

Sanchez is throwing 33.1 passes per game in 2010, up from 24.3 passes per game as a rookie.  He has raised his yards per attempt, raised his TD%, lowered his interception percentage, and has compiled more wins as a starter through 11 games than he did in 15 regular season games last year.  What many experts thought would be the Jets undoing has been a strength: The Jets are 10th in the NFL in scoring at exactly 24 points per game, up from 2009's 17th ranking, and the pass offense ranks at 19th... not very high but a giant step from 2009's 31st ranking (second worst only to the Cleveland Browns).  The development of their young, franchise quarterback is the reason the Jets offense has become a formidable unit, and one that has been lethal when it has to be.

Many pundits define greatness as what a player does in clutch moments, when the chips are down.  If Sanchez continues down his current path, he may get there yet.