Mark Sanchez – Just What the Doctor Ordered
Don’t you feel better now?
As the Patriots picked off the Jets’ rookie QB Mark Sanchez four times on Sunday in a 31-14 win, I was reminded of the 2006 AFC Championship loss to the Indianapolis Colts. After punching a hole in my drywall, I played about 6 straight hours of Tecmo Super Bowl to ease my pain. I was the Patriots, the NES was a Jeff George-led Colts squad that had to watch helplessly as I played game after game, alternating 285 rushing yard performances and 500 yard passing games in routes that lowered my stress level in tiny increments until I no longer wanted horrible things to happen to the Colts’ players.
That’s what yesterday felt like. Wes Welker’s line of 15 catches for 192 yards (58 yards more than Mark Sanchez threw for all day) was the stat you would see as the 8-bit graphic stat line comes across the screen, and your friend would say “yeah, that guy killed them today, but that would never happen in a real game.” Welker, who was sidelined with an injury the last time these two teams met, is on pace to challenge the single-season record in receptions (143) currently held by Marvin Harrison. Those are the type of Tecmo Super Bowl-esque statistics that make you feel better.
By the time the Jets scored their first touchdown, which came off a punt attempt by the Patriots that was blocked, the Patriots already had a 24-0 lead, and Pats fans had moved on from the crushing defeat a week before. We didn’t even care when we lost the shutout, since the statistics wouldn’t count against the defense, whose 5 turnovers (including 3 interceptions by Leigh Bodden alone) and touchdown of their own were easily the most important part of the game. Plus, the 8-bit stat line would only show one touchdown scored against it, and that makes us feel a whole lot better.
In the end, the Jets were overmatched in every facet of the game. Although, no team can usually withstand a top-3 NFL team on a Tecmo-rampage. New York’s football Jets had absolutely no answer for the quickness and on-field smarts of Welker, who was consistently where the defense wasn’t. But what hurt them the most, and is far more concerning, is that the Jets also have no answer for their own quarterback, who now is the AFC leader in interceptions (No one is catching Jay Cutler, currently at 18, for the NFL lead).
The Patriots now move on to face the New Orleans Saints in the SuperDome. With a little momentum behind them now, they will get to try and take down one of the two NFL unbeatens to protect their own record. Sure, it’s not the team we REALLY wanted to take down a peg, but hey, it’ll make us feel better.
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