NFL Betting Analysis – Mark Sanchez Is A Game Manager At Best

Measuring who the best quarterback left in the playoffs is integral for NFL betting analysis as we head down the road to Super Bowl XLV. It’s easy to get caught up in record breaking performances, like the one Aaron Rodgers is having right now. When it comes to the debate of who the best quarterback remaining in the playoffs is, one person who isn’t getting a single nod is Mark Sanchez of the New York Jets.

Nobody fits the title of “game manager” better than Mark Sanchez. Granted, he’s young and just in his second NFL betting season but he’s hardly the main reason that his team is there. I haven’t seen him make a single play that another, good quarterback wouldn’t have been able to make had he been on a stacked offense like the one New York has.

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You can’t ignore his resume, but that goes two ways. In just two years, Sanchez has been at quarterback for the Jets and has led them to the AFC Championship game twice. Let’s keep in mind that Sanchez has plenty of room to improve, but I can’t get over the fact that he failed to rank in the top-10 for any meaningful quarterback statistic. In most categories, he barely cracks the top-20.

He’s the culprit of being an above-average talent that is on an incredibly stacked team. I haven’t seen anything that would define who he is as a player, nor separate him from the other handful of quarterbacks with good arms. If there’s something that defines Sanchez for you, then please enlighten me. I haven’t seen it.

Think about it. Roethlisberger is known for his scrambling, his fourth quarter comebacks and his ability to stay on his feet. Cutler is known for his incredible arm as he is for his inane decision making. For example, Cutler’s the most sacked quarterback in the league by a long shot because he holds on to the ball for far too long. What can you say about Aaron Rodgers that hasn’t already been touted? His vision is fantastic. He can make all the throws. Fantastic release. Precision to the nines. Great leader.

All of the three aforementioned quarterbacks have done something in NFL betting to define who they are as a player. Even Cutler has defined himself as a bit of a two headed snake (and that’s both good and bad). All Sanchez has proven, in terms of NFL betting analysis, is that he’s a pretty good game manager.

Let’s do some math by adding up the offensive rankings of each quarterback and compare them. To make this exercise simpler, just assume that quarterback rating factors in things like decision making and efficiency.

Ben Roethlisberger -17 Touchdowns (19th), 267 yards per game (6th),  61.7 completion percentage (15th), 97.0 quarterback rating (5th)

Jay Cutler – 23 touchdowns (13th), 218 yards per game (20th), 60.4 completion percentage (19th), 86.3 quarterback rating (16th)

Mark Sanchez – 17 touchdowns (19th), 206 yards per game (25th), 54.8 completion percentage (29th), 75.3 quarterback rating (27th)

Aaron Rodgers – 28 touchdowns (6th), 261 yards per game (7th), 65.7 completion percentage (6th), 101.2 quarterback rating (4th)

So here are the rankings based on this off-the-cuff points system and obviously the lower your score the better because that means you have high rankings in all the important categories:

Rodgers – 23

Roethlisberger – 45

Cutler – 68

Sanchez – 100

(note about Roethlisberger – he missed six games this year due to suspension so he might as well have had 10 more touchdowns…we don’t know for sure)

The one thing that saves Mark Sanchez is that reports from football betting analysts who have been around him say that this guy is just “programmed” the right way. He knows how to manage personalities, lead on the field and is mature beyond his years.

So what? Aren’t all the guys on this list in that regard as well? Couldn’t anybody say that about anyone? I’m much less interested in hearsay testimony about a guy’s personality than I am with how a guy produces on a football field. I’m sure Tim Couch was a competitive nut job too.

That being said, Sanchez doesn’t do anything special on the field, can’t make all the throws (and no a lob pass to Braylon Edwards in one-on-one coverage is not considered a type of throw) and has mediocre statistical metrics. Hell, his numbers are pretty below average if you ask me.

This is a quarterbacks league now. You need a guy who will rampage people in the fourth quarter, morph in to a blood chugging monster in the two-minute drill and be able to push his team over the hump. The only “comeback” I recall from Sanchez this season was against the Houston Texans, so excuse me if I strike that from the record.

If I’m taking my hard earned cash up against the odds to win Super Bowl XLV, then the only team I’m striking from consideration is the New York Jets. You need someone who will take over games. NFL betting analysis suggests that Sanchez can’t do that yet.

And trust me, I know he has time to get a lot better. It’s just I’m not betting on the 2014 NFL season.

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