Sanchez sharp in first Jets practice

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Mark Sanchez was up late the night before his first practices with the New York Jets, staring into a mirror and reciting calls from his playbook.

“You’ve just got to run the plays and say it over and over,” a smiling Sanchez said. “Just so I can say it and hear what it sounds like to me.”

The preparation appeared to pay off for the fifth overall pick in the draft, who looked sharp as the Jets’ rookie camp opened Friday with a buzz reminiscent of Brett Favre’s arrival last summer.

“All I’ve prepared for is knowing that people expect results here and they want wins,” Sanchez said. “I’m here to learn this playbook as fast as I can, mesh with the guys and start to lead. That’s the game plan.”

Sanchez’s day started with some stretching in the middle of the indoor field, fittingly just in front of the Jets’ logo at the 50-yard line. All eyes were on the rookie from Southern California who has quickly become the face of the franchise.

“You look at it and say, it’s your typical rookie camp,” coach Rex Ryan said with a laugh. “There’s a Game 7 in the NBA coming up and all that kind of stuff, but I guess it would’ve been the same if we had taken a tackle, right?”

Well, not quite, Rex. This is different. Sanchez was the first quarterback selected by the Jets with one of the draft’s first five picks since Joe Namath went No. 1 overall in 1965. With the franchise starving for its first Super Bowl title since Namath won one in 1969, Sanchez faces exorbitant expectations.

“It’s about this team right now, with full respect to the history here,” Sanchez said, brushing away any suggestions that the team’s history could become a burden on him. “Coach Ryan came in and we’re looking forward.”

Sanchez will compete with Kellen Clemens for the starting job, and Ryan is unfazed by the prospect of having a rookie QB open the season as the starter for the first time in franchise history.

No, not even Namath.

“If your team’s good enough, you can win with anybody,” Ryan said.

Ryan said he thought even before training camp last summer that Joe Flacco was the best quarterback Baltimore had. Flacco went out and led the Ravens to the AFC championship game.

“You just let them compete,” Ryan said. “The cream will rise to the top and I truly believe that, but I’ve got an opinion on how it’s going to go.”

The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.