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Oh, Rex Ryan - what in the world were you thinking?

After New York Jets' rookie quarterback Geno Smith got picked off three times in yesterday's preseason game against the New York Giants, it appeared as if the quarterback competition had been settled and Mark Sanchez was going to be the starter heading into the regular season. That was until head coach Rex Ryan decided to put Sanchez in the game with just 11:21 remaining in the 4th quarter and Sanchez got hit, injuring his throwing shoulder in the process. The severity of the injury is unknown at this point.

After the game, Ryan basically said he placed Sanchez in to try and win the game. It's a preseason game. While preseason games can help a team build chemistry and help coaches decide on whom to start and whom to cut, they're not going to play any factor on whether or not a team makes the playoffs - that is, barring a serious injury to a key player. While Geno Smith was given an opportunity to showcase his skills against a first-team defense in this game, he made it fairly clear that he's not yet ready to start at quarterback in this league, making Sanchez the starter. So why in the world would a head coach place his starting quarterback in the 4th quarter of a preseason game, when he's playing behind 2nd- and 3rd-stringers along the offensive line, making him more prone to suffering hits and getting injured as a result?

Hopefully the injury isn't serious and Sanchez is able to play in the Jets' week 1 game against Tampa Bay. In any case, though, Ryan's decision is going to be questioned and criticized from a large majority of sports-writers and analysts, and rightfully so. It was a bonehead decision, where no plus-side was present, and Ryan better hope that the football gods answer his prayer that the Sanchez injury isn't serious. If it is, Ryan's job may be in serious trouble even before the season starts.

http://espn.go.com/new-york/columns/nfl/story/_/id/9598633/new-york-jets-coach-rex-ryan-makes-irresponsible-decision-play-mark-sanchez

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