FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Rex Ryan said it’s way too early to declare a winner in the quarterback competition between Mark Sanchez and Geno Smith.
Which, judging by their performances in the third open practice of organized team activities Wednesday, was a nice way for Ryan to say that nobody had done enough to win the job.
Sanchez and Smith, who fared poorly in the first open OTA on May 22 before bouncing back on May 30, took steps back in the final open OTA of the spring. Sanchez was 9-for-19 while Smith was 5-of-9 with an interception. In addition, both quarterbacks failed to direct the offense to a touchdown during the two-minute drill at the end of practice.
I don’t think we’re close to [making a decision] right now,” Ryan said afterward. “And obviously the process is you don’t have to make that move. Until we feel 100 percent comfortable with that decision, we’ll just leave it to competition.”
In defense of Sanchez and Smith, they were playing with something considerably less than a full deck on Wednesday. The Jets have a weak receiving corps even at 100 percent, but their top four receivers — Jeremy Kerley, Stephen Hill, Santonio Holmes and Clyde Gates — all sat out Wednesday’s session due to injury.
“Obviously, you’re going to look a lot different when your top four guys are out there than you would right now,” Ryan said.
And as Ryan noted, the Jets should look different — and more cohesive — once Sanchez and Smith get more acclimated to the West Coast offense.
“All the guys are learning a new system, and it’s a long process,” Ryan said. “Right now this is just the early stages of it. I think there is a long way to go. I think I’ll be a lot more comfortable seeing guys in a live situation, also.”
Still, as valid as it is to note that Sanchez and Smith are trying to learn a new offense while working with a meager receiving corps, their earlier performances have done little to dispel the notion the Jets will have one of the worst aerial attacks in the league, regardless of who lines up behind center.
Hearing such “plaudits,” and that he’s not good enough to be a franchise quarterback, is nothing new to Sanchez, who has struck an increasingly worn out tone throughout his four heavily scrutinized seasons as the Jets’ starter.
Sanchez’s weariness may have peaked — or bottomed out — on Wednesday, when he said he was “apathetic” to the idea of competing with Smith.
“I’ve competed my whole life, whether it was in high school or college, beating out other quarterbacks,” Sanchez said. “It’s nothing big or scary. I’m just being myself and doing my very best and that’ll be good enough.”
For many reasons, it’s going to be a while before Ryan determines whether or not Sanchez is good enough to fend off Smith.
“It’s way too early to say,” Ryan said when asked if one of the quarterbacks has the lead. “Some days this guy looks good, some days this guy looks good.”
And some days, neither one looks good.