Fans need to show Sanchez patience

It’s easy to fall in love with a mirage, because what you think you see in front of you with 20/20 clarity isn’t necessarily what you end up having when you cut to its core. No better example of that is Mark Sanchez, the rookie quarterback for the New York Jets. Three weeks ago, their fans were christening Sanchez as the second coming of Joe Namath, an icon in the Big Apple. Sanchez was the city's newest golden boy, a ready-for-the-pros passer with the Southern Cal pedigree. His play had taken the Jets to the summit of their division and made their fans forget the Bret Favre era. How handsome does the Favre era look today? Sanchez is now coming off three nightmarish performances, the kind that might make the film “Paranormal Activity” look G rated. His most recent start was one that only reminds NFL fans of the difficulty involved in jumping from the college game to the pros. The transition, however, has never been altogether seamless, a fact Sanchez discovered the hard way after a 16-13 loss Sunday to the Bills. He deserved the blame for it. Some people might not think it fair to saddle Sanchez with this loss. One player shouldn’t be blamed for what wrong against the Bills; other Jets must share the blame – a giant piece of it. But people can’t have it two ways. If they want to credit Sanchez for a 3-0 start, they have to cite his play for the team's 3-3 record today. Surely, they have little choice but to do so in the loss Sunday. For he never found answers to the defensive schemes the Bills threw in front of him. Under pressure time and again, Sanchez hurried his passes (10 of 29 for 119 yards) and missed open receivers throughout the game. At game’s end, he had thrown five interceptions, the last of which led to a game-winning field goal in overtime. Sanchez had a game that should lead to restless nights. He’ll see Bills dancing in his dreams for the rest of this week – and maybe next week, too. It would be hard to forget five interceptions. After a game like this, Sanchez has to harbor doubts. So must Jets fans. Their euphoria has been tempered. They must look at Sanchez for what he is: a work in progress. Few quarterbacks can step off a college campus and into a starting job in the NFL. Some men need years to transition into a polished product. Just ask Brady Quinn, J.P. Losman, Tim Couch, Vince Young, Kyle Boller, Rex Grossman, Byron Leftwich, Alex Smith, Matt Leinart or Joey Harrington. They all entered the NFL with much fanfare, but their careers have been unimpressive, more the careers of a journeyman than of a No. 1 pick. Their struggles offer sage lessons. A strong arm doesn’t ensure a distinguished career. Playing quarterback in the NFL is a mind game as much as anything else. It demands a quarterback have the ability to read defenses, to think on his feet and to remain cool in the face of pressure – from opposing linemen and from critics. Sanchez will be hearing plenty from the critics this week, as all quarterbacks do after a lousy performance. Think this is journalistic hyperbole? Well, just listen to the howls coming out of Philadelphia after Donovan McNabb’s horrible display Sunday against the then winless Oakland Raiders. Rex Ryan, a first-year head coach, is unlikely to bench Sanchez. But if Ryan had expected according-to-Hoyle performances from his rookie each week, he was asking for miracles. He will have to show more patience with his gifted pupil than Jets fans will. For Ryan must believe that all the good things Sanchez did in his first three starts weren’t illusions but snapshots of what he can do with more experience.

NFL czar: Vick can return in Week 3

Two weeks seem just, and maybe that’s the first bit of justice Michael Vick has gotten since he put his reputation and his livelihood at risk by dogfighting Don’t look for a defense of Vick and his dogfighting. I offer none here. But the man did spend 18 months behind bars, too much time for a crime that doesn’t rank with some of the horrid misdeeds street thugs exact on their fellow man. Once he walked out of prison, Vick deserved the right to resume his life. He’s made all the public apologies, and he’s agreed to become the public face for combating the bloody sport. Time among felons helped Vick realize he had done wrong, and he’s owned up to his wrongdoing the way somebody who needed to grow up should.

Now, he was asking for his life back, and for Vick, life meant playing in the NFL.

He faced punishment there, as all players who run afoul of the law face in the league these days. The judge of what that punishment should be was Roger Goodell, a commissioner who brooks no foolishness. He held the authority to let Vick back onto the field. Goodell had vowed to make a decision before Week 6. He didn’t take that long to decide, though: He announced Thursday that Vick, who signed with the Eagles a few weeks ago, could return to the field for Week 3. What that means for NFL fans is they will soon see one of the most electric players back on the field. What that means for the Eagles, who already have a star quarterback in Donovan McNabb, isn’t easy to discern. Vick, who’s been trying to shake off two-plus years of rust, isn’t in Philadelphia to send McNabb to the bench, but Vick isn’t there to be a career backup either. His role will be decided soon enough. Coach Andy Reid holds that decision. He has options for a player with Vick’s athletic gifts. The "wildcat" formation comes to mind, and Vick might be the best player on the planet to run it. Reid has awhile to decide, though not as much time as those people who detest Vick might like. They need to move on; they need to forgive, even if they (and anybody else) don’t forget. For Vick, his criminal past in tow, is coming back to the NFL. He should be allowed to return, regardless of whether his return brings cheers, boos or boycotts.