Fox NFL analyst and former Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez huddles with Post columnist Steve Serby for some Q&A:
Q: You’re working Jets-Eagles on Sunday: What are your thoughts on Breece Hall?
A: He’s got that one-step cut that’s fun to watch. When Zach [Wilson] really takes his game to the next level, he’s gonna be able to dump that ball down quickly to Breece with time to work, not just like the catch and immediately get hit. You’ve seen the Drew Breeses and Peyton Mannings and Tom Bradys and the really good players that really know how to play the position, the play’s not dead when you’re taking your snap. But you go back in play-action and you turn your back to the defense, you have a pretty good idea of what they’re about to do. As soon as they flip their head back around on play-action, they get that peek again at the defense and confirm what they saw at the beginning, and those guys are almost immediately in stride, just boom, to the backs. When Zach kind of gets to that, when he recognizes it from the start instead of like reacting to it, he’ll start hitting that. Coming out of college, everybody knew this kid can catch and run.
Q: Breece was targeted just three times in Denver.
A: The really good coordinators I’ve been around … on the call sheet, we used to call it “Feed the Studs” at USC, but it was plays for Reggie Bush, plays for Dwayne Jarrett, plays for so-and-so, when that person is either [No.] 1 or 2 in the progression. So I don’t even mean planned plays for Breece, but they should have at least like five. At least two screens for him, one where he’s outside on the edge where he could potentially catch a slant or a hitch or something easy. And then a couple more that you’re designing, just putting him in places to catch the ball, right? So you have about five or so of those just to make sure he gets some of his touches. … But I just mean on some of those play-actions and stuff, when you send three or four guys in the pattern, that means he’s No. 3 or 4 in the progression. But if the defense is just so hellbent on stopping this play-action pass, and you kind of guess wrong as a [defensive] coordinator, those are easy freebies, and that’s where like this bigger picture idea of the coordinator and the quarterback bailing each other out. The coordinator should bail out the quarterback most of the game. He’s gonna give you some no-brainer calls, some easy completions, and it’s your job on a handful of those third downs to throw the ball away, not take the sack, get you out of a bad play and check the ball down to the running back to make the coordinator right. That’s where they kind of graduate to where they con be pretty explosive. They’re not the ones that show up on all the highlights, they’re not like the sexiest plays in the world. But this guy can make ’em pretty special.
Q: Do you see a difference in Wilson’s pocket presence?
A: I think he’s much more calm in the pocket. I think some of the stuff though, it’s like a timing thing, right? He processes it a little too fast and feels like a little flash of a different color jersey in front of his face, and will react quickly and check the ball down. Which is better than before where it was like, OK, just sprint out of the pocket and extend the play, that concept’s over. … But, there’s times where he can trust those guys up front as best you can, and move a little bit of the Joe Burrow, like a quick shuffle one way, a quick step up in the pocket, I think he’s done a little bit better at attacking the pocket vertically instead of immediately exit eject button right or left. Unless you’re really fast, it’s really hard to get outside. Somebody has to lose contain and then you got some room in space on the edge. But more often than not, if you ain’t running like a 4.4, you just gotta step up in the pocket. Get up, attack the line of scrimmage, and then make your decisions from there. It’s a chaotic little 5-yard area. … So operating in there is a little dicey, a little dangerous, but it’s usually the best for quarterbacks, because you just get to this sweet spot of the pocket where the mess is kind of cleared and you have a half second of like freedom before you get pummeled, you know? And so that’s where I think he can be a little bit better, and he’s working on it. And some of that just comes with time and experience. It’s been a wild ride for my man. It’s tough.
Q: What are your thoughts on the “Tush Push”?
A: I kind of like the “Brotherly Shove.”
Q: Should it be outlawed?
A: I’m not critical of the play, because just ’cause nobody can stop it doesn’t mean it’s illegal. That’s kind of Philly’s battle cry right now, it’s like: Well, stop it, and then you can stop complaining about it, too. I don’t know how it’s much different than what they’ve already outlawed on special teams, but until somebody says you’re not allowed to do that anymore, I don’t see why they wouldn’t [continue to run it].
Q: What is the key to stopping the Eagles when they have the ball?
A: When I watch the Eagles it’s like when I watch the 49ers. Barring any injuries, these two are on a collision course for the NFC Championship game again in my opinion. But where do you start? They’re so efficient on first down. You gotta be almost perfect when you play these teams, and it makes life hard for a defense. These are the kind of teams where you can’t get away with missing a gap assignment because not only are they gonna find it or exploit it, like it’s going for 75 and a touchdown. Or, they’ll just beat you down with their run game, and they’re so big and strong upfront that they wear you down as the game goes on. And by the fourth quarter, the 2- and 3-yard runs become 6, 7 or a home-run shot. The biggest thing to me is: How are you gonna make Jalen Hurts beat you as a dropback pocket passer? Get them to chase points and force him to throw the ball 50 times — which they just don’t do. Nobody’s really put ’em in that position, and it’s because they’re so dominant.
Q: Which receiver do you put Sauce Gardner on?
A: He’s got enough size to match up with A.J. Brown, but then, what are you doing about DeVonta Smith? What are you doing about [Dallas] Goedert? What are you doing about guys out of the backfield? I think you’re gonna have to move [Gardner] around a little bit. The days of guys like [Darrelle] Revis and Deion Sanders and stuff, not a ton of teams are doing that — where a guy just erases a player, like your No. 1 target.
Q: With D.J. Reed out, the Eagles will probably target Bryce Hall.
A: When we practiced against Revis, you preferred to throw against somebody else. But when it’s a combination concept — so let’s say three receivers on one side, one receiver on the backside, and your one receiver is matched up with somebody who’s not Sauce Gardner — yeah, you probably want to take a peek at it. But, knowing that your lesser of the two corners is gonna be given a little help, does that route work versus those combo coverages? I think that’s the kind of game they’ll potentially get into. … It’s just one of those complete teams. Sauce is gonna have to steal one, somebody’s gonna have to steal a cheap one and make the play that kind of changes the momentum. … Keep it close till the fourth quarter and see how it shakes out. Force them in a critical situation to make the [big] throw, the catch, the run, whatever, and hope you beat ’em on that play.
Q: Describe the Bills Mafia.
A: The first couple of times we went up there, we were good, so I didn’t feel it as much. Being there with other teams later in my career and then seeing when Buffalo got to where it’s at now, where they have Josh Allen and a franchise quarterback, they’re feeling it. They know this is the window to win. It’s become a pretty rowdy place.
Q: Any thoughts on Tyrod Taylor?
A: I know he’s gonna be able to get out of some trouble with his feet, I know he knows the system pretty well. … [Darren] Waller’s gotta make an impact. Some of these guys that they signed in the offseason gotta step up and play for him.
Q: Brock Purdy?
A: Ultimate point guard, man. He can buy more time than people give him credit for. He can move a little bit. He’s just such a fast processor. And every option is another team’s maybe [No.] 1 or 2 option, think about that. Whether it’s Deebo Samuel, [Brandon] Aiyuk, [George] Kittle, [Christian] McCaffrey … so you never have a bad option, so giving him pure progressions where you can just go 1 through 5 immediately, there’s nothing wrong with that.
Q: Are the 49ers the best team in football?
A: I’ll tell you after Sunday just ’cause I haven’t seen the Eagles live, but those two look like the best teams to me.
Q: Do you think the Jets are a playoff team?
A: This would be a huge statement win. Not the end of the world if you don’t win it, just because it’s an NFC team. But just record-wise, you need to stack some wins here quickly.