If they didn't before this week, the Jets now have a full-blown quarterback controversy on their hands. Rex Ryan pulled Mark Sanchez in the third quarter, giving Greg McElroy his first significant opportunity in the NFL. McElroy made good on his opportunity, leading the Jets to a 7-6 victory over a poor Arizona Cardinals.
To be fair to Sanchez, McElroy didn't exactly light up the field. He finished with just 7 passing attempts, completing five of them including a touchdown. Still, his limited performance was far better than Sanchez's 10 of 21 with three interceptions.
The question now is, will Rex Ryan go with McElroy or Sanchez moving forward. In his post-game press conference, Ryan was noncommittal, saying, "I'll let you guys know who's going to be the quarterback when I'm ready to," Ryan said, "but right now we'll look at our situation and evaluate it as the week goes on."
When asked to explain the decision to bench Sanchez, Ryan offered slightly more information. "I just felt that at that time I thought I needed to make a change, and that's why I made it. I'll always do what I think in the best interest of the team and trying to find ways to win. At that time, I thought it was time to make a change."
The Jets travel to Jacksonville next weekend in a game that they should have no problem winning. We'll look forward to seeing which direction the Jets go at quarterback, but it's very possible we've seen the last of the Mark Sanchez era in New York.