The Great Debate: Part 2

With the draft over, it’s time to make the way-to-early predictions on who will be the standout quarterback in this class: Matthew Stafford or Mark Sanchez (Sorry Chase Daniel, you have to be drafted to be in this discussion…And be over six feet tall…You should also probably avoid doing this too.) When debating the merits of these two quarterbacks, it’s clear that Mark Sanchez will be the better pro.

First, let’s look at the pedigree of the two quarterbacks. Over the past few years, USC has sent Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart, Matt Cassell, and John David Booty to the pros. Palmer has been to multiple pro bowls, Cassell had a spectacular season last year, Booty is still developing after being a rookie last year, and Matt Leinart…well at least he’s having fun. As for Georgia, let’s just say that David Greene and D.J. Shockley haven’t exactly been standouts. Also factor in that Mark Sanchez is better equipped to being in the spotlight. With no NFL team in Los Angeles, the Trojans are the main attraction. As a result, Sanchez knows what it’s like to be top dog in a huge market and has a greater maturity and understanding due to this.

An argument against Sanchez is that he only started one season in college. While he could have benefited from another year, he’ll still have the better career than Stafford. USC alum Matt Cassell started a grand total of 0 games in college, yet had a great year last year. While Stafford has started three years at Georgia, he hasn’t exactly been a dominant player. In his three years as a Bulldog, Stafford threw 33 interceptions. He’s simply way too inconsistent to be a top level NFL quarterback.

Even further, in his biggest game of this past year against the Florida Gators, Georgia got manhandled 49-10. In that game, Stafford threw 3 interceptions and 0 touchdowns. To add insult to injury, Georgia’s one touchdown came after Stafford left the game. Simply put, Stafford hasn’t come through in the clutch. On the other hand, Sanchez has excelled in the spotlight. In the Trojans three biggest games against Ohio State, rival UCLA, and Rose Bowl opponent Penn State, Sanchez threw 10 touchdowns, and only two interceptions.

One of the biggest variables in this equation (Sorry, had to throw in a Lost reference) is the NFL teams each player is headed to. Sanchez gets the win here in an absolute no-brainer, as he gets to play with an established franchise in the New York Jets. As for Stafford, he gets the pleasure of playing for the winless Detroit Lions. While they do have a stud receiver in Calvin Johnson, they’re lacking in about every other position. They have a horrible running game and one of the worst offensive lines in football. Detroit might as well line up a turnstile at offensive tackle, as it’ll produce the same results. With no help in the running game, Stafford will take a beating on a weekly basis, as teams will consistently put him on the ground. It’ll be as one-sided as Ivan Drago pummeling Apollo Creed. On the other side, the Jets have a much more established line, and a playmaker at running back in Thomas Jones. As a result, Sanchez won’t feel as much pressure as Stafford surely will experience.

Lastly, look at the motivation each player has. Stafford will get 48 MILLION DOLLARS guaranteed while he plays for the Lions. It doesn’t matter how bad he plays…the money is his. How much motivation is there for him to push himself when he doesn’t need to? For a guy with questionable intelligence, this might not be a great situation. On the other hand, Sanchez will have more of a chip on his shoulder, as he’ll have the motivation to prove he should have been the first pick in this year’s draft. Bottom line, when you look at all these factors, there’s no doubt that Sanchez will be the superior pro.

The Great Debate: Part 1

Let the debate begin. Matthew Stafford vs. Mark Sanchez. They will be linked together like Tim Couch/Donovan McNabb, Peyton Manning/Ryan Leaf, Eli Manning/Phillip Rivers; and Alex Smith/Aaron Rodgers. Sorry, I would have more historic references but I am only 22. Ask Guy #1 for those, he is our resident old man. Anyway, we are faced with the task of determining who will be the better pro quarterback, Matthew Stafford or Mark Sanchez. Some might say it is stupid to try to predict who is going to be better, between quarterbacks who have yet to take NFL snaps. However, we are Guys who like sports and don’t care who knows, and we do stupid things from time to time. For example, we chug whiskey and compare two rookie quarterbacks. You have to live sometimes.

To begin this argument we need to set the ground rules. We aren't trying to argue to see who is the better overall quarterback right now because as the Florida homers we are, we’d clearly take Sanchez over Stafford any day. This comparison is strictly to see who will have a better pro career when it’s all said and done. Rather than just taking into account draft grades, we will take into account current team situation, arm strength, media attention and pressure, technical skills and other metrics when determining who has the better pro career… actually I think we can throw that out the window because Stafford is going to be throwing to Calvin Johnson. Do I even need to continue this argument, the guy is nicknamed Megatron. For the next two years you’ll be watching your favorite team play and then JB or whatever low-life they have anchoring the Fox pregame show, come on and say, “We have a scoring update for you from Detroit.” It will be an amazing hookup between Matthew Stafford and Megatron to cut the lead to 38 (whoever the Lions are playing) to 17 (Lions).

Meanwhile, Mark Sanchez will be pounding the ball to Thomas Jones, throwing screen passes to Leon Washington and then trying to rely on Dustin Keller and Jericho Cotchery, as his go to guys. I don’t like where this is going. Although Sanchez might have a better offensive line to protect him and running game to depend on, he is going to be playing in an extremely hard division without a safety blanket at receiver to rely on. There will be multiple times this year where faced with defensive pressure, Stafford will just throw the ball up and Megatron will make the play for him. Sanchez just doesn't have this luxury.

Also, while Mark Sanchez was backing up Matt Leinart and John David Booty, Matthew Stafford was starting in the Georgia pro-style offense for those two years. Some might use this argument in Sanchez's favor, saying that he has the better pedigree coming from USC, which has produced Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart, and John David Booty in recent years. However, Palmer, Leinart, and Booty all had the chance to start for more than one season while Sanchez only started for one. In addition, Sanchez's own coach thought it was a mistake for him to leave college this year.

If you aren't convinced yet that Stafford will have a better career than Mark Sanchez then look no further than who he will be backing up to start his career. From the University of Central Florida, weighing in at 282 pounds, Daunteeeee Cullllpepper. Ladies and Gentlemen, the debate is over, we have our winner.