Mark Sanchez has been having a pretty rough year in 2012, to say the least of it. Sanchez has seen a decrease in completion percentage, passing yards, and touchdowns compared to last season.

Last week’s 49-19 drubbing at the hands of the Patriots provided one of the most embarassing moments of the entire season, as Sanchez ran into his lineman, fumbled the ball, and watched as the Patriots returned it for a touchdown. To top it all off, he has this guy named Tim Tebow staring over his shoulder at the starting job.

It’s hard to see much progression in Sanchez’s game, as he constantly misfires on his passes and he can’t seem to stop turning the ball over. But with a little improvement in his game and in the construction of the team as a whole, could the Jets turn back into an AFC contender? The only quarterback to win a Super Bowl with the Jets, Joe Namath, certainly seems to think so, according to Newsday’s Bob Glauber.

“I believe Mark Sanchez can be a championship quarterback as long as he has the right supporting cast, yes I do,” Joe Namath told Newsday Tuesday. “He hasn’t shown me enough yet to give up on him. To say he can’t? Excuse me, he’s just finishing his fourth year. Who’s to say he can’t get better? He sure as hell works hard enough.

“I’m not a person to say this man can’t do it. I like him. I think he can. It takes Lady Luck to be on your side, but yes, I think he can do it.”

It is mildly surprising that Namath has something positive to say about the current Jets, as he has been one of the most outspoken critics of the team and the organization recently. It’s true that Sanchez still has time to get better, but the Jets’ patience with Sanchez has to run out at some point.

Sooner or later, Sanchez is going to have to correct the issues in his game. But having better pieces around him on offense, in addition to revamping the defense, would serve the Jets well too.

Contrary to his hope for Mark Sanchez, Namath didn’t have many positive things to say about Tim Tebow as a possible starting quarterback for the Jets.

As for Tim Tebow, Namath stands by his assertion he was never the right fit. Asked if Tebow, who is signed through the 2014 season, should return, he said: “No. What position are you going to play him at?”

Well, Tebow always has expressed a preference for quarterback. “Then I think he should have that opportunity,” Namath said, “and someone else should give him that opportunity if he wants to play quarterback.

The Jets have a lot of problems on both sides of the ball and will probably be making significant changes in this coming offseason. But given that they just extended Mark Sanchez last offseason, I don’t think we’ll be seeing a change in the Jets starting quarterback come 2013.

Broadway Joe is correct in saying that Sanchez could win a Super Bowl with the right help, but it remains to be seen if Mike Tannenbaum and Jets management will be able to do that.

Duncan Steel | Elite.