In the wake of a breakthrough practice for rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez, Jets coach Rex Ryan named Kellen Clemens his starter on Friday against the Rams in a preseason game at the Meadowlands.

“We’re going in there knowing he’s going to start the first game,” Ryan said. “Again, Kellen is doing well.  Does he wish he had a couple throws back? Sure. But I think everybody does. With Sanchez getting more reps with the ones, it’s not based on Kellen’s performance. It’s based on Mark’s performance. Kellen knows. I mentioned right away after we drafted Mark, “You knew you would have to compete against somebody.” So, it doesn’t matter who it is. To win that job, you’ve got to compete against somebody. That hasn’t changed.”

The start can’t be much consolation for Clemens, who isn’t immune from the reaction to how Sanchez’ 70-yards on 9-for-15 passing by Sanchez matched up against his own 20 yards on 5-for-7. This morning, in the first practice since, and Clemens practiced with the second team offense and Sanchez ran with the 1s.

“Coach said early on that it was going to be an open competition, so today was the first day that Mark got the reps with the ones,” Clemens said. “I went with the twos. The program going forward is we’re just switching every other practice for a while. That’s the way we’ll progress. That’s the way it’s been in every competition I’ve been a part of, so it didn’t really come as much of a surprise. We’ll just continue to work hard as an entire unit no matter who we’re with and keep getting better.”

Sanchez sounded pumped after the practice. He connected with Jerricho Cotchery and Chansi Stuckey for touchdowns and, despite being intercepted by Darrelle Revis, feels like he took a step forward with the performance.

“Absolutely,” Sanchez said. “Every day needs to be a step forward when you get a chance to go with that first-team group. I thought it really showed that I was ready for it, and I took advantage of that time. I knew (once I learned) I had a chance to run with the ones, that if I didn’t make the most of (the opportunity), I’d be upset. I made sure I was as prepared as possible and treated it like a game, because you only get certain looks once, you have to take advantage of the throws, and that was what I was trying to do.”

The defense talked about the quarterback situation a little bit as well, starting with Revis, the interception machine. Is Sanchez ready to be a rookie starter?

“Yea,” Revis said. “Well, we drafted him 5th overall for a reason. Rex and (Jets general manager Mike) Tannenbaum and those guys up there are studying up on players. Seeing that he has a lot of poise, he has a lot of leadership. He comes from a top program. It’s just carrying it over to another level.  He’s handling it well, he’s moving the offense. He’s being a captain. He’s being a leader. He’s out there saying stuff to those guys, “Let’s get this first down. Let’s move the ball,” things like that to get the offense ready to go and play.

Even LB Bart Scott (who hurt his hamstring today but Ryan said it wasn’t bad) had some nice things to say about Sanchez, after a few months of loudly ribbing the No. 5 overall pick of the 2009 NFL Draft.

“The rook doesn’t make the same mistake twice,” Scott said. “He throws a solid ball and he gets the ball out of his hands quick. In a West Coast offense you want to get the ball into the receiver’s hands as quick as possible so they can make something happen. I think we have a group of receivers that can get a lot of YAC. If people don’t know, that’s yards after catch. I think it’s an asset for us. It is a safe pass. It is an extension of the running game.”

Now for the caveats. While it’s exciting to see a rookie like Sanchez do well, this is just the second week of training camp so it’s a little early to annoint him the second coming of Joe Namath.

Let’s say Sanchez is named starter for the regular season, and then gets shelled in three straight games. Then the gleam is off his guaranteed $28M suit of armor, and you have Clemens on the bench and in the final year of his contract. It would undermine the effectiveness of both quarterbacks.

If Sanchez is ready to start, it will be apparent, but he needs to prove he has the toughness to stand up to the beatings he can get from NFL defensive linemen. No matter how highly you regard the Pac-10, it’s apples and oranges.

That’s my take, have at it.

Couple of observations from the Green & White scrimmage and what I saw at Cortland. Soon, the Jets will be at Hofstra and more metro area fans will be able to see the team themselves, and we have a the first preseason game coming up next week on Friday.

Mark Sanchez is ahead in the quarterback competition. Probably not by much, and this week’s game against St. Louis will tell us more since the QBs will be in pads rather than the red jerseys. Sanchez may be throwing well, but he isn’t a huge sturdy guy and the defense won’t be holding back.

Wallace Wright should be getting Sanchez coffee every morning. And making sure the dorms are quiet enough for him to get a good night sleep. The receiver and the QB have a connection, and if Sanchez wins the starting job it means good things for Wright, who has been a terrific special teams player, but doesn’t want special teams to be the highlight of an NFL career.

Britt Davis froze under the lights. So that was the secret wide receiver Rex Ryan expected to break out at camp—he needs more marinating because he isn’t ready yet. All reports say he has been great in practice, but those two drops in Sanchez’ first series were momentum killers.

Mike DeVito will be key. The DE was praised by Ryan and will be a go-to guy when injuries affect the defensive line. I’ll have more on him later, but expect him to slot all along the line, including for NT Kris Jenkins. Ryan has big plans for the third year player out of Maine.

Shonn Greene was a good pick. The RB got reps with the first and second team in the scrimmage and picked up 12 yards after a handoff from Sanchez in the first series. He picked up another five on two plays with QB Kellen Clemens. And he did it all on a hurt ankle.

Dustin Keller continues to shine. At least there is one reliable TE for the Jets. Keller caught an 11-yard pass from Clemens. Above, he signed the hand of a little kid who was very specific about where he wanted the autograph, “No, there,” he told the second-year player.

Danny Woodhead is still in the mix. I know Woodhead has a lot of fans out there, and he deserves it after sweating out the 2008 draft on ESPN and then getting injured in last year’s training camp. The good news is he was getting quality reps—even on Sanchez’ first series before Jehuu Caulcrick went down. He picked up eight yards on his first carry and nothing on second.

Last night after the scrimmage, Jets owner Woody Johnson signed autographs for fans and chatted about how great Cortland was. He had flown in that morning, moved down the line of fans and eventually caught up to running back Leon Washington, who is unhappy about his contract and looking for more money from the Jets. Washington passed something for Johnson to sign.

I wondered how tempted was Washington to whisper, “Pay me!”

Washington stands to make $535,000 this season, the last of his four-year rookie contract, and wants an extension worth about $6 million a year. Later the owner addressed reporters and said he wasn’t sure when the contract negotiations would end.

“That’s hard to say,”  Johnson said. “You have to talk to Mike (Tannenbaum) about that.  Because until they happen, they haven’t happened.”

Washington, who held out of training camp for a day for a fine of $17,000, said he has been in regular contact with his agent Alvin Keels.

“He’s telling me everything he hears back from the Jets,” Washington said. “We communicate a lot, pretty much every day. We are just going to play football and we believe we’ve already earned our situation. We’re just going to play football and let everything else take care of itself.”

The two sides are still far apart. The Jets are wary of giving Washington more given the potential changes in the CBA next year, which would make Washington a restricted free agent next year, rather than being able to test his worth on the open market after this season under the old rules.

Still, the holdouts and eventual loss of C Pete Kendall and TE Chris Baker didn’t help the Jets on the field in the last two seasons.

Johnson also said he liked Cortland and would consider coming back.

On the pressure to name Mark Sanchez the starting quarterback:

“I think (coach Rex Ryan is) a second generation coach that has enough experience, with Brian (Schottenheimer), being second generation also,” Johnson said. “These guys are going to go with the program that they feel is best.  And I don’t think they’re going to feel like just because anybody wants this player or that player that it’s going to make any difference.”

This one was short, but Mark Sanchez looked pretty good for a rookie. Up to now the quarterback competition has been pretty even, but today Sanchez impressed Rex Ryan and a lot of the 6,100 fans who came to Cortland for the annual Green & White scrimmage.

Sanchez said he treated it like a game day, and when he felt antsy he put on his iPod, his usual preparation.

“It was game on and I tried to lay down a little bit, relax my mind and came out here ready to work,” Sanchez said. “I was on today and felt great.”

Sanchez connected on nine of 15 passes for 70 yards. Three of those incompletes were drops, one bounced off the No. 17 of Britt Davis, a rookie wide out of Northern Illinois. Two of the drops came on third down.

“I’m not a quarterback expert, but when a guy’s open, he was putting the ball on the mark,” Ryan said.

Sanchez in his own words:

080609sanchezscrimmage

Kellen Clemens was 5 for 7 and 26 yards and was sacked. The highlight was an 11-yard pass to Dustin Keller. Ryan praised Clemens for his leadership.

“He’s able to move all the pieces, so he really knows how to run that team and understands that system,” Ryan said. “That’s what I’m impressed with and, obviously, he’s a talented guy.  He makes some nice throws.  He’s giving his receivers a chance even when they’re covered.”

Clemens is going through his third quarterback competition in four years, so he isn’t worried about the day-to-day horse race.

“Now, I wish Mark (Sanchez) all the success when he’s out there,” Clemens said. “I’m sure he does the same for me.  Ultimately, I want to perform well for my teammates and coaches.  The focus for me is more on myself than on what he’s doing. Obviously I support him, but I’m not always counting and keeping score in that respect.”

Sanchez did make at least one throw late that seemed impatient and could have been an interception. Still, this was not exactly a marathon. Clemens and Sanchez didn’t take a lot of snaps in the hour or so, with a 15 minute halftime thrown in.

Each had chances with the first team and against both defenses. Even then, Sanchez played with his choice target, Wallace Wright, who had a 19-yard reception in his three catches. Sanchez agreed that the QB and receiver have some chemistry.

“I don’t know how that happened,” Sanchez said. “It just seemed that he is someone who has been getting open.”

Wright is a special teams player making a case to be in the rotation as a wide receiver. If Sanchez is named the starter, Wallace’s ascension is looking more and more likely.

“He throws a great ball,” Wright said. “I can’t express it enough. The ball is always right there when I turn around. He has good feet, he is mobile. He can get out of the pocket. He is just a good player. Once he learns the offense he is going to be dangerous.”

Ryan complimented Shonn Greene for his play in the game. Greene has been playing on an injured ankle. He also singled out David Harris, Kenwin Cummings and Lito Sheppard. … RB Jehuu Caulcrick got hit pretty hard and didn’t return to the game.

Team owner Woody Johnson was at the game and even signed autographs! I will have evidence of this later…

It’s the eve of the Green & White scrimmage, and Mark Sanchez is in front of his teammates singing Salt & Pepa’s “Push it,” according to Chansi Stuckey’s Tweets. …  Just let that image percolate.

A lot happened with the Jets today. Jets coach Rex Ryan said he wanted to pick a starting quarterback by the third preseason game.

“I think a whole lot hasn’t changed,” Ryan said. “(Kellen) Clemens has a better grasp of the system than Sanchez does. They both have their moments when you say ‘what are you doing?’ I think the competition is good. I think (of) that old saying my old coach used to say ‘the cream will rise to the top.’ We’ll be able to figure it out.

The Jets signed a wide receiver Aundrae Allison off waivers from Minnesota and released Mario Urrutia (so much for him being the secret weapon wide that Ryan alluded to before camp.)

And D’Brickashaw Ferguson took a page out of Ryan’s book and didn’t quite guarantee the Super Bowl.

“Everybody has to set goals, team goals as well as personal goals and my goal is to make the Pro Bowl this year,” Ferguson said. “I know we have a real tough schedule but I believe this coaching that we are getting and the conditioning that we’re doing is going to put us in a great position. I think as an organization we also have goals of winning the Super Bowl. I think that if we can plan on being successful it’s easier to obtain those goals and always be in a hopeful situation. Like, well, I hope one day, let’s just claim it now.”

Tomorrow is the first real test of the preseason. Both QBs should get a chance to react in a game-like situation. The morning practice is closed and the game is slated to start at 6. Remember that this is the game that first made rookie Dustin Keller look like a potential starter.

Bill Barnwell of Football Outsiders has looked at the statistics, and he says Kellen Clemens will be a better pick.

“We think he’s going to be a good NFL quarterback,” Barnwell said.

The Jets have a competition this training camp in Cortland between Clemens, a fourth-year pro who started eight Jets games in 2007, and rookie Mark Sanchez, who has an eye-popping $28 million in guarantees and represents the Jets long-term hopes.

This morning, the Newark Star-Ledger’s Manish Mehta reports that Clemens is again practicing with the first team. To Barnwell, that makes sense.

Barnwell, a number cruncher who majored in communications, said there are only two relevant numbers when you are looking at whether a QB who goes in the top two rounds of the NFL draft will become a good starter.

The first number is career starts as a collegian, and the second is completion percentage. Clemens had a 61 percent completion percentage in 32 games, which Barnwell said gives him the potential to be in the top 10 NFL quarterbacks in his peak season.

Sanchez had a 64 percent completion percentage, but in just 16 games.

He makes the statistical comparison to Alex Smith and Aaron Rodgers, but said they both grade higher because of 22 games started.

As for Clemens’ lackluster string of eight starts, Barnwell said the number of games is too small to statistically gauge Clemens’ potential. He said there are other QBs, such as Peyton Manning, who would have looked mediocre if judged on their first eight games as well.

As a few columnists have noted, Sanchez has the momentum and if there is a tie will likely get the nod. The danger in that is if he struggles in his first games. Sanchez will lose his golden aura, and Clemens will be on the sideline with a contract quickly running out.

Forcing an early start for the green Sanchez could do more damage than disappointing fans who want to see their first-rounder immediately contribute.

Anyway, the numbers according to Football Outsiders would vote for Clemens.

To hear Rex Ryan and James Ihedigbo talk about it, the fact that there were a bunch of fights at Jets camp today is just evidence of how much these guys really love each other. Here’s what Diggs had to say:

On how much of the fight with Thomas Jones was real…

It’s 100% real. It’s football. We are out here getting better.  We’re out here playing hard. We are out here pushing each other to get better. With that, it’s 100% real. There’s no faking that. We are all out here for one common goal, and that’s to win. We all want to achieve that goal.

On if there’s something going on with him and Jones…

It’s just offense and defense.  It wasn’t specific players. But that’s just the kind of edge we’re going to have with the team. And you learn that going against each other and against your opponents is a different story.

On if something set him off…

Nothing really set me off, we’re just out here getting better.  It wasn’t a switch that flipped and that’s part of the game.

On how Jones and him laughed about the fight after…

It’s about enjoying it. That’s the kind of edge that we want to have and that’s the kind of attitude we want to develop as a team.  We are going to enjoy each others’ company off the field and on the field. Tempers may flare, but that’s a part of playing football.

On if he likes to see that aggression in his teammates…

It’s not so much we want to see that aggression, but that’s the kind of mentality we want to have against the other team. As I said, against the other opponents you are going to see that aggression on Sundays. You’re going to see that type of attitude and that’s what we bring to the table and that’s what we are as New York Jets.

The first rule of fight camp… is unlike Fight Club everyone will talk about it because you have an audience. Today’s practice was scrappy enough that HBO could have filmed it for a Saturday night undercard. On the fourth day of two-a days, James Ihedigbo and Thomas Jones went at it for the first of three fights in 15 minutes according to numerous reports.

Unfortunately I was not there to see the Jets Golden Gloves, since the Journal News has opted not to cover training camp with the Jets or the Giants yet. Still, players talked about the commotion, starting with rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez who continues to make a strong case for the starting spot.

“Practice got heated as you saw,” Sanchez said. “Guys getting into it a little bit. That’s good though.  That’s the kind of intensity Coach Ryan wants. That’s the way we want to play.”

He also talked about playing with the first team.

“That means the world to me,” Sanchez said. “You want it to happen as much as possible. I’m right in (offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer) Schotty’s hip pocket and right next to Kellen (Clemens) as he’s calling the plays in the huddle and getting as close to taking those first team reps as possible. As soon as they come my way, that’s when you really need to make a move in this whole thing.”

Is he comfortable with the first team?

“I feel great,” Sanchez said. “You get in there with Nick (Mangold) and (Alan) Faneca and Brick (D’Brickashaw Ferguson) and (Damien) Woody and Brandon Moore. You have a real comfort level. You get guys like Stuck (Chansi Stuckey) and J. Co (Jerricho Cotchery) and they just know exactly what they’re doing. They kind of bail you out sometimes. I want to get that chemistry with them, so I need those reps. As soon as that happens there’s going to be a good chance to make a move and it helps when you have all those tools. The running game, screens, gimmicks and stuff like, that just take a lot of the pressure off of you. It will happen soon and that’s when I have to be sharp.”

The Jets updated their training camp schedule today. News you can use if you’re planning to head out.

Below are updated practice times for the 2009 New York Jets Training Camp. In particular, please note that all special teams practices have changed to 4:15 p.m.

8/3     8:50 a.m. and 4:15 p.m. (ST)
8/4     8:20 a.m. and 3:55 p.m.
8/5     8:20 a.m. and 4:15 p.m. (ST)
8/6     Green and White Practice: 10 a.m., Green and White Scrimmage: 7 p.m.
8/8     8:20 a.m. and 3:55 p.m.
8/9     8:20 a.m. and 4:15 p.m. (ST)
8/10    8:20 a.m. and 3:55 p.m.
8/11    8:20 a.m. and 4:15 p.m. (ST)
8/12    Family Night Practice at Hofstra University: 6 p.m.
8/14:   Preseason Game against St. Louis Rams: 7 p.m.
8/16    8:20 a.m. and 4:15 p.m. (ST)
8/17    8:20 a.m. and 4:10 p.m.
8/18    8:20 a.m. and 4:15 p.m. (ST)
8/19    8:20 a.m. and 4:10 p.m.
8/20    8:20 a.m. and 4:10 p.m.
8/21    8:15 a.m. (ST)
8/22    Practice at Florham Park, NJ: Time TBA
8/24    Preseason Game at the Baltimore Ravens: 8 p.m.
8/26    Practice at Florham Park, NJ: Time TBA
8/27    Practice at Florham Park, NJ: Time TBA
8/29    Preseason Game at New York Giants: 8 p.m.
9/4     Preseason Game against Philadelphia Eagles: 7 p.m.

(ST – Special Teams practice)

Kris Jenkins, the giant of a nose tackle listed at 349 pounds, went down today with what was described as a strained left calf muscle.

This is worrisome for a few reasons. There isn’t a true replacement for Jenkins and, even if Rex Ryan doesn’t run a straight 3-4 defense (and it looks like he won’t) he is hard to compensate for in any defensive scheme.

Last season, Jenkins struggled later in the season with an ongoing back injury. He left the San Diego game in the first quarter and the Jets went on to lose 48-29 in the third game of the 2008 season. It was a pattern that was repeated.

During the Q&A Ernie Palladino and I hosted to preview the NFL season, someone asked about Jenkins and his injuries, wondering if the Jets have a Plan B for the big guy, who turns 30 years old tomorrow. Anyone who didn’t think it would be an issue this season should pay attention to how many practices Jenkins sits out.