Mark Sanchez realizes it wasn't the safest move to dive headfirst into the end zone after taking a hard hit. The New York Jets rookie quarterback still wouldn't change a thing about it. "I think it was important for the guys to see that," Sanchez said Wednesday. "To let them know what kind of player I am and how important it is to me and how much I care." On the Jets'…

Come on now, can any of you out there say with a straight face that you knew Mark Sanchez would be as solid as he’s been this season?

Even Jet fans were preparing themselves to remain patient with Sanchez for at least a season, which, needless to say, is not a quality, trait or virtue that comes naturally to New Yorkers.

But, Sanchez has thoroughly surprised everyone with his near flawless play during the Jets’ 3-0 start to the 2009 season.

Sanchez has thrown for 606 yards and four touchdowns.  But what’s even more shocking is that he’s had only two passes picked off in 83 attempts, which is something almost unheard-of for a rookie quarterback.

Sanchez has calmly dealt with the New York fans, media, and they immense pressure they combine to create, which, in fairness, is easier to do when you’re exceeding expectations rather than falling short of them.

Sanchez and the Jets will face their next big test this Sunday as they head to the Super Dome to take on the undefeated New Orleans Saints.

However, if they can escape the Super Dome with a victory, the Jets could very well travel to Foxborough in late November for their rematch with the Patriots as an undefeated football team.

In the six weeks following the Saints game, the Jets will take on Miami twice, Buffalo, Oakland, and Jacksonville (with a bye week mixed in), all of which have, let’s just say, not been overly impressive this season.

The one foreseeable downside to Sanchez’s fast start is that he’s now raised the bar.

Whereas four weeks ago, Jet fans were not expecting huge things from the rookie quarterback—at least not right away—they’re now expecting him to calmly pick apart NFL defenses week-in and week-out.

However, when Sanchez does hit a few speed bumps this season, which is bound to happen at some point, perhaps Jet fans will revert to the patients they were intending to display before Mark Sanchez become “Broadway Mark.”

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New York is arguably the hardest sports city to play for. A famous story involves Boomer Esiason, driving home after a loss. He sees a car get rear ended, and he stops to help out. When he knocks on the window, he sees the female is wearing an Esiason jersey. Asking if she was ok, she responds “Yes, but you guys (the Jets) are terrible.”

Welcome to New York, where you will be praised one week for winning the game, then have your head called for the next.

Mark Sanchez, although a rookie with three professional games under his belt, has taken this town by storm. He has started, and won, all three games as a professional, something no rookie quarterback has done since the NFL and AFL merger.

Quite frankly, he has this city believing in him.

This story sounds familiar to citizens of New York, and with good reason.

I’ll take you back to 1996, when a young Derek Jeter carried the New York Yankees on his back and helped win them a World Series. They then went on to form a dynasty, winning multiple World Series in the next few years.

Could Mark Sanchez be taking the reigns from Derek Jeter? It certainly is plausible.

For starters, Sanchez has the personality like Jeter that everyone loves. He isn’t cocky, but he is extremely confident. He is a leader, both on the field and off. The fans respect him, and his teammates believe in him, even though he is young.

Also like Jeter, Sanchez has handled the hardest critic; the media and fans. In this town, people will be calling for your head after one game, and it would take a championship for them to calm down (See: Manning, Eli). The pressure hasn’t fazed Sanchez, though, who has handled the media. No one can wish for him to be benched when he is winning.

Just like Jeter, Sanchez has another thing that is going for him—good looks. There is a reason he posed in GQ without a single game under his belt. Females of all ages look at Sanchez as being “dreamy” and “cute,” something I’m very familiar with.

In order to have a population of eight million to like you, you would need the women to like you, who account for roughly half of that number. For the 3.9 million that don’t watch sports, the only way you can get them is with your good looks.

For over ten years, New York has been a baseball town, and in large part, that is due to Derek Jeter. Even with the success of the Giants in the past couple of years, they never had the face to take over.

With Sanchez, it is possible New York becomes a football town again.

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During the 2004 NFL Draft, the San Diego Chargers selected Ole Miss QB Eli Manning with the first pick in the draft. He was dealt to the New York Giants for NC State QB Phillip Rivers.

During the 2009 NFL Draft, the New York Jets traded draft picks to move up to the fifth spot to select USC QB Mark Sanchez.

This offseason, Eli Manning signed a six year, $97M contract extention with the Giants.

This offseason, Mark Sanchez signed a five year, $50M contract with the Jets.

Both quarterbacks have led their teams to 3-0 starts.

Both quarterbacks play in New York (well…kind of…).

There is nothing like playing quarterback for a New York franchise. All the hype. All the spotlights. All the pressure.

Undoubtedly, there is no greater pressure on any quarterback’s shoulders this season than the weight placed upon Giants QB Eli Manning and Jets QB Mark Sanchez.

Manning, the MVP of Super Bowl XLII two season ago, signed a contract that could keep him with the Giants for the rest of his career, and made him the highest paid player in the NFL.

The Giants are coming off of a 12-4 season and an early playoff exit. They have parted ways with disgruntled WR Plaxico Burress. They lost 1000 yard rusher Derrick Ward to free agency.

Sanchez was touted as the second best quarterback in the 2009 NFL Draft, behind University of Georgia’s Matthew Stafford. After the Detroit Lions selected Stafford with the first overall pick, Sanchez started playing the waiting game, knowing he would be picked soon.

He didn’t have to wait long, as the Jets traded up 12 spots to nab the USC standout with the fifth overall pick.

He comes to a hungry Jets team that hasn’t had a back-to-back winning season since 2001-2002.

In 2008 Jets made a deal for QB Brett Favre, hoping that Favre would help them over the hump.

Favre was coming off a 13-3 season with the Green Bay Packers, throwing for 4,155 yards and 28 touchdowns. 

After an impressive 8-2 start, the Jets’ wheels fell off, and they finished the season at 9-7 and missed the playoffs for the second consecutive year.

Now Sanchez has been chosen to come in and try to erase the misery of the 2008 season.

So far he has done great.

After beating the Houston Texans, New England Patriots, and Tennessee Titans, the Jets find themselves at 3-0 for the first time since 2004.

Now Manning, who is coming his first Pro Bowl, and Sanchez, who is filling in the giant shoes of Brett Favre, have the entire New York media and fan base breathing down their necks.

While Sanchez has been great so far (606 yds, 4 TDs, 2 INT), and has been heralded as the next Joe Namath by many a Jets fan, it is obvious that Eli has much more riding on his shoulders.

Anybody who signs a huge contract will always be scrutinized. Especially when playing in the New York market.

And have won a Super Bowl.

And when your last name is Manning.

All in all, Sanchez has many years ahead of him. He will make rookie mistakes. These mistakes will only make him better.

But this is Eli’s sixth season in the NFL. The Giants aren’t paying him $13M a season to make rookie mistakes.

Eli has lived up to the pressure this season. While beating the Washington Redskins, Dallas Cowboys, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Manning has racked up 707 passing yards with 5 touchdowns and only one interception.

While Sanchez and the Jets are in rebuilding mode with a rookie QB and a rookie head coach in Rex Ryan, the Giants are not. As the defending NFL East champions, they are expected to defend their title.

Of the two quarterbacks, Eli Manning is under the most pressure.

But he experienced and knows the secret to handling the hype.

Keep winning.

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The New York Jets' defense was far from perfect for most of the game. Then came the fourth quarter, and David Harris and his stingy teammates were back to being dominant. Harris had an interception and a big sack on Tennessee's last two drives, and Mark Sanchez threw two touchdown passes and bulldozed his way in for another as the Jets stayed undefeated by holding on for a 24-17 victory…