Top rookie quarterbacks Matthew Stafford and Mark Sanchez may be on different teams but they are working together this off-season. Detroit went winless in 2008 but they are counting on Stafford to turn them around while the Jets have anointed Sanchez as their future quarterback. The Jets are 45-1 in NFL betting Super Bowl odds this season while Detroit is 100-1.
Stafford and Sanchez have formed a friendship and they talk to each other regularly. “We’re just learning, playing football,” said Stafford, “Obviously, during the season, you want to win football games. That’s the No. 1 priority. But at this point, we’re just trying to learn and give ourselves a chance to be competitive during training camp and get a chance to get on the field.”
Online betting information tells us that this week they are together at the NFL rookie symposium. “We talk so much about how’s the playbook coming, what are the guys like in the locker room, have they treated you OK,” Sanchez said. “Both of our situations have been very similar. Obviously, we’re in different markets, but you’re a rookie quarterback, you just signed your contract, you and your family are financially secure. There’s a dynamic to that. It means a lot to be able to talk to someone.”
The pressure is on both players to produce immediately. The Jets are considered an outside NFL betting contender in the AFC East but the pressure in New York is always intense. Stafford also has pressure being the #1 overall pick even though the Lions are not considered NFL betting contenders. “We’re both pretty similar, easy-going guys,” Stafford said. “Pressure really doesn’t get to us too much. We just talk about how much fun it is to be living the dream.”
The Jets play in the AFC East and that means facing the New England Patriots in NFL odds. The Lions have it somewhat easier but the NFC North is still competitive in NFL odds with the Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings. Neither team is a serious playoff contender in NFL betting but the Jets are at least given an outside chance by NFL odds makers at the online sportsbook while the Lions are a longshot to even have a winning season. The pressure may be on Stafford and Sanchez but that is usually the case with starting quarterbacks in the NFL.