SUPPORTING CAST

S ANCHEZ looks back at when he arrived with the Jets and marvels at the talent he had around him. The Jets had an offensive line that featured four former first-round picks, a Pro Bowl running back, the No. 1 defense in football and a special teams unit that was one of the best in the league.

It allowed the Jets to not put everything on Sanchez in that 2009 season when the Jets went to the first of two consecutive AFC Championship games.

“They knew that I could play. They’d seen me do it in practice,” Sanchez said. “[They thought,] ‘ He’s athletic enough to move him around. Let’s get him on the run and let’s keep him comfortable. But he doesn’t have to be in shotgun every play with five wide and throw the ball 50 times a game. That’s not how we win.’ ”

For many young quarterbacks, their downfall comes because of whom they are playing with. The Texans drafted Carr No. 1 overall in 2002, but a leaky offensive line gave up a record 76 sacks that season. Casserly was the GM of that team and remembers thinking they were set with Tony Boselli and Ryan Young at tackle. Both were plagued by injuries, though. Young played in eight games and Boselli zero.

Though having good wide receivers, running backs and a defense are all important for young quarterbacks, nothing is viewed as more important than the offensive line protecting him.

Dan Orlovsky, who played for four teams over an eight-year career, compared playing behind a bad offensive line to running with a parachute attached to you. “When you have a bad offensive line, you’re always running with something pulling you back,” said Orlovsky, now an ESPN analyst. “You’re always being held back in a way. I’m going as hard as I can, but I’m not going as good as I want to. Then, you pull that strap, which is that good offensive line, and now you feel like you’re flying. That’s what it’s like when you have a good offensive line. There is nothing holding you back. You can be as good as you want to be.”

Arians believes teams that do not find the pieces to support their young quarterbacks are doomed. They can’t do it alone.

“If you don’t, he’s going to fail,” Arians said.