National Football League

Sanchez wins debut behind tough Jets' defense

Published Sep. 14, 2009 6:17 a.m. ET

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After getting a pregame pep talk from Broadway Joe himself, Mark Sanchez couldn't help but sparkle in his debut in the NFL.

Sanchez, the fifth overall pick in this year's draft, threw for 272 yards and a touchdown, Thomas Jones scored twice, and the Jets shut down Houston's high-powered offense in a 24-7 win Sunday.

Joe Namath took Sanchez aside just minutes before pregame warmups. The rookie asked him about his first start and Namath said he didn't remember it and that Sunday was about Sanchez, not him.

"What a pep talk," a beaming Sanchez said. "That was Joe Namath, just taking all the credit from himself and throwing it back to me and just saying, 'Good luck.' To hear that from a legend like that, it just kind of gives you the chills. It was something special to be a part of, an emotional start, an emotional little pep talk."

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