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Rex Ryan: N.Y. Jets aren't close to deciding starting QB

Offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said in May that he'd be thrilled to see the New York Jets wrap up their quarterback competition by mid-June, but that isn't about to happen.

Asked if Gang Green has made any progress on picking a winner between Mark Sanchez and Geno Smith, coach Rex Ryan said Wednesday, without hesitation, "I don't think we're close to that."

Judging by the practice reports, it's understandable why.

Sanchez, one week after Mornhinweg described his accuracy as "sky high," split first-team reps with Smith during practice and struggled in the portion available to the media. So did Smith.

Sanchez was 9-for-19 passing with a sack and a touchdown, while Geno went 5-of-9 passing with a sack and an interception, according to Seth Walder of the New York Daily News, who noted that Sanchez crumbled during a two-minute drill.

Rapoport: Sanchez in for a fight

ian_rapoport_120405_65.jpg

Though he's been the Jets' starting QB for four years, Mark Sanchez will have to battle to retain his job, Ian Rapoport reports. **More ...**

Ryan acknowledge the back-and-forth nature of the team's quarterback questions.

"Some days, this guy looks good," Ryan said, "and some days this guy looks good."

Sanchez has kept his cool during another unsettling offseason of speculation under center, but he bristled at the notion that he's shy of competing: "It's nothing new. Nothing big or scary," he said, per the New York Daily News. "... I feel good about the competition and I think I'm having one of my best offseasons."

In a beautiful universe, this competition would, indeed, be over by mid-June, but that would require a Jets quarterback to separate himself. That's been the problem all along.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.

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