Jets owner blames Sanchez for getting hurt because 'you got to protect yourself'

You would think that Woody Johnson might have learned by now how to pick and choose what to say and when to say it.  For Gang Green sakes, even Rex Ryan has turned down the rhetoric and now keeps his words to a minimum —maybe too much so.

Either way, on Wednesday, the Jets owner spoke with such cringe worthy carelessness that it revealed just how much the Jets have distanced themselves from Mark Sanchez.

According to the N.Y. Daily News, the Jets owner stood on the corner of 57th St. and Fifth Ave. and delivered a bizarre take on Ryan's ill-advised decision to put in Sanchez in the fourth quarter of the third preseason game against the Giants less than two weeks ago. After being thrown to the wolves, Sanchez suffered a shoulder injury which led to the Jets’ announcement that Geno Smith will be the Week 1 starter against the Buccaneers on Sunday.

"I don’t have any regrets," Johnson said. "He’s an experienced guy. I wish he hadn’t gotten hurt, but you got to protect yourself, too."

Say what?! To suggest that Sanchez, who rolled out of the pocket behind a third-string offensive line before getting leveled, could have protected himself better on the play was naive. It just goes to show Johnson’s complete lack of understanding of the game and, mostly, his desire to move on from the organization’s one-time starter and new whipping boy.

The organization’s recent handling of Sanchez over the past couple of weeks has been disturbing — to say the least

And where does the outspoken Ryan stand on Johnson's embarrassing remarks about his former No.1 draft pick and favorite tattoo design?

"It’s 100% injury rate in the league," Ryan said. "It’s unfortunate that it happened. But these things do happen. And we’ve moved on."

Not exactly a ringing endorsement from the suddenly neutered head coach.

"He’s a very, very good quarterback," Johnson said. "Franchise quarterback is something . . . I think you can debate the term."

Seven hours after Johnson’s inane remarks — and two hours after Ryan tiptoed around questions about them — the owner delivered a seemingly forced clarification after a team spokesman got wind of his boss' remarks.

"I may have said or I’ve been accused of saying that Sanchez’s injury was his fault," Johnson said. "That was not my intent at all. Of course, it wasn’t his fault. He was trying to make a play."

So glad he cleared things up.