The potential starter for the defending Super Bowl Champion Denver Broncos finds his way onto this list for his 2009 performance as a member of the New York Jets.

Mark Sanchez completed just 53.8 percent of his passes and tossed 20 interceptions with just 12 touchdowns that year.

Despite Sanchez’s wholly inefficient work as the Jets’ starting quarterback, the team still managed to win nine games and clinch a wildcard spot on the back of a dominating defense. New York ranked first in Adjusted (for strength of schedule) Defensive NEP on a per play basis (-0.15), nearly doubling the second-best team, Green Bay (-0.08),

The Jets also benefited from a very effective run game, finishing eighth in Adjusted Rushing NEP on a per play basis, led by a 1,400-yard, 14-touchdown season from Thomas Jones.

Sanchez’s 2009 campaign could be used as evidence that you don’t necessarily need a high-end quarterback to win in the NFL, but that analysis is significantly short-sighted. The Jets lost 0.18 points as a team every time Sanchez dropped back to pass.

If a more efficient passer was coupled with that defense, it’s likely the Jets would have won more than just nine games in 2009.