CORTLAND, N.Y. — Kellen Clemens lined up behind center at the opponent’s 40-yard line, barked out the signals and dropped back to pass. Facing a fierce rush, he fired a perfect strike to Jerricho Cotchery between defenders Lito Sheppard and Kerry Rhodes.

Touchdown.
A few minutes earlier, rookie Mark Sanchez lined up near midfield, dropped back to pass and looked for Wallace Wright down the left side. He threw the ball into triple coverage.
Interception.
Score a Day 2 win for Clemens over Sanchez.
Even though Clemens threw an interception of his own later in practice — returned for a touchdown after safety Jim Leonhard pitched it back to Sheppard — the four-year veteran owned the morning practice.
But this quarterback derby will be played out over several days and several practices, so Saturday’s performances will be part of a far more thorough process. The ultimate judgment will be made by coach Rex Ryan in a month or so.
On paper, Clemens is the starter. But we all know Ryan can crumple that piece of paper at a moment’s notice and change his mind. Clemens knows it. Sanchez knows it. Now it’s a matter of letting the story play out.
“My approach to this camp is to do whatever I can to prepare myself and my teammates so that we can get ready to win the world championship,” Clemens said. “That is our goal and it’s all of our approach.”
My sense is that Clemens will get that chance if — and only if — he clearly outplays Sanchez. If it’s reasonably close by the time the Jets are ready to play the Giants in the third preseason game, I think Ryan strongly will consider going with Sanchez.
Think about it: If Clemens, in his fourth year under offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, can’t clearly beat out a rookie who has only a few months in the system, then what’s the point?
Sure, there is some merit to the idea of letting Sanchez sit and feel his way through. But that’s not what Ryan’s about. If he believes Sanchez is the better of the two, Ryan will go with him. Especially after watching in Baltimore last year as rookie Joe Flacco helped the Ravens get to the AFC Championship Game. Remember, too, that it’s the final year of Clemens’ contract with the Jets.
If the decision had to be made today, Clemens would be the choice. He’s clearly more comfortable with the offense, makes his reads more quickly and gets the ball where it needs to be ... most of the time, anyway. He’s also carrying himself with the kind of swagger you want from your quarterback.
Sanchez still has that rookie aura that perhaps was best described by Bill Parcells, who often said of young players struggling to fit in: “He looks like a ball in tall grass . . . lost.” But the kid is a very quick learner and a workaholic in the weight room and film room. So even if he can’t beat out Clemens in the short term, it is not a matter of if but when he becomes the starter.
Clemens has shown he is ready for the competition, but he’ll have to be head and shoulders above Sanchez to earn his coach’s trust. The only way to show it is to battle through every practice, every pass, every snap. It’s a painstaking process, but it ultimately will determine whether he’ll hold off the high-priced rookie — or wind up carrying a clipboard.