Don’t look to Tim Tebow to fix the J-E-T-S Mess Mess Mess

 

Tim Tebow, New York Jets
The Mayans predicted this. The Mayan calendar ends in the same week the Jets lost their 2012 playoff bid. The Mayans saw this coming and that makes them whole lot smarter than the New York Jets organization.

A report on NFL.com says the Jets are likely to make a (long overdue) quarterback switch when they face the Chargers this Sunday. Tim Tebow will not start for the Jets. You read it here first.

Leave it to Woody Johnson's front office to generate sympathy for Tebow. That's a shame, too. This Given Sunday writers have been critical of Tebow, but the man can be a success for the team that commits to him and the unique scheme that allowed him to excel with the Florida Gators and the Denver Broncos.

That's not the Jets

Why the Broncos succeeded and the Jets did not

That offense has to be an NFL version of the zone read option Tebow ran with Urban Meyer. It's unconventional. That's why it's successful. Opposing defenses don't see it every week and do not practice it enough between games to defend it well.

John Fox was smart enough to do that when he bowed to fan demand to start Tebow. "If we were trying to run a regular offense, he'd be screwed," said Fox of Tebow. The Broncos won eight games with the Tebow offense, counting a playoff win over the Steelers.

The Broncos won because Tebow was a good enough rusher to force defender's attention on him. When he completed those miracle passes, a wham boom big play surprised opponents. Laugh if you must at Tebow's throwing motion and quarterback skills – heck, we did – but his wins and 2:1 TD to INT ratio in Denver were serious business.

The Jets opted for a weird Tebow wildcat "package" to waste downs in game. It didn't work in the Titans game last night. It was doomed whenever it was run.

No defense is threatened by Tebow passing the ball for a series. They simply stack to stop the run and react to his passing. Tebow must run that offense for a full game to force defenders into mistakes.

Brian Billick acknowledged that his commitment to Kyle Boller cost him his job. Rob Ryan's commitment to Mark Sanchez may do the same. But Ryan should have been fired on the spot for going along with a hokey Tebow package. A true head coach, like John Fox, would never have done so.

There is too much circumstantial evidence that Woody Johnson forced Tebow on the Jets to push Sanchez. But Tebow had to be a genuine starter threat for that to happen. Now, Ryan dares not start Tebow for the storm that would follow if Tebow wins.

Johnson might insist on starting Tebow. It will fail if the Jets don't run the Tebow offense. Jets fans should prepare for a second showing of seventh round, 2011 Draft pick Greg McElroy.

The mistakes with Sanchez

There were better ways to get a better performance from Mark Sanchez, if that was the intent.

The Jets could have have made Sanchez "prove it" for a better contract. The Ravens are doing that now with Joe Flacco. By extending Sanchez' contract, the Jets are on the hook next year for $8 million guaranteed salary and $17 million cap space.

The Jets might have kept Brian Schottenheimer as offensive coordinator. In hindsight, we see that Schottenheimer was not holding Sanchez back. He was propping him up by calling plays Sanchez could run.

The Jets might have traded for Matt Flynn for a genuine QB competition, or they might have signed a Kyle Orton-caliber veteran to be a contributing back up.

The Jets might have drafted a member of the Golden QB Class of 2012. Picture Russell Wilson in a Jets uniform.

I gather that Woody Johnson trusts GM Mike Tennenbaum and Ryan. That group created a tangled mess. Fixing it won't be done in a season.

Philip Rivers will be in town on Sunday. Pay attention, fellas.  Bloggers need to see Rivers and Eli Manning in the same town in 2013. We call that a target-rich environment, although it won't approach the fun we had with Tebow. 
 

About Anthony Brown

Lifelong Redskins fan and blogger about football and life since 2004. Joined MVN's Hog Heaven blog in 2005 and then moved Redskins Hog Heaven to Bolguin Network. Believes that the course of a season is pre-ordained by management decisions made during the offseason. Can occasionally be found on the This Given Sunday blog and he does guest posts.

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