Tebow To Get More Time But More Changes Needed At QB Position

I was really hoping that my first article back after a trip over the pond to NYC would be a positive one. I saw the Dolphins match-up and everything suggested that we should come out of this game with a 'W' under our belts. Losing was not an option, losing by over 20 points is unforgivable.

You will all know that unlike Rex Ryan my balloon is not tied to Mark Sanchez's career. I'm not a Sanchez fan, I wasn't while he was at USC (and it's not just because I'm a Notre Dame fan) and I didn't allow myself to get too high as he game managed us into the post season his first two years. Now the league has plenty of film on him, I'm certainly not going to suggest that he is anything more than a below average signal caller who's feel for the game is questionable at the best of times.

However neither do I believe in Tim Tebow. I liked the trade for Tebow as I thought he would be getting 10-15 snaps a game, being used the right way in short yardage situations. He would be throwing out of the wildcat and keeping the defence unbalanced with his duel threat. However the more we see Tebow, the worse the trade looks. We simply don't use him to the best of his abilities, and despite Tony Sparano suggesting he has a plan and package for Tebow, I just can't see it. Every snap seems to be a fake hand off and a dive up the middle.

Rex Ryan was asked about Tebow (Surprise!, Surprise!) during his conference Monday and confirmed that the team do need to address how they are using Tim, however Sanchez is still the starter:

"I think we’ll take a hard look at how we’re using him, what we’re asking him to do, is there other things we can do with him," Ryan said on a conference call with reporters. "I think you’re absolutely right. We will definitely look at that."

"If it was one guy, that’s easy to say we’d make that change," Ryan said. "But I think Mark gives us the best chance to win. That’s how I feel. Can Tim be successful? Absolutely, and we need to look at that as well. In my opinion, Mark as the starting quarterback gives my team the best chance to win."

I like loyalty, I think it's underrated in professional sports. However sometimes it can go too far, and Rex Ryan is going to sink with Sanchez unless he is careful. We have already seen that we can't win with Mark Sanchez, this team is 3-5 and is pretty lucky to have a record like that, one missed Dan Carpenter FG from being 2-6. Expand Tebow's role by all means, have him throw from the wildcat and keep teams honest, but try something new with McElroy. Sit Sanchez for a week and give this guy a chance, Sanchez has not earned the right to be the starting quarterback on this football team. If Greg is terrible, then Greg is terrible.....at least we will know.

There are some who will defend Sanchez to the death, when you have been battling in someones corner for so long, on occasions your judgement is clouded, it's happened to me on more than one occasion (recently with Brodney Pool) it's part and parcel of being a dedicated fan. It's not all his fault, he doesn't have the greatest line and he doesn't have the greatest talent around him all the time.....anyone watching the game though will see it's about the Quarterback, his mechanics and his football IQ.

Sanchez ranks 32/32 of qualifying Quarterbacks in terms of completion percentage (52.9%), 30/32 in QBR (72.8) has thrown 8 interceptions to his 10 touchdowns and fumbled the football five times. If Rex Ryan wants to go down with the ship, we are going to have to stand witness to it. However he can save himself by admitting that the change that needs to be made is at the Quarterback position. During the bye week we will look at some drafting possibilities for the Jets who look like they could end up with a top 10 pick in 2013.

I know we hate to start from scratch after getting so close in 2009 and 2010, however it may be that we have no choice. Sanchez's ill advised contract extension means he is likely here through 2013, however that doesn't mean that we can't start building now.