How can it not be Tebow Time? I’m
being serious when I ask that question, too. The New York Jets, who slipped to
below .500 after their gut-wrenching 23-17 loss to the now undefeated Houston
Texans, and whose two best players on either side of the ball have been knocked
out with season-ending injuries (allegedly by ghosts), and whose number one
receiving weapon is CHAZ SCHILENS, are in dire need of some magic. I ask you
again: how can it not be Tebow Time?
Tonight Tebow successfully got a
first down on a fake punt, had a momentous 13-yard carry in the red zone, and
threw a perfectly-placed deep ball to receiver Jason Hill who dropped the pass
out of no fault but his own. Now that may not sound like a performance worthy
of a starting nod, but perhaps what is most important is that Jets fans at
MetLife Stadium tonight were at their most boisterous when Tebow was in the
game. Whenever he came in, the crowd was ignited; it was inspired; they
believed. There is no denying it: love him or hate him, there is something
special about Tim Tebow.
Jets head coach Rex Ryan has
belabored time and time again that the team’s starting quarterback is Mark
Sanchez. Yes, Sanchez has been to two AFC Championships, and yes, he is capable
of making big plays, but really, is there anything special about Mark Sanchez?
What is the difference, for instance, between Sanchez and Matt Cassell? Or
Sanchez and Browns rookie Brandon Weeden (who ironically is three years older
than Sanchez)? In other words, do any of those three inspire football fans?
Cassell was booed by his own fans Sunday after an injury forced him to come out
of the game, and Weeden is on pace to throw more interceptions than any rookie
in history. And Sanchez? Well let’s just say his time may have already come and
gone.
Let me be frank: it is probably not
any kind of fun to be in Mark Sanchez’s position on the field with the Jets (I
imagine that it would be much more fun to be in Sanchez’s position off the
field, anyway) in having Tim Tebow as your backup and having to deflect a
myriad of questions asked by the relentless New York media addressing your
sense of job security. I get that. But is there really anything that is
inspiring about the way Sanchez plays quarterback? He will occasionally make
some nice throws, but will then inevitably offset those throws with a horrible
interception or two.
Just before halftime in the Jets
Texans game tonight, I found myself rooting on Sanchez like I hadn’t before in
years. He had made a couple of those nice throws and was marching the Jets
toward the end zone to tie the game at 14.
I thought to myself, “Hey! Maybe
this is when Sanchez can turn the whole season around! He’s gotten us to two
AFC Championships before, and he’s still a great quarterback! And you know
what? I feel bad that Tebow is his backup and he has to feel all this pressure!
Look at how he’s handling himself on this drive! Making throws to no-namers
like Jeremy Kerley and Jeff Cumberland! And we’re about to tie the game against
the undefeated Houston Texans! It’d be so typical if he threw an interception
here, but I don’t think he’s going to! Yes! It’s going to be different this
time! I really think he won’t throw an interception here! I’m ready to believe
in Mark Sanchez again!”
And then Sanchez threw one of those
horrible interceptions right to Texans cornerback Brice McCain, who nearly ran
it back for a touchdown. The Texans sank a field goal and were up 17-7 at
halftime. It was as crushing as it was predictable. That little voice of
optimism that stood up for Mr. Sanchez tonight doesn’t live here anymore.
I don’t care if you think that Tim
Tebow is bad or that you think he can’t cut it as a starting quarterback in the
NFL or that he’s too self-righteous for you, which makes you uncomfortable
about your own religion or lack thereof. Tim Tebow is capable of inspiring a
team and a fan base in a way that Mark Sanchez can only dream of. At this point
last season, the Jets had the same 2-3 record with a healthy Darrelle Revis,
Santonio Holmes, and even Dustin Keller, and they finished 8-8 and missed the
playoffs with Sanchez at quarterback. Now the Jets have the same 2-3 without
any of those players and a much less confident Sanchez (if that is even
possible), not to mention a wide receiving core that is beyond depleted
(considering that most of these receivers were never thrown to by their
previous team’s quarterbacks, I’m sure they’ll be just fine with Tebow in
there). Yes, it’s high-time Rex Ryan let a new man take the reigns at
quarterback. Scratch that. It’s not high-time; it’s Tebow Time.
