TOJ New York Jets 12 Pack: The Comeback Year

Assuming the New York Jets don’t make any more major moves this off-season, it appears they will be relying on much of their improvement to come from within their current roster and whatever draft picks they add. What players in particular will need to bounce back from a rough 2011 season to take the Jets from 8-8 and out of the playoffs, to back to 11-5 and the AFC Championship Game (and hopefully beyond)? In descending order of importance…

12. Kenrick Ellis – The Jets didn’t get anything from him in his redshirt season. If he can play to his potential in his second year, the Jets will have a huge addition to their defensive line rotation that will help stop the run and push the pocket on the passer.

11. Antonio Cromartie – He didn’t have a bad year in 2011 but also didn’t have a great one. We are still waiting to see a playmaker who can pull in more than 4 interceptions in a season and maybe create a defensive touchdown or two.

10. Bryan Thomas – Thomas missed the bulk of last season with an ACL injury. Even if the Jets spend a first round pick at outside linebacker, they will need Thomas to mentor him and on running downs. He is a valuable veteran who is productive in Rex Ryan’s defense.

9. Mike DeVito – He missed 4 games last season and battled injuries all season. DeVito is a big part of the Jets run defense and the Jets need him healthy and productive for all 16 games next season.

8. Eric Smith – Hopefully after the draft, Smith will be relegated to being a role player on defense. Yet, you can be assured he will see significant time on defense next season and when he is on the field, the Jets need him to limit the big plays and at minimum be a sure tackler. This team really needs help at safety.

7. Bart Scott – Scott’s value has always been stopping the run, being a sure tackler, and providing leadership on the field. He did none of that last season, missing a ton of tackles and creating issues in the locker room over his lack of playing time. Scott claims to be refocused and lighter this year, we’ll see if that translates to him playing like he did in 2009 and 2010.

6. Shonn Greene – He didn’t have an inspiring 1,000 yard season in 2011. Greene must do a better job of breaking tackles and occasionally popping a big play. He averaged 5.0 yards per carry as a rookie and has since fell down to 4.1 in 2010 and 4.2 in 2011. The Jets need that number to get closer to 5 again.

5. Calvin Pace – At the amount of money he is making, 4.5 sacks isn’t cutting it. The Jets should give him some support on passing downs with their first round pick and Aaron Maybin in his second year so Pace shouldn’t see many, if any double teams. Regardless of his production against the run, the Jets need 7-9 sacks from him.

4. Wayne Hunter/Vladimir Ducasse – As of right now, they are battling to be the starting right tackle. We can only hope Tony Sparano and his new system can move Hunter from being awful to mediocre or that Ducasse with a full off-season under his belt at right tackle can show some of the signs of why he was a second round pick.

3. Santonio Holmes – The Jets paid him to be their number one receiver and he didn’t perform like one. Some of that was on Brian Schottenheimer and some of that was on Mark Sanchez, yet a share of blame goes to Holmes who dropped his share of passes and couldn’t consistently beat double teams. If Holmes can produce like he did in 2010 when he returned from suspension, the Jets offense will be in much better shape.

2. D’Brickashaw Ferguson – The Jets Pro-Bowl left tackle didn’t play like one last season. His struggles combined with Wayne Hunter’s incompetence left Mark Sanchez constantly under pressure. Brick must return to his regular level of play, particularly if Hunter remains as the right tackle.

1. Mark Sanchez – On the whole Sanchez didn’t have anywhere near the awful year that is portrayed by the mainstream media. However, he did something he had never done so far in his career…he struggled in the games that were the most important. Most notably, the final three games of the season. Sanchez is without question the most important factor in the Jets success this season. If he struggles, their season is going to turn into a quarterback controversy circus and Tim Tebow will be overextended as a full time quarterback. If he plays well, they have a shot to be a contender and Tebow can thrive as a role player.

History Looks Favorably On Mark Sanchez’s Development

The acquisition of Tim Tebow by the New York Jets has led many to question the amount of faith the organization has in starting quarterback Mark Sanchez. Many fans and league analysts have come out and publicly stated that they do not feel as though Sanchez is the right quarterback for this team now or in the future. Some have even said that Tebow chose to come to the Jets because he believes he can take over as the starting quarterback at some point during the season. However, anyone who feels this way has clearly not taken the time to look at the facts.

There are no excuses to make for Sanchez and his inconsistent play in the final three weeks of the season last year. But those three weeks should not define Sanchez’s career thus for, nor should they write his future. If history tells us anything, it is that most, if not all, elite NFL quarterbacks take time to develop to that level. In observing Sanchez’s numbers through his first three seasons in comparison with the three previous Super Bowl winning quarterbacks in their first three years in the league, it is obvious that this kid has not only over achieved for his age, but more than likely has a future destined for greatness as well.

First, let’s look at games started. In his first three seasons with the Jets, Sanchez has started 47 out of 48 games (Remember, he missed the Tampa Bay game in 2009 after injuring his knee against the Bills in Toronto). Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, and Eli Manning started 28, 0, and 41 games, respectively. Now, it is hard to argue any numbers Rodgers had in his first three seasons due to the fact that he was sitting behind one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time in Brett Favre. However, this also means that Rodgers had ample time to learn, and his growing pains came about on the practice field, rather than under the spotlight of New York as Sanchez’s have. That being said, Rodgers’ and Sanchez’s numbers in the first three years of their careers cannot be compared because there is not a high enough sample of Rodgers’ production during that time.

So let’s focus on Brees and Manning. In Brees’ first three seasons, he completed 540 of his 909 pass attempts for a completion percentage of 59.4. During that span, he threw for 5,613 yards, 29 touchdowns and 31 interceptions. He also rushed for 1 touchdown over those three years. Other than an inflated completion percentage due to only 27 attempts in his rookie season, Brees’ numbers in his first three years show he was anything but a franchise quarterback. Even his own team didn’t believe he was the future, and selected Eli Manning with the first overall pick in the 2004 draft, before trading him to the Giants for Phillip Rivers. However, unlike with Sanchez, no one really seemed too concerned with how Brees’ feelings would be affected. Brees went on to have two breakout seasons in 2004 and 2005 before the Chargers let him walk as a free agent and sign with the Saints in 2006. We all know the rest.

Similarly, Eli Manning’s first three seasons were anything but extraordinary. The incumbent Super Bowl MVP completed 690 of 1,276 passes, while accumulating a 54.0 completion percentage, 8,049 yards, and 54 touchdowns. Manning also threw 44 interceptions during those three years. Again, not exactly numbers that scream elite NFL quarterback, and anyone that lives in New York knows that the majority of fans and writers alike were calling for Peyton’s little brother to be shipped out of town. So, how did Manning respond? By coming out the next season and pulling off the greatest upset in Super Bowl history. Now he is the Giants’ Golden Boy.

Finally, on to the Sanchise. In Sanchez’s first three seasons, he has completed 782 of his 1,414 pass attempts for a completion percentage of 55.3, more than a full point higher than Manning’s, and very close to Brees’s inflated 59.4. Sanchez has also thrown for 9,209 yards, 55 touchdowns, and 51 interceptions. Although his turnover rate is higher than the other two quarterbacks, his yards and touchdowns are higher as well. He’s also rushed for 12 touchdowns throughout those three seasons. In that same time frame, Sanchez has won four of six playoff games on the road, while neither Brees nor Manning could win one between the two of them.

So here we sit at this awkward point in Sanchez’s career. This is the point where Sanchez has done enough to win over the coherent fans, but has made one too many young mistakes to force the media and fair weather fans to call for his head. Whether people realize it or not, this happens everywhere. Brees was run out of town, and Manning was at the cusp of getting his pink slip as well. The non-believers in these two, now elite, NFL quarterbacks looked plenty foolish while Manning and Brees were busy breaking NFL records and winning Super Bowl rings.

So is Sanchez next? Although no one can predict the future, if history tells us anything, it is that most quarterbacks in this league need time to grow and develop. Sanchez’s early success makes him an easy target anytime he struggles the slightest bit. However, just remember that he is not the only one who faced downtimes early in his career. The best of them have and were able to overcome it, while coming out on top, laughing at their critics.

New York Jets: All About Sanchez Now

You can speculate about what Tim Tebow will or won’t do this season in the New York Jets version of “The Wildcat” or discuss your ongoing angst about how this team still has holes at right tackle, outside linebacker, and safety (and I do nonstop), yet in the end this season will mostly come down to one player’s actions on and off the field, starting quarterback Mark Sanchez.

There are two different versions of Mark Sanchez you probably hear about. There is the Michael Lombardi/Mike Florio version, who portray Sanchez as a bottom five quarterback in the league who is a mental midget. No success the Jets have had in the past three years can be credited to him, only their failures. Then there is the common sense version, led by people like Trent Dilfer (who you know, watch game tape) and who anybody else that has watched every snap of Sanchez’s NFL career can plainly see:

• Sanchez is a young quarterback, who struggles with consistency. Like any quarterback, if he doesn’t have protection his turnovers and bad decision making increase.
• His accuracy is his biggest weakness but has steadily improved. Yet, still needs to get better.
• He is more mobile and a much better athlete than people give him credit for. His arm strength is also not an issue as he has made every throw necessary from a NFL quarterback.
• Generally, he plays better in bigger spots and has a knack for late game comebacks/success in the two minute drill.
• He has improved in every statistical category, every year of his career.
• Sanchez has had four (and will soon be on his fifth) starting pair of wide receivers.
• His offensive coordinator was thoroughly below average the past three years and he deserves a chance in a new system.
• Comparatively, to other first round quarterbacks he has had a good amount of success through his first three years and is pacing well compared to a quarterback like Eli Manning.
• 27-20 regular season record as a starter. 4-2 record in the playoffs.

You can cut it anyway you want, trading for Tebow is a frustrating situation for Sanchez. He will have a backup who is more popular than him and he will be taken off the field for a handfuls of plays throughout the game to run an offense he won’t be part of. No quarterback wants that. Regardless, the amount Tim Tebow is on the field is really in Mark Sanchez’s hands. If he protects the football and produces with the normal offense, Tebow will be nothing more than a glossy sidenote on the Jets season. The Jets will also likely find themselves as contenders in the AFC again.

Make no mistake, if this team is getting anywhere near a Super Bowl, it is because Sanchez, the best quarterback on the team, has a good year and steps up in big moments. An ideal scenario for this team is that Sanchez thrives as a starting quarterback, while balancing a difficult situation on and off the field while Tebow thrives as role player. At the end of the season, you hope a team that is a desperate for a starting quarterback makes an enticing offer to get Tebow and you install Greg McElroy as the long term backup because you know after 2012 that Sanchez is without question your guy.

Most people see Sanchez cowering under the competition to a quarterback who has accomplished a fifth of what he has in the NFL and who simply put is not a better quarterback than him. I wouldn’t write off #6 so easily.

Lies And Legacies: The Week Tebow Took New York

It takes too much effort to try and rationalize any of the things that have happened in the past week in the NFL. Sean Payton is going to be on his couch for the year, Gregg Williams is facing what may be a “multi-year” ban from the NFL, and the team that threw for 5000 yards is probably not going to make the playoffs if: the Panthers get a defense, the Buccaneers get an offense, or the Falcons get a little bit of both.

The Jets, on a clownier note, signed Drew Stanton, Matthew Stafford’s backup from Detroit, but something far more complex happened only a fortnight later. Because of the fact that Indianapolis failed miserably without Peyton Manning last year, they are getting the number one draft pick, which they are using on a quarterback, which means Peyton Manning needed to find a new place to play, which is going to be Denver, where Tim Tebow, my vote for least and most human athlete on the planet, played until Thursday.

The deal broke like this: initial news breaks that the Jets are getting Tebow. Mark Sanchez begins pushing half naked women off of him and instantly becomes transfixed on the television. Santonio Holmes opens a bottle of Johnny Walker Blue, Tony Sparano starts pulling out 2008 game film and laughing like some kind of maniacal genius (Dr. Strangelove?), sunglasses and all.

I immediately let it be known that I love this trade for all the wrong reasons. I love the fact that Antonio Cromartie and Tim Tebow will be at some point, talking to each other as teammates. I send text messages to family members, Giants fans, Patriots fans, Cowboys fans, pretty much anyone who has watched more than one game in the past year.

So am I buying into the circus? Yes. Front row seat. Let’s get a few things clear. The Jets got Tebow in a trade, but only hours later it became known that there was a contract issue, the Jets not realizing that they would have to reimburse Denver of a $5 million guaranteed roster bonus. Apparently Tannenbaum was so blinded by faith…eh…that he forgot to even look at the details. Other GM’s instantly chimed in, casting Tannenbaum and the entire office as a bunch of used car salesman who would get laughed out of any legitimate franchise.

They didn’t read the contract? Nonsense says Tannenbaum days later, but let’s keep the narrative going first. So everyone in New York is on pins and needles, Santonio is checking Adam Schefter’s Twitter like a high school ex-boyfriend, Sanchez is on bended knee, thanking whatever deity up there that this thing CAN’T POSSIBLY GO THROUGH with teams like the Rams (who are so desperate for anything relevant they would have given the $5 million in a briefcase handcuffed to Sam Bradford on a lear jet) and the Jaguars (you know, the Jaguars, in Jacksonville, the general area where Tim Tebow became the closest thing to a God on earth by winning a Heisman and two national championships and whose owner has proclaimed he would have taken Tebow number one overall if he was the owner.)

So the Jets start bluffing, claiming no one would be dumb enough to pay $5 million for a backup quarterback who is going to draw a following that is equal parts Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber, and Jeremy Lin. A wholesome following that has decidedly creepy undertones, much like the Tea Party movement. On the surface it sounds fine, but then you talk to someone who genuinely terrifies you in their complete and utter devotion. Cue the Pat Robertson wishing injury on Peyton Manning quotes.

Where were we? Oh yes, so Antonio Cromartie is at this point dropping his phone in a glass of water so he doesn’t send something out that already destroys any hope of camaraderie, Rex Ryan is coming up with lists of local churches in the New Jersey area, and Mike Tannenbaum is doing his best Pawn Stars impersonation. “He isn’t worth $5 million, not here, maybe if you find someone willing to take on the following, which you know puts undue pressure on your entire franchise. No one wants that pressure. Not after last year.”

Word now breaks that it’s going to be down to Jacksonville and New York, the Rams getting shoved out of the conversation because of the simple fact that they are the St. Louis Rams and do nothing particularly well.

This is what some would call the high point of the drama. Jacksonville, where Tim Tebow can take a piss on someone’s lawn and have them smile and say thank you, and New York, home of sex, drugs, and every other sort of temptation known to man. It would be Midnight Cowboy on overdrive. It can’t happen. That’s like having LeBron get a choice of going to Cleveland or the Lakers coming out of the draft.

No, it’s worse than that because Lebron didn’t win college national championships in his home state. To be fair, there is no honest comparison in this century or last.

Ok, so things start to go sideways right about now. It suddenly becomes news that Denver has decided to have a soul about this. They’re going to let Tim Tebow go home, to the south, where according to a family friend, he wanted to go. Or he can go to New York. What? Why even continue to cover this? This is like asking Charlie Sheen to go to Vegas or to Boise for the weekend.
At this point, people are pulling Gator jerseys out of their closet, waving them around, running down to the local bar and screaming “He’s coming home! There is a God!” The lord had apparently intervened, saved the golden boy from the den of vice. He has a choice, and it would be some unholy act of a biblical Judas to choose New York over going home to Jacksonville.

And then the world turns a little faster than usual. Tim Tebow chooses to go to the New York Jets. I begin frantically finding out if this is true, because for the past few hours I was cooking on the rooftop of the Avalon Bowery, indulging in a few of the things Tim Tebow renounced a long time ago. I tried to knock it out of my mind, as even the pros couldn’t figure out which way was forward in any of this. Rex Ryan, Santonio Holmes, and Tim Tebow? What is this a god damned fantasy draft of good and evil?

So the questions begin. What are the Jets going to charge for tickets? Triple the price of last year? It would be fair. This is like putting Justin Bieber in a Tarantino movie.

Tebow is going to be the backup quarterback, which creates a trifecta of quarterbacks that equates the pretty boy Sanchez with 4 playoff road wins in his first two years, the savior Tebow, who did everything right at the right time to win games (despite throwing incompletions for 3 quarters), and the brains with McElroy, who by the end of the season will have started calling plays himself as Tony Sparano shuffles tight ends, slot receivers and extra lineman like a street hustler hosting a game of chase the ace.

Triple option bunch formation? I’ll take a little of that. Bone formation read option? Give me one of those too. Four wide with McKnight in the backfield? OK.

And so the pressure on Mark Sanchez has gone from LIRR going under the river to being 2 and a half miles below sea level,watching the 4 inch thick glass around you begin to splinter and implode. Although I don’t think Sanchez is going to flounder as grossly as he did last year, I think people are going to get real curious real fast.

I know I’m going to get curious. Will Tebow throw the deep ball? How close will the two playbooks be? Is anyone seriously expecting this to be a top 10 offense? If the Jets grab another pass rusher I’m going to have enough faith in Rex Ryan and his scheme to know that the defense will outplay the offense. But what if Tebow is successful? How long before Judas takes the throne? Is anyone going to care about Mark Sanchez if Tebow has a game winning drive?

There is only one answer for Sanchez. Do not throw interceptions. Do not turn the ball over. Even if your stat line is garbage, you better keep that turnover ratio on the plus side. There is no forgiving Sanchez for throwing an interception his first pass last year.

Which is why I think Sanchez is going to show up bigger (reports already indicate he is adding 5-10 lbs of muscle), smarter (better master this offense before Tebow even opens his playbook), and faster in his decision making. What could aid this? Anything named Cotchery or Edwards.

It’s already being sneered at by everyone in the media, which is probably the best thing that can happen to the Jets. They thrive on beating teams by slowing things down and taking the life out of opposing offenses. The draft is getting close. If there is not a 1st or 2nd round offensive lineman on the Jets draft board, it won’t matter who sits back there. Let Sparano do his thing, for the love of all things holy.

TOJ 12 Pack: I Got Your Back Mark Sanchez Edition

The TOJ 12 pack is back with a very special, very not Tim Tebow edition of the 12 pack. Today’s 12 pack is for the New York Jets starting quarterback. You remember that Mark Sanchez guy? The one who has won more playoff games than any quarterback in franchise history. The guy who beat Tom Brady and Peyton Manning in their buildings…in the playoffs. Yes, that guy -

1. I am continually amazed at how people talk down on Sanchez like he was without question the worst quarterback in the NFL last year. Did you watch Ryan Fitzpatrick play the second half of the season? Did you happen to catch any Josh Freeman last year? How about Sam Bradford or Kevin Kolb? I got news for you, there were plenty of quarterbacks who didn’t have 32 total touchdowns and win 8 games in 2011.

2. Let’s remember that despite the most “magical” season in NFL history, Tim Tebow’s team won 8 regular season games last year…the same amount Mark Sanchez’s team did, in what is considered by most Sanchez’s worst season.

3. I do know Tim Tebow beat Pittsburgh in the wild-card round of the playoffs last year. I also know he lost 45-10 to New England the following week in the divisional round. This is what Mark Sanchez did the year before to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in the divisional round -

4. Considering they are both on the team now, I don’t want this article to turn into a Tebow bashing but let’s be clear, Mark Sanchez is much better NFL quarterback than Tim Tebow. If the Jets are winning a Super Bowl, it is with Sanchez playing 80% or more of the snaps and because having Tebow as a backup pushed him to a strong year.

5. You have heard this a million times before but really go take the time to do it…go look up Eli Manning and Drew Brees numbers from years 1-3, then tell me why you think Sanchez will be benched before week 4 and that it would be the right move?

6. The entire world seems to think Sanchez is timid and mentally weak. Mentally weak players don’t lead their teams to four comeback wins in a single season. Mentally weak players don’t quarterback their teams to four road playoff wins. Mentally weak players don’t find success in this market and guess what Mark Sanchez’s career record as a starter is 27-20 in the regular season and 4-2 in the playoffs. Unless you are one of five teams in the NFL, that is more success than your quarterback has had in the past three years.

7. Everybody also casually forgets that Sanchez had inconsistent at best and downright horrific at worst protection from his offensive line last year. He also had a split end who couldn’t get open. A questionable offensive coordinator and a running back who couldn’t break a big run if there were eight defenders on the field. He still posted career highs in completion percentage, yards and touchdowns.

8. Through three years, Sanchez has had four different pairs of starting receivers: Stuckey and Cotchery, Cotchery and Edwards, Holmes and Edwards, Holmes and Burress, and he will have a fifth one this season…so much for building consistency and chemistry.

9. Another popular myth on Sanchez is that he lacks the physical tools to be a NFL quarterback. Simply not true. He has shown more mobility than most quarterbacks in the league and his hit every throw in the playbook over the past few years, while playing for a cold weather team.

10. Nobody is saying Sanchez is a great quarterback. He isn’t. He has plenty left to prove and he is coming off a shaky end to the season. That being said, portraying him as a hapless, 12 year old minded athlete who has never had success in this league is simply incorrect and unfortunately that is what most mainstream analysts do.

11. If you want this team to be successful this year. You shouldn’t be rooting for Tebow to take Sanchez’s job. You should be rooting for Sanchez to have the best year of his career and for Tebow to be a valuable weapon the Jets use in certain packages and at certain times.

12. The media can focus on Tebow all they want. It will be Sanchez who determines if this team is a serious contender or not. Tebow has never beat Belichick. Sanchez has beat him 3 times. Tebow lost in Buffalo by 26 points last year. Sanchez won in Buffalo by 16.

The Positives Of Tim Tebow On The New York Jets

I haven’t been shy about expressing the potential negatives of Tim Tebow joining the New York Jets. However, no trade is ever a black and white issue. There are positive and negatives to each personnel move and this is no exception. Can this work? Absolutely but without question, the Jets are walking a fine line here between media circus, quarterback controversy and complete locker room mess. Ignoring those possibilities let’s examine why this was a smart move -

It can never hurt to add good football players to your team. Tim Tebow is a good football player. I am not sure if he is a good quarterback but that is an argument for a different day. It can also never hurt to add good people in your locker room. Tebow isn’t a cure all for the Jets locker room issues but having a person with a high character around is never a bad thing.

Tebow’s addition will benefit the Jets running game. In his perfect world, Rex Ryan would run the ball 60 times every game, never turn the football over and allow his defense to do the heavy lifting. This move brings him closer to that dream. The problem with that dream is that Ryan’s defense is no longer elite and won’t be until he finds a free safety and pass rusher. You also do need to throw the football at times because it is simply too damn hard to get points moving 3.5 yards at a time.

Yet strictly in terms of the running game, Tebow will be a great weapon in short yardage situations and should provide more lanes for Shonn Greene or Joe McKnight when he is in the game. He also has the ability to hurt teams over the top if they stack the box on him since he does throw a good deep ball.

Finally, Tebow came here with every intention of taking Mark Sanchez’s job. This acquisition is putting as much pressure as possible on Sanchez to perform. Where else does the backup quarterback have a press conference to introduce him? Where else do people await his arrival while posing in his famous stance? Sanchez has generally (outside of last year) thrived in pressure situations. There is a chance, and a bigger one than most people are acknowledging, that this move will push Sanchez to being the very good quarterback he has the potential to be.

List Of Played Out Tim Tebow/New York Jets Jokes

It has been about 24 hours since Tim Tebow became a member of the New York Jets and the following jokes have already been played out by Twitter, Facebook and every other social media outlet available. Let’s retire them and get a little more creative, no?

- Tim Tebow better cover his ears when Rex Ryan talks! (Get it, because Rex Ryan curses a bunch and Tim Tebow doesn’t curse).

- Tim Tebow and Antonio Cromartie in the same locker room, neither support birth control but boy are they different! (Get it, because Tim Tebow is supposedly a virgin because of his religion and Antonio Cromartie has 9 kids from 8 women in 7 different states).

- Tim Tebow is a pious individual waiting to enjoy a life of monogamy, while Mark Sanchez bounces between Kate Upton (excuse to post this video), Meadow Soprano (sorry that’s always her name to me), and Hayden Panettiere (ok, that was Scotty McKnight)…(Get it, they are a regular odd couple).

- In general, any jokes about Tim Tebow being a good, religious dude and the Jets being a raucous group of vice loving maniacs.

- The circus analogies and puns.

- And of course, the jokes about the Jets having not one…but two quarterbacks who can’t complete a pass…Hey Buffalo, Miami, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Oakland, Kansas City, Houston, Indy, Jacksonville, Washington, Dallas, Chicago, Detroit, Minnesota, Tampa Bay, Carolina, Atlanta, St. Louis, Seattle, San Francisco, and Arizona…we have not one, but two quarterback who have the same amount of playoff wins, if not more than your current quarterback…so

New York Jets: The Offensive Issues Of Tim Tebow As A Backup QB

The New York Jets have committed to Tim Tebow being their backup quarterback, ending the 4 days of the Drew Stanton era, who is already requesting a trade or release. Let’s examine the football aspects of Tebow being the backup. We know the media/locker room issues which are apparent to anybody with eyes or ears but how does having Tebow as your backup quarterback affect the development of your offense?

Tebow isn’t a traditional NFL quarterback. We saw what happened last year when he attempted to run a standard, pro-style offense and it wasn’t pretty. He is most effective running an offense tailored to his skill set. Call it the speed option. Call it the Wildcat. Call it whatever the hell you want, it is a completely different offense than the one Mark Sanchez and the first unit will be running.

Tony Sparano now has the challenge of installing, not one new offense, but two new offenses which the entire starting and backup group will learn. You remember complaints about things being too complicated under Brian Schottenheimer? You now have every lineman, tight end, running back, and wide receiver needing to learn the standard pro-offense Sparano will install for Sanchez and the quarterback as running back offense he will install for Tebow. It will involve completely different blocking schemes, route running, and steps for the running backs to learn.

What this means, is that instead of dedicating all of the practice and meeting room time to teaching Sanchez a new offensive system, large chunks of time will be spent fleshing out an offense the Jets could run if Sanchez is hurt, pulled or taken out for a few series for Tebow to jump start the offense (a scenario that Mike Tannenbaum said could happen on the radio today).

Keep in mind the Jets aren’t stocked with quarterbacking gurus to handle the process of teaching two new quarterbacks, two completely different offensive systems. They have Matt Cavanaugh, a holdover from the Schottenheimer regime who the coaches didn’t want back in the first place. He doesn’t know a thing about Sparano’s normal offense or Sparano’s Wildcat/Option offense, so he will be starting from scratch too.

I am not attempting to rain on the parade of fans who think Tebow can provide positive elements to this team because I believe that he can. However, it would be foolish to ignore the downside to having to dedicate practice/installment time to two offenses. Every advantage you get by making defenses prepare for two schemes, you are losing in preparation time to perfect one offense.

People talk about the jump Eli Manning and Drew Brees made after their third year with hopes that Sanchez could do a similar thing. Whether he was ever going to reach that level or not, the odds just became that much longer. If you played a sport, you know every second of practice time counts and the Jets will losing time to prepare a normal NFL offense. Will it be worth it for what the Wildcat brings? That is the question that will likely determine how long Mike Tanennbaum, Rex Ryan and Tony Sparano have jobs.

Tim Tebow Trade Becomes Official

The New York Jets trade for Tim Tebow became official tonight after a nearly 8 hour back and forth over how much his future guaranteed salary would be paid by the team. It was finalized at 2.5 million, an awfully high amount to pay a backup who is supposed to be a situational player especially when you are lacking a right tackle and free safety…but that is for another day.

It is being reported by Chris Mortensen that Tebow had a choice between the Jets and Jacksonville and chose to come to New York. This is obviously an admirable move, although the validity of the report is being questioned by some. If it is true, Tebow showed that he is a competitor and instead of taking the easy road in irrelevant Jacksonville, he wanted to come to the world’s largest media market to a team who is closer to being a contender.

That being said, I still feel the same way I did this afternoon about the trade. I don’t like it for the Jets as an organization but that doesn’t mean I won’t root for Tebow to perform when he is on the field. I respect him as a competitor and athlete, so welcome to New York…

Here are a few important nuggets from Tannenbaum’s conference call tonight -

- Tim Tebow is the number two quarterback. Both him and Sanchez have been made aware of that. Tebow will featured in certain packages (Wildcat) – Look for either Drew Stanton or Greg McElroy to be moved soon. This is also answers the depth chart question from before but doesn’t solve the problem of bouncing between two offenses.

- He insisted Jets didn’t misread contract, there was just ongoing disagreement with Denver about how compensation would work. – All semantics now. Bottom line is you are paying 2.5 million for another quarterback when you have other holes.

- The line of the off-season from the Jets organization will be “Every quarterback has a backup” – Different type of beast with Tebow in town.

Roundtable and more analysis coming tomorrow…

TOJ Analysis Of Tim Tebow Trade

Well, it has happened. The New York Jets, masters of the media spectacle, have traded for Tim Tebow. They gave up a 4th and 6th round pick and received a 7th rounder back from Denver as part of the deal. I was about as clear as possible that I wasn’t in support of this move prior to it happening but it has happened. I root for the laundry folks, just like you should and would never root against an individual player just to make my thoughts on a trade look right. That being said, let’s review what this move means -

1. Whether you want to admit it or not, a huge reason for this deal was to grab headlines back from the New York Giants, who get their headlines…by you know, winning Super Bowls. It brings attention to the organization and demonstrates them working to improve their character in the locker room. I am all for improving the character of the team but this trade is going to lead to locker room issues. It is also somewhat embarrassing to constantly be making knee jerk reaction trades after every Giants Super Bowl victory. We all remember how Brett Favre worked out in 2008.

2. What locker room issues you ask? The constant quarterback debate hanging over the head of every player and coach in the organization. When you have two quarterbacks, you often have zero. Imagine if this team starts out 0-1 and Sanchez has an average performance? The first question to every coach and player will be, should the team start Tebow and play him full time? Very rarely do you see teams succeed in that type of environment.

3. We don’t know what Tebow’s exact role/spot on the depth chart is going to be. This might sound like a silly statement but think about it. Is the team going to cut Drew Stanton, who they just signed and make Tebow the number two? If you make Tebow the number three quarterback, there are rules about when you could use him in the game. Are they going to list him at a different position and use him specifically just for the Wildcat? Now you have one less running back or receiver active for a player who could play 5-6 snaps and doesn’t play special teams.

You might laugh at the above comment about Stanton but Tebow is going to run a completely different offense than Sanchez. You need a backup who can run the offense as it is normally installed, not the speed option. It is a completely different game when Tebow goes in, different plays, different blocking schemes…different everything. Tebow can’t be a traditional backup and just hop into a normal offense. We saw what happened when he did that against Detroit last season.

You are now splitting up your practice time to learn basically two offenses, which in a way is a nice weapon, but in reality takes away from both because you aren’t giving all your focus to one.

4. I am no way near as concerned about Sanchez’s psyche as many people are. He has been playing quarterback in New York for three years. I think he is mentally tougher than people give him credit for. From a practical on field standpoint, continually pulling him out of the game for the Wildcat is going to interrupt his rhythm but from a mental standpoint, if he can’t handle the Tebow trade he shouldn’t be here anyway. Ideally, this trade will push him to reach his potential but that could be wishful thinking with the type of circus Tebow brings to town.

5. Do you have any doubt about the Jets desire to run the football? Rex Ryan and Tony Sparano clearly have their mindset on being one of the most run heavy teams in the league, if not the most run heavy. I wouldn’t expect to see the Jets sign another receiver in free agency or draft one before the 5th round.

6. By the way, the Jets still need a right tackle…in case you forgot. Buffalo just signed Mark Anderson to pair with Mario Williams, Anderson had 10 sacks last season…4 more than any player on the Jets.

7. Can this work? Sure. I am not going to sit here and be naive enough to act like there aren’t positives to this trade just because I don’t like it overall. First off, Tebow is a leader and a winner. He is a good presence to have in the locker room. He shouldn’t just push Sanchez on the field, he should push Sanchez in the locker room, meeting room and everywhere else. Second, if designed properly the Jets should have a very strong rushing attack…particularly in short yardage. Third, Tebow can hurt teams over the top if they stack the box on the Jets Wildcat. He can throw the deep ball…nothing else…but can throw the deep ball. Fourth, just about every member of the mainstream media has written this off as an idiotic trade, which makes it more enjoyable to root for as a Jets fan.