Ed Mulholland-US PRESSWIRE
Tim Tebow didn’t take the reigns from Mark Sanchez on Monday night against the Houston Texans, though you get the sense that one such exchange could be in the making.
Sanchez, while having a respectable game, coughed up two interceptions on tipped passes and wasn’t able to drive his team effectively in a game that proved to be very winnable for the New York Jets. Make no mistake, Sanchez played well, but he looked average, and with Tebow lurking in the sideline shadows it’s a recipe for a quarterback change.
Tebow, on the other hand was reasonably effective in the running game, accumulating 19 yards on five attempts, and converting a play on fourth down in the process. He also got a chance to throw the ball. In a moment that perhaps even further added to the anxiety of Jets fans over Sanchez, Tebow dropped back and nearly completed a long ball to Jason Hill who dropped a very catchable ball. The pass literally hit Hill in the chest, and in the minds of frustrated Jets fans, that’s as good as a completion for Tebow.
This is simply a repeat of the saga playing out the same way it did last year in Denver. With an average quarterback who the fans could live without, it’s just short of impossible to keep Tebow off the field. He’s too interesting, has too much potential, and made the Denver Broncos last year far too intriguing to just sit on the sidelines, or even to continue to contribute in a reduced role.
At this point in the season, Sanchez has been par at best, and at times has shot himself in the foot. If this continues, expect the story line of the 2012 Jets, to look more and more like that of the 2011 Broncos.
