In a quarter-season filled with the unexpected in the NFL, one happening was as predictable as tomorrow's sunrise.
As soon as the Jets' offence turned anaemic, a cry would arise from their fan base to swap out quarterback Mark Sanchez for Tim Tebow. Sanchez bought himself some time with a dazzling opener. The next three games were a shipwreck, tattooing him with a passer rating worse than any non-rookie starter. No statistic is more damning than this: More incompletions and interceptions than completions.
Still, Jets Nation are deluding itself to think that Tebow can deliver them to the play-offs.
Last year in Denver? A fluke. The Broncos playbook was pared almost to youth league level for Tebow. Credit to him for the infrequent big play and display of leadership, but it was defence and karma that propped up the team.
Mitigating Sanchez's lean production, which hit rock-bottom last Sunday in a shutout loss, is an ineffective ground game. Santonio Holmes' season-ending injury drops the receiving corps to low-rent status.
With the Broncos, Tebow had a formidable rushing attack and decent route runners. The stripped-down crew in New York affords him no chance to succeed.
As bleak as it seems, the Jets are 2-2, tied for the AFC East lead. A quarterback assembled in a laboratory from the DNA of Hall of Famers likely could not rescue them, but they have a better chance with Sanchez. Tebow came aboard as a change-of-pace backup. There, he should remain.
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