JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — You have to give the Jets this: They find creative ways to have a quarterback controversy.
This week, it was about who wasn’t even playing. Jets coach Rex Ryan decided to have Tim Tebow active, despite broken ribs that prevented him from playing a down, and Greg McElroy, last week’s hero, inactive. So Tebow was Mark Sanchez’s only backup, even though he remains injured.
Ryan said he planned on having all three quarterbacks active yesterday, but the plan changed when running back Joe McKnight came down with a migraine headache. That forced Ryan to have running back Kahlil Bell active in case McKnight could not play.
The decision seemed like an odd one because McElroy played well last week when he replaced Sanchez, and Tebow clearly is not 100 percent.
“I thought as the week went on, as the week progressed that Tim was looking good,” Ryan said after the Jets’ 17-10 victory over the Jaguars. “I mentioned it to you guys he had a lot more reps this week. I felt a lot more comfortable with that. I never felt comfortable enough to go with him in the Wildcat, but I felt in our base package that I was comfortable with that.”
For Tebow, it was an awkward homecoming. He grew up in Jacksonville and had lots of fans in the stands at EverBank Field.
“You want to play,” Tebow said. “You want to help your team. It can be hard. I had some great memories in this stadium from Pop Warner to college. If there was an opportunity, I would love to play, but I’m just happy we got a win.”
McElroy said he did not know he would be inactive until just before the game when Ryan told him about McKnight’s headache.
* WR Stephen Hill injured his right knee in the second quarter and did not return. It appeared to be serious, and Hill will undergo an MRI exam this morning, according to a source, to determine the extent of the injury.
CB Antonio Cromartie (head) and TE Jeff Cumberland (hamstring) returned to the game after sitting out some plays.
* The Jets caught a huge replay break in the second quarter when it appeared Jaguars S Dwight Lowery had returned a fumble by Jeremy Kerley 62 yards for a touchdown. Replays showed Kerley touched Lowery down, bringing the ball back to the Jaguars’ 39.
* WR Mardy Gilyard made his Jets debut, catching two passes. … The Jets have run for more than 115 yards in each of their past four games. … Bilal Powell set career highs in rushes (19) and yards (78). … Bart Scott’s first-quarter interception was the fourth in his career and first since 2006 when he was with the Ravens. … The Jets have not allowed a 100-yard receiver this season.