An angry Rex Ryan said yesterday he is not ready to make a quarterback change.
He should make one. Bring on Tim Tebow. At this point Tebow, who saved the Broncos season last year, can’t be any worse than the jittery Mark Sanchez. Perhaps the Jets will get some leadership from the most important position on the field.
The Jets were manhandled in every way possible yesterday in a disastrous 34-0 loss to the much more physical 49ers at MetLife Stadium. Sanchez was wildly inaccurate, completing 13 of 29 passes for only 103 yards and one interception. He also committed a monster mistake near the end of the first half when it was still a game, fumbling away the ball on a third-and-7 at the 49ers’ 25.
At the least, the Jets could have made it 7-3.
“It was a huge mistake,’’ Ryan said.
Tebow might not be the answer, but a change next Monday night against the Texans might wake up Sanchez, who appears to be living in a dream world.
Rex was probably too mad at his defense, which surrendered 245 yards rushing to even notice how poorly Sanchez played. The fans noticed and there were Tebow chants, but Ryan doesn’t want a QB controversy. He has enough problems.
Tebow is being used in such a sporadic fashion that he has no chance to gain any type of rhythm. Tebow ran the ball twice and passed once, finally, and got his first completion for 9 yards.
The Jets continue to lose weapons. Santonio Holmes went down with a foot injury. Dustin Keller and Stephen Hill were out with hamstring injuries. On Tebow’s lone completion, tight end Dedrick Epps left with a knee injury.
Tebow did admit it is difficult getting into a football rhythm the way he is used, but said he will do whatever the team needs him to do. He always says that.
Well, how about if the team uses him as a motivating force to get Sanchez going or maybe Tebow pulls off another football miracle like he did last year in Denver?
Out of all that was said after the game, this is the most disturbing. Ryan was talking about his team’s practice leading up to this atrocious all-around performance and said, “We weren’t great this week at throwing the football on the practice field.’’
Yet Sanchez said this about his week of practice: “I felt good all week. I was accurate all week. It just didn’t show up in the game.’’
What The Football is going on here? One thing is certain: Sanchez wasn’t accurate yesterday in any way, shape or form. This mess was not just his fault, of course, but he sure didn’t help. The 49ers felt so little of the Jets’ offense that with 7:28 remaining in the second quarter and winning 7-0 they went for a 55-yard field goal. David Akers missed and the Jets had fantastic field position at their own 45. A solid drive here would tie the game.
The first play was a direct snap to Tebow and he handed to Shonn Greene for a 4-yard gain. On the next play Green gained five more yards setting up a third-and-1. After a Jets timeout, Sanchez was sacked for a 6-yard loss.
The next time the Jets got the ball Sanchez lost the ball.
“That was a huge mistake on my part,’’ Sanchez said of his fumble. “Guys weren’t open, I took off and tried to get us a couple more yards to make it an even easier field goal and let go of the football. That can’t happen. It should be 7-3 at halftime.’’
The Broncos were 1-4 last year and Tebow helped turn things around the following week as a starter.
“This could be one of the best things that happened to us all season, when you get beat up like this it’s something that can motivate you,’’ Tebow said of the Jets.
Put Tebow at starting quarterback, Rex, and let the chips fall where they may.