NFL

Struggling Sanchez opens door for Tebow to start for Jets

Tim Tebow threw his first official pass as a Jet yesterday. The question now is if he’ll be throwing a lot more of them in the coming weeks.

Tebow again had a small role in the Jets offense yesterday, taking the field for seven plays as the 49ers routed the Jets, 34-0, at MetLife Stadium.

But after Mark Sanchez again had a brutal performance, finishing 13-for-29 for 103 yards and an interception, the calls for Tebow to have an increased role — if not supplant him in the starting lineup — are sure to begin.

Just don’t tell that to coach Rex Ryan.

“I don’t think that’s the answer,” Ryan said of a potential quarterback change. “I think Mark’s the answer at quarterback.”

After the game, Tebow delivered the same response he has ever since arriving in New York in the offseason to every question about a potential quarterback controversy, and whether he wants — or should have — a bigger role in the offense.

“I just want to do the best I can with whatever role that they give me, and provide enthusiasm and energy every time I get the opportunity,” he said. “But also from the sidelines, or wherever I am, just be a good teammate and just encourage the guys and whenever I get the opportunity, just take advantage of them.”

Tebow’s first pass as a Jet came early in the second quarter when, on third-and-1 at the 39-yard-line, he completed a jump-pass — a play he made famous back in his college days at Florida — to tight end Dedrick Epps.

But Epps fumbled the ball after getting hit and suffered what appeared to be a serious injury to his right knee.

“You don’t have to jump, but it’s kind of a pop-pass deal,” Tebow said of the play. “It’s something we’ve worked on for a little while, and felt we had a good look and executed … it’s just unfortunate what happened to Epps.”

Tebow finished the day with two rushes for no yards, in addition to the nine-yard completion to Epps.

But as for his role in the offense, Tebow said that he’s willing to do whatever he can to help Sanchez, who has completed less than 50 percent of his passes each of the past three games, get back on track in the days and weeks ahead.

“It’s a supporter, a friend, someone that obviously we’ve been competing every day, but our relationship is a lot deeper than just that. You root him on, you encourage him … whatever I have to do to help him, I’m going to do it.”