NFL

A clear runway, Tebow at RB is lift Jets need

No one knows exactly what Rex Ryan and Tony Sparano have devised in their top-secret underground bunker to unleash on the NFL when the real games begin. Apparently this modern-day Wildcat is so revolutionary, so unstoppable, so fearsome, the Jets keep giving us the impression the joke’s on everyone else.

The joke, of course, is on them.

Mostly, it’s on you.

You have to pay these prices to watch these guys bring a water pistol to a Tom Brady-Aaron Rodgers-Drew Brees-Eli Manning gunfight.

You have to give your heart and soul to a tortured franchise that tries to scratch its 44-year Super Bowl itch with a No Touchdown-No Chance-No Hope offense.

Is it any wonder now why Rex put his Book of Guarantees back on the shelf?

The joke is also on Mark Sanchez.

In this pass-happy NFL, dominated by elite quarterbacks, Ryan grounds his Jet and builds a horse-and-buggy to take him to the Super Bowl. The New York Horse-And-Buggies. Three yards and a cloud of bust.

A year ago, they gave Sanchez a rusty Plaxico Burress and a cranky old Derrick Mason — for about 10 seconds after they whacked Jerricho Cotchery. And they gave him Captain Santonio Holmes, the entitled $10 Million Man.

A year later, they give him a new offensive coordinator with a new system, a new offensive line coach and rookie wide receiver Stephen Hill. And the same right tackle, Wayne Hunter, who is now the Jumbo tight end and should have been long before this. And the same bell-cow running back. And the same second-round draft choice (Vlad Ducasse) on the bench.

And, of course, Tim Tebow, who can help Sanchez and the Jets more as a running back.

Tebow has forever yearned to be an NFL quarterback. But he is on record as saying he will do whatever the coaches ask of him. Ask him to try running back, while still keeping that Wildcat package warm for him.

Rex can call it the Wildbull offense.

Desperate times call for desperate measures. And these clearly are desperate times.

For all we know, perhaps Sparano is installing it secretly, always a good idea when Bill Belichick rules your division’s roost. If he isn’t, he should be. I’m sorry, but this makes too much sense.

Rex wants to return to his Ground and Pound roots? Tough Tony is looking for a physical, teeth-rattling, smashmouth identity?

There is no one on this Horse and Buggy offense who scares defensive coordinators, causes them sleepless nights. Fullback John “The Terminator” Connor blocking for Tebow just might do the trick. Or a Baby Bull backfield pairing Tebow with Shonn Greene.

Unleash the Wildbull and give the ball to the Bible-Belter.

How do you think defensive backs would enjoy the sight of a 250-pound freight train barreling toward them when they attempt to keep Tebow out of the end zone?

Tim-berrrr! Have you seen the guy without his shirt on?

Oh, one more thing — the halfback option!!! A threat (of sorts) every single time Tebow the running back takes a pitch or handoff from Sanchez. Or a play-action screen pass, Sanchez-to-Tebow.

Greg McElroy can do the job as the primary backup quarterback. He throws the ball better than Tebow does, by the way. Then again, who doesn’t?

In a quarterback-driven NFL, the Jets have spent the entire offseason and now summer trying to drive their quarterback crazy.

“Peyton Manning? Who said we wanted Peyton Manning?”

A much better idea was to import the most popular backup quarterback in NFL history to play behind Sanchez, and tell Sanchez to block out the hue and cry for the most popular backup quarterback in NFL history every time he throws a pick and don’t worry about your rhythm being disrupted when we give your team to the most popular backup quarterback in NFL history in the red zone.

The championship franchises set their franchise quarterback up to succeed.

The Jets have set Sanchez up to fail.

And here’s what they don’t get: If Sanchez fails, they fail.

Unless they’re counting on divine intervention on Tebow’s behalf again if and when he is given the whip to the Horse and Buggy.

Sure, Sanchez isn’t the franchise quarterback the Jets thought he’d be, and, yes, he regressed last season, and no, he isn’t Matthew Stafford.

But he deserves better than this.

Maybe Tebow’s arrival has lit a fire under Sanchez, maybe it hasn’t. The fact is Tebow can help him more as a running back than he can as a backup quarterback.

Sanchez desperately needs another playmaker, that much is painfully obvious. Tebow makes plays not with his arm but with his legs.

And best of all, here’s what we learned a year ago about Tebow with the football tucked under his arm:

He knows where the end zone is.