In trying to rationalize his quarterback change Wednesday, Jets coach Rex Ryan spent a lot of time talking about protecting the football, about being a leader, about being a winner, and even about intangibles.
And the starter he named for this Sunday’s game against the Chargers was … Greg McElroy?
“I definitely think I want to see what Greg can do,” Ryan said one day after announcing his decision to bench four-year starter Mark Sanchez and give the ball to McElroy over regular backup Tim Tebow.
“We all know the intangibles he has,” the coach continued in his fawning over McElroy, echoing what could have been a lifelong description of Tebow. “He’s a winner. He’s been a winner his whole life. Won a national championship [at Alabama], won a state championship [at Southlake Carroll in Texas] — his whole resume speaks about him being a very confident guy and a confident leader.”
So for those reasons, Ryan goes with McElroy, him of zero NFL starts, one NFL touchdown pass and five NFL completions. And Tebow, one year removed from leading the Broncos out of a 1-4 start to an AFC West title and a postseason victory against the Steelers, is scheduled to spend another Sunday as a Wildcat specialist, doing more watching than playing.
That is if Tebow and Sanchez both dress for the game, which Ryan said was a possibility.
But to McElroy, those facts don’t mean anything, as this is the culmination of a dream that he has had since he was a kid wearing Troy Aikman’s blue No. 8 jersey growing up outside of Dallas.
“I’m not concerned about next week against Buffalo, I’m not concerned about next year, I’m not concerned about these things, just live in the moment,” McElroy said. “That’s what my Dad said when I talked to him, ‘Live in the moment and enjoy this. You’ve been dreaming about this your whole life.’
“My whole life!”
McElroy said Ryan told him about the decision Tuesday afternoon in a quick conversation, one that he joked lasted “a minute and seventeen seconds, exactly,” and from which he would remember every single detail. So his opportunity comes now that the Jets are at 6-8 and officially eliminated from the playoffs, following Sanchez’s four-interception performance in Monday night’s 14-10 loss to the Titans.
“I can’t emphasize enough: This is not the finish line, this is the starting point,” McElroy said. “You work hard enough to get here, you set a goal for yourself and as soon as you achieve that goal you reassess.”
The one chance McElroy had to play in a game came on Dec. 2 against the Cardinals, when he entered late in the third quarter and led the one scoring drive the Jets needed to take an ugly 7-6 win. He finished the game 5-for-7 with 29 yards, and most importantly didn’t have a turnover — which was Sanchez’s big liability and led to his demotion.
“Everything that I’ve learned in this league at this position has been from Mark,” said McElroy, who was drafted by the Jets in the seventh round two years ago. “I’ve been watching him. I understand how to play this game because of him and I’m very grateful for this opportunity and I know he’ll be helping out every step of the way.”
In the mind of Ryan, he strictly chose McElroy as the best man for the job, regardless of feelings.
“It’s no slight to this person or that person,” Ryan said. “I just want to give Greg a spot to be in there and let’s see what he can do.”