NFL

Without Wildcat, Jets wrong to use Tebow over McElroy as backup

A rap song called “Welcome Back” by Young Jeezy was blaring over the loud speakers as the Jets went through their stretching exercises yesterday, when the music suddenly stopped. A few players became upset.

“Somebody’s messing up,” one player yelled.

“Why’d they do that?” questioned another.

Perhaps the song was suitable considering it was the first practice for wide receiver Braylon Edwards, the former Jet, who recently tweeted the organization was led by “idiots” for its treatment of quarterback Mark Sanchez.

Landing a job with his former team has prompted Edwards to retract his tweet made “in the heat of the moment.” But the Jets have done nothing to dispel that characterization with their handling of Tim Tebow’s status this week.

During a sometimes convoluted press conference yesterday, coach Rex Ryan essentially said he was scrapping the Wildcat offense for Monday’s game against the Titans in Nashville, but leaving Tebow as the No. 2 quarterback ahead of Greg McElroy. If you believe the Jets, the Wildcat is being scratched, not because of its unproductivity this season, but because of Tebow’s cracked ribs.

“I don’t really see him in that role,” Ryan said, adding, “That’s probably not necessarily going to be a big factor in our game plan.”

The head-scratcher is Ryan says Tebow is still capable of being the back-up quarterback “and run some base things.” He gave no indication McElroy would be elevated to the back-up role even though he’s healthy and appears more suitable to operate a traditional, drop-back offense than Tebow.

If there’s no Wildcat, there should be no Tebow this week. A healthy McElroy would seem to be the better option than a quarterback with cracked ribs, who struggles in a traditional offense even when he’s healthy. Tebow’s game relies primarily on his size, strength and his running ability. That’s how he won national championships at Florida and a playoff game at Denver.

But obviously he’s not healthy enough to utilize his primarily skill sets this week or Ryan wouldn’t be scrapping the Wildcat offense he has been wedded to for most of this season. Yet, despite the sore ribs and Tebow’s unproven ability to run a traditional offense, Ryan seems committed to keeping him as the No. 2 quarterback against the Titans.

“I feel better about Tim in that role,” Ryan said. “I feel he gives us the best opportunity. That’s why I’ve said all along that he’s our No. 2 quarterback. That’s how I feel.”

It’s as if the Jets are still trying to justify acquiring Tebow, who yesterday said his ribs are “getting better slowly.” Anyone who has had a rib injury knows it must hamper his throwing motion, which is already flawed when healthy. He hasn’t played in the last three games (inactive for one) and has completed 6 of 7 passes for just 39 yards during a season of unfulfilled expectations.

“Sometimes you have ups and down and you have to deal with them as best you can,” said Tebow, ever the diplomat. “When you believe everything happens for reason, it makes it a whole lot easier. Also you try to find the good in every situation.”

McElroy, meanwhile, seems to have been pushed to the back burner. He came off the bench to lead the Jets on a game-winning drive for a 7-6 win over the Cardinals two weeks ago, but was inactive last week.

“That fact that I have Tim over him doesn’t mean that I don’t like Greg as an option at quarterback,” Ryan insisted. “I like Greg.”

Apparently, not enough to put him ahead of someone with two cracked ribs who is considered more of a runner than a passer. If Tebow isn’t healthy enough to run the Wildcat, he isn’t healthy enough or skilled enough to be primarily a drop-back quarterback either. That’s not what he came here to be. Someone should tell the Jets before they’re called idiots again.