FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The Jets haven’t even played the Patriots yet, but Tim Tebow already is giving Gang Green a leg up on their arch rivals.
The Patriots admitted as much here yesterday, saying the mere possibility that the Jets break out a full Tebow Wildcat package in Sunday’s AFC East showdown at Gillette Stadium has made preparation more difficult.
“You have to prepare for him in practice, so it’s a big advantage for them,” said Vince Wilfork, New England’s Pro Bowl defensive tackle. “We know what they usually bring to the table, but they have the ability to do things totally different with a guy like that. Tebow really makes you mind your Ps and Qs.”
Wilfork’s comments — backed up by a handful of his defensive teammates — indicate Rex Ryan was onto something during the offseason when he talked about just the threat of Tebow would benefit the Jets because opponents would have to devote precious in-season practice time to him.
The 3-3 Jets barely used Tebow on offense the first six games, but the Patriots realize that doesn’t mean he will sit and watch again this weekend — especially with Jets offensive coordinator Tony Sparano calling the plays.
Sparano, after all, kept the Wildcat under wraps for the first two weeks of the season in 2008 as coach of the Dolphins before memorably springing it on Bill Belichick’s team in a stunning, 38-13 upset in Foxborough. Running back Ronnie Brown switched to quarterback in that game and rushed for four touchdowns.
Ryan already is ratcheting up the Tebow gamesmanship this week, hinting he could use him at running back, and it appears the Patriots are taking it seriously.
“Absolutely,” Wilfork said. “They’re using Tebow on offense and special teams, so you have to account for him. The guy’s a playmaker and a winner, and he’s passionate about playing football. So when he’s in, you have to understand how they’re trying to use him. And you can’t practice all those things.”
The Patriots also expect more Tebow this week because of how one-dimensional the Jets otherwise are on offense with Santonio Holmes out and their remaining receiver corps young and thin.
With Mark Sanchez unlikely to air it out and the prospects of getting the “Ground & Pound” going against New England’s sixth-ranked run defense looking grim, the Jets might not have much choice but to use the Tebow wrinkle more than ever on Sunday.
What makes the Patriots confident even if the Jets feature Tebow is that he’s not exactly a mystery to New England. Belichick’s team faced Tebow twice last season with the Broncos and battered Denver both times. The Patriots won the first matchup 41-23 last December, then literally beat up Tebow in a 45-10 thrashing in Foxborough in the playoffs.
“He can run the ball and is a strong guy, but we’ve seen him a lot in the past year, so that helps us out,” Patriots linebacker Rob Ninkovich said. “But you still have to give him a lot of attention. It’s an interesting matchup.”