Jets seeing double at quarterback

One play, more than any other run on Sunday, was indicative of the Jets sloppy offense this season so far.

The play I’m referring to was a simple pass play. The quarterback took the snap, dropped back a few steps, and dumped the ball off into the left flat.

The wide receiver turned his head to look for the pass and got hit in the helmet with the ball, which fell to the turf for yet another incompletion.

Except this wasn’t just any incompletion or wide receiver miscue.

Mark Sanchez was throwing to Tim Tebow.

No, that isn’t a typo. The Jets’ starting quarterback was throwing a pass to the Jets’ backup quarterback.

Does that seem weird to anyone else, or is it just me? Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of Tim Tebow. Ever since his college days at Florida, when he got up on the podium after losing to Ole Miss in his junior season and pledged to do everything in his power to make sure such a game wouldn’t happen again, I’ve been firmly planted on the Tebow bandwagon.

Last season, when he finally got his chance in Denver, I was rooting him on and jumping from my seat when he beat the Steelers in the playoffs with an 80-yard touchdown pass on the first play of overtime.

When he was signed by the Jets this offseason, I was euphoric as I knew what he could do to help a team win.

But now? Well, I’m not so sure anymore. No, this has nothing to do with me coming to my senses about Tebow and his below-average passing abilities and his penchant for taking losses in the backfield. Rather, this is an indictment of the Jets’ coaching staff and front office, and the gimmick they’ve turned Tebow into.

The Jets already had a starting quarterback in Mark Sanchez (although, I would argue not a very good one). But now they have two, and the conflict in style between the two is enormous.

While I would much rather have Tebow under center, I can understand why the Jets staff believes Sanchez to be the better option. After all, they did spend an early first-round pick on him.

The Wildcat offense has been used as an extra dimension by teams throughout football for years, and the Dolphins returned it to NFL prominence a few years ago. If the Jets want to use Tebow in that kind of role, I would even understand that. It adds something to the offense that forces an opponent to spend part of their week game-planning against it.

But to have both quarterbacks on the field several times per game, just because they feel the need to have Tebow in on the action? That’s a PR ploy if I’ve ever seen one.

Maybe – maybe – if they were putting two quarterbacks in the game to set up a trick play, I could understand the thought behind it. But to use him as a wide receiver, plain and simple? That I can’t get behind.

So please, New York, stop trying to take advantage of “Tebow Mania” to help sell tickets and jerseys. If you’re not going to use him in a legitimate way that might help you win football games, let the poor man go somewhere else.

Preferably somewhere he can help a team get better on the field, not in the bottom line.