NFL Rumors: Would Benching Mark Sanchez Solve Anything for New York Jets?

 

NFL rumors will be swirling around Florham Park, New Jersey as the speculation mounts that the New York Jets might bench Mark Sanchez in favor of Tim Tebow.

That would be a huge mistake.  Not only does Mark Sanchez give the Jets their best chance to win but Tebow is not a great fit in this offensive scheme.  The New York Jets problems reverberate well beyond anything a potential quarterback change can bring.

Tim Tebow needs at least a moderately good running game to be effective.  That does not exist on the New York Jets at the moment.  Their offensive line has been mediocre at its best and Shonn Greene might be the worst starting running back in the NFL.  Perhaps, if the Jets insert Bilal Powell, who at least can be somewhat of a threat, especially in the passing game where he can contribute, they might see new life.

Nothing that is wrong with the Jets would be solved by inserting Tim Tebow over Mark Sanchez.  If anything, the Jets should leave Tebow on the bench on most offensive plays and let Sanchez figure it out.  Besides, if you thought Santonio Holmes was angry last season about his role in the offense, imagine what he would be like with Tim Tebow at the helm.  Do you really think he would be a good citizen?

The Jets problems go a lot deeper than quarterback.  It is the surrounding cast around Mark Sanchez that has deteriorated.  The offensive line has gone from one of the best in the game to slightly below average.  Their running game has disappeared which is not good considering the Jets think of themselves as a running team.

The wide receivers the Jets have given Sanchez in the last couple of years are anything but first rate.  Holmes is not a number one receiver, regardless of what the Jets front office is paying him.  He would be the perfect number two receiver in an offense similar to what the New York Giants run.  Jeremy Kerley has the potential to be one of the best slot receivers in the NFL.  The only problem is, with teams not respecting the running game, they can take away quick passes over the middle.

Right now Stephen Hill is an enigma.  He has the potential to be a number one receiver but that could be a couple of years down the road and the Jets don’t have that kind of time.  Hill, right now, should be a third or fourth receiver, not a number two.

Everything about the Jets just seems patched together.  They don’t seem to have an identity and changing quarterback will only further convolute that.  The Jets need to stick with Sanchez and stop playing games with him.  Stop bringing in Tim Tebow to take snaps under center.  If Tebow does enter the game it should not be as the quarterback.

The Jets need to rebuild on the fly.  They need to invest in talented offensive and defensive linemen that can dominate the point of attack.  They need to find out who they are and move forward from there.  Since Mark Sanchez has taken the helm the talent around him has gotten worse and worse despite expectations getting higher.  It doesn’t make sense.

Jets GM Mike Tannaenbaum has failed in maintaining the talent level of the New York Jets through the draft.  There is still no pass rush.  There is no running game.  There is no passing game.  The Jets need to address the issues around Sanchez before they address him as the problem.