Tim Tebow: More Snaps for Tebow Don't Guarantee Success for New York Jets

Hold your horses, Rex Ryan. What was that you said about Tim Tebow's potential playing time with the New York Jets this coming season?

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Could Tim Tebow really have as many as 20 wildcat snaps in game? Rex: "I'm absolutely putting it out there." #nfl

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"— Manish Mehta(@TheJetsStream) March 27, 2012"

Really, Rex? As many as 20 snaps in a single game? You do realize that your Jets averaged 64.4 offensive plays per contest in 2011 according to Team Rankings, right? That could mean 20 fewer snaps for Mark Sanchez, you know.

Not that Jets fans would mind all that much, considering how underwhelmed they've been by Sanchez's performance under center.

Of course, Gang Green's higher-ups might not be so happy to see the quarterback they extended for another three years and $20.5 million in guaranteed money having his playing time siphoned off by a controversial backup who'd be lucky to throw a beach ball in the ocean half the time.

Chances are, Sanchez himself wouldn't be too thrilled with such a dramatic change either, though Rex seems to think otherwise:

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Rex on how Sanchez will feel having Tebow in for so many wildcat snaps: "Mark will be okay with it if we win." #nfl

— Manish Mehta(@TheJetsStream) March 27, 2012"

At least team owner Woody Johnson has his quarterback's back—or would appear to:

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I’m going to be very clear: Mark Sanchez is our starting quarterback. Period. That’s it. He’s our starting quarterback. He’s going to be a good NFL player. Just like he’s been. There’s no reason to suspect that Mark will be any different this year than he’s been the last 10 years he’s played the game. He’s been a very consistent performer his whole career.

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Although, Johnson's comments aren't exactly a ringing endorsement of Sanchez's skills, seeing as how his "consistent" play has yielded 55 touchdowns against 51 interceptions, a completion rate of 55.3 percent and a QB rating of 73.2 in three full seasons.

Taking the ball out of Sanchez's hands for 20 snaps per game isn't likely to help him. If anything, the very possibility of having his playing time pilfered by a backup would only seem to harm Sanchez's dwindling sense of security, especially amidst the relentless pressure and media feeding frenzy to be found in the Big Apple.

And, as the old saying goes, "If you have two quarterbacks, then you don't have one."

So, if Rex Ryan and the Jets think they're better off divvying up playing time between Tebow and Sanchez, they're either in much deeper trouble than they realize, or they're all too aware of their predicament and are moving desperately to paper over their problems in any way possible.

We'll have a better idea under which assumption Gang Green is operating once the season gets underway.

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