Tim Tebow and the Dilemma Facing the New York Jets in 2012

Tim Tebow is not a very good National Football League quarterback by your standard definition. Objectively speaking, I would not rank him in the top 40 quarterbacks in the league at this time and would hesitate to give him anything more than an average grade in terms of his ability to play the position. 

But before I drift into some Ron Jaworski-esque narrative about timing, pocket awareness and other factors that make up a typical pro quarterback, let's be clear: Tim Tebow is not a typical quarterback. As such, his value is predicated on situation and circumstance. If he was backing up a Tom Brady, Drew Brees or Aaron Rodgers, it would be foolish to even consider using him on anything but the most basic short-yardage packages.

However, it is not an elite quarterback Tebow is backing up in Gotham City. No, the man Tebow is chasing on the depth chart is Mark Sanchez. Seen as the "Sanchize" just three years ago upon his arrival, there were immediate rumblings that Sanchez's sands in the hourglass may have already been tipped with the arrival of Tim Tebow.

As much as the New York Jets have invested in Sanchez, the question has to be asked: Can you win a Super Bowl with him as your franchise quarterback? The reason I say that is simple: The New York Jets would be better off winning with their defense than trying to outscore teams with their offense. For all of Tebow's inconsistencies in the pocket, he brings a dimension with his legs that is nearly unmatched from the quarterback spot in football.

What I mean by that is quite simple. With Tim Tebow on the field, his offense will be running the ball frequently and eating up clock. The Broncos prevailed when they were able to control time of possession and put Tebow in positions to win games that were close. That formula worked against the Vikings, Bears, Jets, Dolphins and Chiefs. New York's defense, while down in 2011, is superior to the one Denver had in 2011. 

Also, for all of the knocks on Tim Tebow as a passer, his quarterback rating of 72.6 in 2011 was not that far from Sanchez, who posted his career high with a pedestrian 78.2. And you cannot forget that Tebow's first playoff game was better than any of the six Sanchez has had in his career. The margin between them is clear, but not nearly as pronounced as some would think.

And in a strange way, Tim Tebow and Mark Sanchez are two sides of the same brain. One guy is an inconsistent passer who wins with his feet and a lot of intangibles (Tebow). The other guy is an inconsistent passer who wins when his arm is one and can minimize the stress he puts on his defense (Sanchez).

For the Jets, training camp and the preseason will be vital to see just how much progress Sanchez has made, because in many ways, they have an offense that is better suited for someone who plays a conservative game like Tim Tebow.

If the opening practices were any indication, both players have a long ways to go, each going 1-for-7 in passing drills as All-Pro cornerback Darrelle Revis sat out with a hamstring injury. Sanchez is the man for now. But with New York eager for a large scale reenactment of Tebowmania, he better come out smoking or the calls will be for the Sanchize to go out of business.