Tim Tebow: Why the Jets Must Start Tebow to Turn Season Around

Let's be honest. Mark Sanchez is not the answer at quarterback for the New York Jets.

Maybe you're still blinded by his Week 1 dismantling of the Buffalo Bills, but in case you haven't noticed, Sanchez has been dismal from Week 2 on.

Against the Steelers in Week 2, Sanchez was an ungodly 10-of-27—a 37-percent completion percentage—and finished the 27-10 loss with a 66.6 passer rating.

Two weeks later at home against the San Francisco 49ers, Sanchez again was awful, going 13-of-29 (44.8 percent) while throwing a pick and losing to the Niners 34-0.

It's gotten so bad that Sanchez is now on the same level as JaMarcus Russell, as ESPN's Adam Schefter tweets.

"

Mark Sanchez's 48.4 completion percentage is the lowest through five games (min. 100 attempts) since JaMarcus Russell's 42.1 in 2009.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 9, 2012"

Head coach Rex Ryan has already said that Sanchez will be his starter this week when the Jets host the Indianapolis Colts (h/t Fox News), which is just another loud and obnoxious move from the fourth-year coach.

Against a Colts defense that has been decent against the pass and horrendous against the run, Week 6 presents the perfect opportunity for Tim Tebow to take over under center—as I noted over a month ago.

You can say that Tebow isn't a prototypical NFL quarterback. You can say that he isn't a quarterback at all, but you can't say that Tebow doesn't win and that the Jets don't need change at the position.

It's almost the same situation that Tebow found himself in in Denver last season, when then starter Kyle Orton was struggling—Tebow was eventually named starter and energized the Broncos all the way to the AFC Championship game.

While injuries have decimated Gang Green and the odds of them making it to the AFC Championship game, let alone the playoffs, this season are bleak; Tebow still has the ability to put fans in the seats and make games more interesting and meaningful for the fans and the organization.

And maybe Tebow's completion percentage was downright ugly in 2011, but he was able to make up for it by rushing for 660 yards and six touchdowns to go with his 1,729 yards and 12 TDs through the air. Can Sanchez say the same?

Even longtime Jets fan and actor Kevin James—who appeared on ESPN's First Take this week—wants to see Tebow on the field.

What Jets fans need to realize (which Kevin James apparently already has) is that they're not winning with Sanchez throwing the football, and as long as he continues to drop back and look like a deer in headlights, he's not going to take the Jets anywhere but the cellar of the AFC East.

Week 6 presents the perfect opportunity for Tebow to take over the Jets' offense, as Indianapolis' defense has just two interceptions in four games this season and has recovered just one fumble, making this an easy matchup for a guy who hasn't started a football game since January.

The fact is that things aren't getting better for the Jets and they need change. What's the worst that can happen?

If Tebow is just as bad as Sanchez (which will be difficult to accomplish), then the Jets know they have to stick with Sanchez.

But for now, things can't get much worse for Gang Green.

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