Is It Time for Woody Johnson to Take a Stand in Mark Sanchez, Tim Tebow Debacle?

Drama is just one way to describe the 2012 New York Jets.

And to this point in the season, Rex Ryan’s team has basically been a soap opera.

According to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News:

"

Both offensive and defensive players admitted that they hadn’t noticed any appreciable improvement in Tebow’s quarterback skills in practice since he was traded to the Jets in March.

“It’s not even close,” [Matt] Slauson said. “All the other quarterbacks know it. I have all the confidence in Mark.

So, who wants Tebow to be the starter?

“Nobody,” a member of the team said.

"

With that said, it led to Rex Ryan giving the anonymous players a chance to be known. Per Brian Costello of the New York Post:

"

Rex Ryan stood in front of his team Wednesday morning in a meeting room and challenged them.

“Stand up if you said it,” Ryan said. “If you want to say something like that, put your name on it. Stand up.”

Everyone remained seated. Ryan then told the perpetrators they were cowards.

"

And to enhance the situation, running back Shonn Greene stated in an article by Michael Silver of Yahoo! Sports:

"

"Something's got to change," Jets running back Shonn Greene told Yahoo! Sports. "When you get to the point where you're 3-6, and losing and losing, a couple of guys are like, 'Oh, what would happen [if Tebow played]?

"You feel bad for Mark [Sanchez], but at the same time you want to win games. We're not here to protect people's feelings. If you want to win games, you've got to try something.

"

All things considered, Rex Ryan did right by providing those anonymous players to man up. Also, Matt Slauson and Shonn Greene deserve recognition for not hiding behind the anonymous curtain.

It's that kind of willingness to have your say while facing the potential consequences without fear. As a result, the honesty of Slauson and Greene is what can be most respected. In turn, Jets fans can only hope that influences others to follow suit.

But to really emphasize and echo Ryan, owner Woody Johnson needs to step in.

For one, it would present support for his head coach and secondly, display no tolerance regarding the bashing of a teammate unless a name is offered. Anyone anywhere can literally say anything while remaining anonymous. That, however, also makes for an easy way to be heard without actually facing a particular situation.

Considering something such as the Jets’ quarterback controversy, though, how can players trust one another if some are refusing to admit their stated viewpoints?

That’s part of the reason for New York’s frustrating start this year and creating drama while remaining anonymous only reduces a team's chemistry. If Johnson becomes involved, a lot more could get resolved.

After all, the owner is the one who employs the players and at the core is in control of the organization. The great thing about a coach like Ryan is that he won’t back down from a tough situation, which is exactly what currently resides in the locker room.

Yes, Mark Sanchez is certainly in the midst of a disappointing campaign with a completion percentage of 52. And no, it’s not like Tebow’s completion percentage in 2011 or this preseason was enough to offer legitimate confidence.

Still, if anything, Gang Green needs to have a team meeting with Johnson present and get everything out in the open. Don’t let anyone outside the organization involved, because everything that has unfolded since the last few weeks of 2011 are a big reason why the Jets sit at 3-6.

Off the field drama is proving to affect on field performance and getting rid of that elephant on the couch is the first step toward improving.

The team needs to conduct a reality check on itself and team owner Woody Johnson needs to— just like Ryan said—“stand up.”

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