That Tim Tebow has not supplanted Mark Sanchez as the starting quarterback of the New York Jets despite the incumbent's struggles this season speaks volumes. Given Sanchez's consistent inaccuracy and penchant for red zone turnovers, any vote for the status quo by decision makers with this 3-6 team can easily be viewed as a vote against Tebow.
Among the other things that can be considered votes against Tebow are the actual votes against Tebow emanating from the locker room.
“He’s terrible,” an unnamed player described as "a defensive starter" told Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.
While this player opted to rip Tebow anonymously, comments to Mehta by Jets left guard Matt Slauson were perhaps just as damning, with him saying "We don’t really have a choice” when talking about the team's QB situation.
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While these latest comments about Tebow to the News will generate headlines in New York, they hardly come as a surprise given the team's statements about the backup as well as the history of anonymous sniping with this group. After the Jets' 28-7 loss in Seattle, Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie didn't hold back when asked what he would tell anyone calling for Tebow to replace Sanchez.
Head coach Rex Ryan was not quite as succinct in his postgame remarks in Seattle but his message was remarkably similar.
"I believe we can win with Mark. And I believe we can win with (Tim) Tebow, but I'm not going to let you or anybody else convince me out of it, OK?" Ryan told reporters of the team's putrid offensive showing against the Seahawks. "Because this is how I feel. He gives us the best opportunity to win games, and that's the only reason I make any move."
That Ryan believes the quarterback who ranks last in the NFL in completion percentage and 31st in QBR gives his team a better chance to win than Tebow makes it quite clear how he views the polarizing but still quite popular backup who pushed the Denver Broncos to the AFC West title last season.
For his part, Tebow has also been in this spot before and managed to surprise his critics.
After beginning the season -- in August 2011 -- as the third quarterback on the Broncos' depth chart, Tebow took over the starting role from Kyle Orton after the first five games and the team won seven of its next eight, including a 17-13 win over the Jets in Week 11. Perhaps if Tebow feels the need to refute his defensive teammate's claim about his talents, then he can break out the tape of the 12-play, 95-yard drive that he orchestrated in the final minutes to win that game.
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