Tebow to the Jets: Will Mark Sanchez survive?

Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow (AP Photo)

(Editor’s Note: This post was originally published Wednesday March 21 at 1:15 p.m. Within moments of publishing, news broke that Tebow’s trade had been nullified. Now that it has been finalized we thought we’d bump it back to your attention. Original post follows.)

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A handful of thoughts on the Broncos‘ trade of Tim Tebow to the New York Jets.

Taking a bite of the Big Apple — Denver, Colorado is a football town with smart football fans, and it couldn’t survive the thriving media monster that is Tebowmania. More specifically, Kyle Orton couldn’t survive it. Meanwhile, New York is the media center of the world, and even in football contexts, it thrives on drama and controversy. An ESPN poll already has the majority of voters saying Tebow will become Jets starting QB this season. We’re two hours into it, and Tebowmania NY has already begun. How many incomplete passes does Mark Sanchez need to throw before fans are calling for Tebow? Two? Zero?

Mark Sanchez is no Kyle Orton — Now consider Mark Sanchez’s passer rating numbers the past three seasons: 63.0, 75.3, 78.2. Orton’s: 87.5, 75.7, 81.1. Sanchez has a starting job and a contract extension not by virtue of his passing prowess, but by virtue of the Jets’ stifling defense and ability to win. So two things have to happen for Sanchez to keep his starting job: 1. The Jets have to win. 2. Sanchez has to improve. I don’t see either thing happening. I think Sanchez will fold under the pressure. I see Tebow, driven by this thriving media monster and more billboards than completed passes, being the starting quarterback of the New York Jets by Week 8.

Unless Tebow changes positions… — That’s the big question mark. Will Tebow be a quarterback for the Jets, or will they mold him into a hybrid H-back role? He is 225 pounds of concrete dynamite, after all.

Manning won’t face Tebow in 2012 — The Jets are not on the Broncos’ 2012 schedule of opponents, so unless they see each other in the playoffs, Tebow won’t be able to exact revenge on Manning. In fact, unless the Jets and Broncos finish with the same division record in 2012, they won’t be regular season opponents until 2014.

Teams value the players that beat them — Think about it. Eddie Royal is a Charger, and Tim Tebow is a Jet. Royal has always had huge games against San Diego (even historic ones), while Tebow’s 20-yard game-winner was the apex of Tebowmania in Denver. Had the Broncos and Tebow played in Jacksonville last season, I’m betting the Jaguars would have ponied up more than the Jets’ offer to make Tebow a Florida resident again.