Jets reportedly planning to use Tim Tebow as red zone quarterback

When the 2012 season is finally underway, will Tim Tebow simply be a backup quarterback? Mark Sanchez is hoping he plays well enough out of the gate for that to be the case. Santonio Holmes just wants the ball no matter who’s throwing it, but he doesn’t believe a two-quarterback system would work at the NFL level. While it will likely be Sanchez’s job to lead the Jets down the first 95 yards of the field or so, it sounds like the last few could belong to Tebow.

According to Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com, sources close to the Jets say the coaching staff is planning to use Tebow in red zone situations to either carry the ball or replace Sanchez as an extra blocker in obvious running situations. It’s a nice thought, but it may not be that simple.

As Pro Football Talk pointed out, the Jets had one of the best red zone offenses in football last season. For all the problems they had on offense, very few came inside their opponent’s 20-yard line. The only team in the NFL who converted more red zone trips into six points was the Lions. Is that something New York wants to mess around with?

It would be these types of reports that would concern me if I were a Jets fan. We know Rex Ryan wants to give Tebow a significant role in the offense because he has already said that. But are they doing it because Tebow creates a buzz and they have to feed the Tebowmaniacs, or do they truly believe using two quarterbacks will help Sanchez grow into the starter they believed he could be? Time will tell.

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