Tim Tebow hasn’t been given much time to assert his presence in the Jets’ offense.
One season after totaling 18 touchdowns with a playoff-bound Broncos team, Tebow has been relegated to spot duty in Rex Ryan‘s offense this year. And the 25-year-old isn’t pleased with his new role.
“I think when you’re getting the ball a lot during the game you can get the rhythm of the game and I think that makes it easier,” Tebow said, according to ESPN.com. “You get a feel and a rhythm. I think spot play is fun because you’re in different roles, but at the same time it’s hard to get a feel. Sometimes even if it’s just a few plays on a drive, it gets easier. Sometimes that’s the harder part of spot playing, but it is fun. I just love playing period.”
Tebow may think being the Jets’ wildcat gadget is “fun,” but you can tell by his answer that he’s not very happy with his use.
With Mark Sanchez getting the starting nod this season, Tebow has only played 7 percent of the Jets’ offensive snaps through eight games. And when the versatile quarterback has been on the field, it’s been primarily in wildcat packages or as a decoy.
Tebow admitted he wasn’t sure how both he and Sanchez would find time in the Jets’ offensive scheme, but he probably envisioned more burn than what he’s seen.
“It was hard to try to picture what was going to happen, how it was all going to mesh,” Tebow said. “It was tough to try to know exactly what to expect.”
Tebow has completed two of the three passes he’s thrown on the season and has rushed for 78 yards on 23 carries. He’s still yet to find the end zone, though, which is a big departure from his impressive production a season ago.
The opportunities weren’t exactly abundant during the first half of the season. But with the Jets sitting at an underwhelming 3-5 halfway through the season, Tebow should see more action in the offense going forward — a reality he’ll gladly welcome.
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