Tim Tebow and the New York Jets were first linked together when Tebow had one of his big comebacks against the Jets last Nov. 17. Jets fans like myself saw that example of "Tebowmania" as one of the many things that kept New York from the playoffs last season. But we never thought that he would possibly come to New York to help bring them back in 2012 - and neither could many others.
But on Mar. 21, the NFL and the Big Apple were stunned to see that the Denver Broncos unloaded Tebow to the Jets instead of the Jacksonville Jaguars. As such, "Tebowmania" is now set to conquer New York - although the Jets still have a lot of other things to worry about.
They have to worry about whether Mark Sanchez will revert back to form - especially now that another mega hyped quarterback is on the roster. They have to worry about whether the locker room atmosphere that poisoned last season can be rebuilt - especially now that a figure like Tebow has been planted in the middle of it. They have to worry about whether coach Rex Ryan really is all talk and cannot take New York over the hump - especially now that he has to juggle both Tebow and Sanchez.
Now they also have to worry about Tebow maniacs turning on the team - and Sanchez - at a moment's notice if they don't give the quarterback enough playing time. What he does with that playing time, at least before the final few minutes of a game, has always been a smaller issue when it comes to his fans. They all but held the Broncos at gunpoint until they put Tebow in over Kyle Orton, then lorded Tebow's success over John Elway and John Fox, although they likely wanted to dump him much sooner than they finally could.
They went so far as to sign Peyton Manning so that they could trade Tebow without being burned at the stake. Even Elway, who used to be the undisputed, most beloved quarterback in Denver history, would have been run out of town if the Broncos got rid of Tebow without landing Manning. If that could happen in Denver, what could possibly happen to Ryan, Sanchez and everyone else in New York if this move backfires?
It takes a stable, well managed team to handle this sort of delicate situation, and to be creative enough to use someone like Tebow well. The Broncos were able to be that team for at least the last half of 2011 - whereas the Jets were the most dysfunctional team in the NFL in years. Asking them to completely reverse that in one year would have been hard enough, but doing it while at the center of "Tebowmania" is pushing it.
While Tebow gives the Jets their most positive headlines in months - at least in some circles - it doesn't disguise the various issues that still hang around the team. Their problems killed them last season, and if they take Tebow down with them next year, the entire Ryan/Sanchez administration may not be able to recover.
Normally a team doesn't gamble so much on a now backup quarterback - but Tebow isn't an ordinary backup and the Jets are even less of an ordinary team than ever before. That wasn't a good thing for New York last season, and it will be even worse in 2012 if/when Tebow can't overshadow their crippling flaws for too long
