During the fourth quarter of the Jets embarrassing 34-0 loss to the 49ers, there was something besides fans missing in the stadium... Tim Tebow. More telling than the loss, was that Tebow was nowhere near the field in the fourth quarter as Sanchez stayed in at quarterback to run out time.
Tebow's absence spoke louder than Sanchez's 39.9 quarterback rating. It spoke to the entire Jets team and season.
Let's be blunt, the Jets didn't want to let Tebow run the offense in fourth quarter because they were afraid that he would actually do something with the offense.
This is what the Jets have been reduced to, a fear of putting in a quarterback because he might score.
Of course, if Tebow led the offense to a score, the result would be a quarterback controversy. As if there wasn't already.
The fourth quarter of Sunday's game was the exact reason that the Jets acquired Tebow in the first place. Yet he was nowhere to be found.
To be fair, the 49ers have a tremendous defense. But the Jets offense was uninspired. There was no creativity to it. The 49ers defense wasn't fooled at all.
''We knew Sanchez holds the ball a little longer and we felt we could get after him,'' 49ers Defense End Aldon Smith said. ''We pretty much did.''
In the post-game press conference Sanchez was reduced to blaming injuries.
''We got to play with who we've got,'' Mark Sanchez said.
Does that include Tim Tebow? Not in the fourth quarter. Wouldn't that have been the perfect time to let Tebow run the offense? The 49ers put in their backup quarterback Colin Kaepernick in the fourth, but the Jets wouldn't dare.
They wouldn't dare create the controversy they themselves brought on by bringing in Tebow in the offseason and insisting he would be the backup quarterback to Sanchez.
But why is Sanchez the starter?
Just because?
No matter what NFL players, media and fans think of Tebow, his teammates play differently under him. They play better. Sanchez plays like he's entitled to the quarterback job, Tebow plays like he's going to lift the whole team where it needs to go.
Who would you rather play for?