When the New York Jets take the field the field Saturday for their second preseason game against the New York Giants, quarterback Mark Sanchez will take snaps with the first-string offense, not Tim Tebow. And for anyone questioning whether the Jets and head coach Rex Ryan will change their minds during the season, well ...
"I’m going to say this: I think your ‘the fix is in’ comment is going to come back around just like my Super Bowl guarantee came around. Just like my thing never happened with the Super Bowl, this thing’s not going to happen, either.
That was Ryan himself answering a question from ESPN's Stephen A. Smith and Ryan Ruocco on Thursday. The trio was discussing New York's quarterback situation, which has been a hot-button topic (mainly for ESPN chatter) during the preseason.
"I will say this, Tim is really doing a tremendous job for us. He is going to be a big part of what we do offensively. He’s an outstanding football player and I’ve said it from Day One. Nothing he has done has told me otherwise. … The guy that I’ve probably been most impressed with is Mark Sanchez."
As for ESPN's coverage of the Jets and Tebow?
"I know we did 'Hard Knocks' before, and this is like the ESPN version of it or something. It is surprising. There’s no doubt. We’re just a team that’s 8-8. … We do have some personalities here. Obviously people want to see Tim Tebow, they want to see Mark Sanchez and Darrelle Revis or whoever. That comes with the territory. Certainly I think in some ways the more success you have, the better this thing is for you. … The cameras are around, we’ve had different things, and sometimes it gets you ready."
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