Joe Namath: “I Don’t Think the Second Guy Really is Tebow”

February 4, 2012; Indianapolis, IN, USA; NFL former quarterback Joe Namath on the red carpet at the inaugural NFL honors red carpet and awards show at the Old National Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-US PRESSWIRE

Joe Namath, the greatest living Jet, is never one to shy away from making comments about the team, good or bad. He has been particularly critical of the move to bring in Tim Tebow, calling it a “publicity stunt”. Last night, he went further, talking about whether or not Tebow could step in if Mark Sanchez went down with an injury:

“God forbid something happens to Sanchez. See, this is where I’m confused. I don’t think the second guy really is Tebow,” Namath told ESPNNewYork.com on Tuesday night.

He believes that Greg McElroy would be a better fit to step in and take the majority of the snaps, unless Tebow can pass “better” and “quicker”.

“I don’t think he can consistently play the quarterback position as we know it as opposed to the Wildcat without improving his passing accuracy,” Namath said of Tebow. “You’ve got to be more accurate than that today, and Tim’s got a big motion. He’s working on it, and he can improve it. So that remains to be seen.”

Namath does feel that Tebow is a positive influence on the team, as a person and the threat that other teams have to prepare for:

“Because of the guy he is, because of the aura he has around him. His work ethic. His sincerity,” Namath said. “You want him as a teammate on your side. You want to find a place to use him. But teams have seen Tim play before — last year — they have to prepare to defend against a certain kind of offense if he’s on the field. It takes up their time. He’s a weapon just being there, let alone getting on the field to help.”

Joe was suprised at how good the team looked in week one, but not so much about the defense:

“I wasn’t surprised at our defense, except for the second half, but you know when you get a lead you kind of back off, at least they did, and (coach) Rex (Ryan) is not happy about it. So maybe they’ll play a little different next time. But the offensive line really did a great job. Austin Howard playing against (Mario) Williams, I was really surprised at that.

This is certainly an opinion, about Tebow, that is shared by many. He is a great guy to have by your side as a teammate, and the threat of his presence certainly gives the defense something extra to prepare for. It’s just that throwing that has to get better for him to be a consistent, successful quarterback in this league.