Tim Tebow: Criticism over Wildcat Role Is Blown out of Proportion - Bleacher Report

The 2012 NFL season is nearly underway, but the Tim Tebow mania is already infiltrating the media at nauseating levels. 

It's hard to put a finger on what is particularly responsible for Tebow's insane popularity. Is it the Christianity? Is it the success at Florida? Is it because he's working against the odds? 

Most likely, it's a combination of all those things combined with his peculiar style of play. And now that he's playing for a major market in New York City, we are about to witness a media craze of epic proportions. 

Truthfully, the average football fan is fed up with the non-stop Tebow chatter. The NFL Network cannot go 10 minutes without briefly mentioning his name. If we ever hear is name again, it will be too soon.

But despite Tebow's painfully irritating omnipresence in the media, he certainly generates some unwarranted criticism at times.

For example, his much debated wildcat role in the New York Jets offense is being blown out of proportion, to say the least. 

Tebow and the Wildcat

The talking heads and the radio personalities are using Tebow's wildcat role as an excuse to make something out of nothing. It's their opportunity to create a quarterback controversy where there isn't one. 

It's as if the wildcat offense was just now invented, specifically as an elaborate scheme designed to steal snaps from Mark Sanchez and give them to Tebow. 

Nope, it has nothing to do with Tebow being a perfect wildcat quarterback. It has nothing to do with the Jets needing a wildcat replacement for Brad Smith. And it certainly has nothing to do with new offensive coordinator Tony Sparano's past success with the wildcat. 

Is Tebow's wildcat role with the Jets a good idea?

Is Tebow's wildcat role with the Jets a good idea?

• Yes, it will work well.

• No, it's terrible.

• Too early to say.

• Not sure.

• Total votes: 114

Apparently that makes too much sense. In reality, it's Rex Ryan's subtle hint that Tebow is his quarterback of the future. He wouldn't just start Tebow right off the bat, that would be too obvious, so he's going to give Tebow a few snaps at a time and gradually increase the reps until Sanchez is on the bench.

Of course, that's ridiculous, but the overanalyzing by the media would have you believe that Tebow's wildcat role is a sign of distrust towards Sanchez and possibly the beginning of a quarterback controversy. 

That's far from the truth. It's nothing more than a unique way to diversify the offense and provide the team with more productive plays, and by extension, more points on the board.

That's all it is. The Tebow-obsessed media would like there to be more to it, but there really isn't. 

The Tebow craze will not die down anytime soon. But for now, maybe we should back off and stop making stories out of nothing. 

Sanchez will take the majority of the snaps. On occasion, Tebow will enter the game in order to confuse the defense. Unless there's an injury, this will not change. 

For now, the wildcat is a non-issue.