Photo Credit: Kevin Hoffman-US PRESSWIRE

He’s one of the biggest names in one of our country’s biggest obsessions. Love him or hate him, everyone has an opinion on Tim Tebow and it appears that the New York Jets have a favorable opinion on Tebow after parting with a fourth and sixth-round draft pick to acquire Tebow and seventh-round pick from the Broncos yesterday.

Where does that leave our old friend Drew Stanton?

After spending five years as the Lions’ third-string quarterback, Stanton had earned the right for an increased role. It wasn’t going to come in Detroit so he signed with the New York Jets last week. While it might seem that the addition of Tebow would put Stanton back in the same position he was looking to advance from, the Jets would be best served to keep Stanton in place as Sanchez’s primary backup.

Think back to last season when Tebow was having success with the Denver Broncos. It wasn’t until after the Lions thumped the Broncos 45-10 in week 8 that the Broncos started to tailor their offensive system to suit Tim Tebow’s skill set. He certainly didn’t have success as a more traditional quarterback so the adjustment by the coaching staff was an absolute must.

That’s why the Jets can’t afford to use Tebow on a full-time basis if Mark Sanchez goes down with an injury.

An NFL club either needs to fully invest in Tebow as a starting quarterback and commit to the offense necessary to give that endeavor a chance to succeed or limit his use to just a small offensive package that can be used a handful of times per game.

With Mark Sanchez in place with a new contract extension, fully committing to Tebow is not an option for the Jets. That means Drew Stanton is the Jets’ best option as a number-two quarterback with Tim Tebow showing nothing last season to instill confidence that he can pick up Sanchez left off in case of injury.

Whether or not the Jets organization will come to the same conclusion or whether Drew Stanton will be willing to stick around to find out remains to be seen. Speculation is already swirling what might happen:

Also, would not be surprised if Jets newly signed back-up QB Drew Stanton asks for a trade or release. Was promised team not looking at QBs

— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) March 22, 2012

The Jets have become known for drama so none of these recent developments should be seen as a shock. I’m glad I’m watching from afar, no matter what ends up happening.

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Ron Chenoy-US PRESSWIRE

Moment Number 4: Humanizing Tebow

The name “Tim Tebow” will forever be etched into football lore, despite the fact that he is a mediocre quarterback at best. “Tebow-mania” is a direct result of ESPN’s love affair with the polarizing quarterback, combined with the nation’s religious fanatics ironically idolizing him and refusing to see him as anything less than a deity.

In spite of Tebow’s flaws, the Denver Broncos found a way to win week after week, largely due to a strong running game, an over-achieving defense, and a clutch kicker (let’s not forget Marion Barber as well). As Tebow-mania swept the nation, and the likes of ESPN’s Skip Bayless began applying every double standard possible to excuse the quarterback’s poor play, it became impossible not to thank the heavens that the Detroit Lions did not contribute to the madness.

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It all led up to the Lions’ first Monday Night Football appearance in a decade and the team (and fans) did not disappoint. Ford Field was as loud as it has ever been and the Lions moved to 5-0 in front of a national audience.

No one expected the Lions to go undefeated but the Lions made it official in week six by falling to the San Francisco 49ers. The post game theater between Jim Schwartz and Jim Harbaugh overshadowed what was a good game between two good teams, however.

The Lions tried to make a move at running back at the trade deadline but it was negated when Philadelphia Eagles team physicians found a brain tumor when examining Jerome Harrison. The failed physical sent Ronnie Brown back to the Eagles and ended Harrison’s season. His surgery was reportedly successful and the condition is said to not be life threatening but could have become a serious issue if not for the trade attempt.

A second consecutive loss dropped the Lions to 5-2 overall. The Falcons made sure the Lions didn’t complete a comeback on them, however the win wasn’t enough for them. A number of Falcons players talked about things said and done by Lions players that would be un-befitting of a sportsman except that at least some of them could be proven false.

Needing a big-time performance to get on the right track, the Lions played one of their best games of the season against Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos. A 45-10 thrashing let the nation know it is the Lions, not Tebow, that they should be paying attention to and sent the Lions into their bye week with a feeling of positivity.

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