Two years ago, the Jets intended to use quarterback Tim Tebow as a change-of-pace option to Mark Sanchez. It never happened, in large part because former offensive coordinator Tony Sparano had far less faith in Tebow’s skill set than Urban Meyer does.
Now that the Jets have a much better option behind the starter, the two-headed monster option becomes more viable, with Vick reprising the role he played during his first season with the Eagles, five years ago.
“When the time calls for it, I think the coaches will see fit that that’s put in,” Vick said after Thursday night’s preseason opener, via Dom Cosentino of NJ.com.
Vick’s wink-nod came after he seemed to suggest that shuttling the starter off the field isn’t a good idea.
“That disrupts the timing of the offense,” Vick said. “I think it has to be done at the right time. I experienced that in Philadelphia, with Donovan [McNabb] at times. You want to go out there and let the quarterbacks get into a rhythm and not try to do too much. I think that’s doing too much.”
During the 2009 preseason, McNabb showed signs or irritation at being removed in favor of Vick. But Jets coach Rex Ryan firmly believes in the benefit of forcing opposing defenses to plan for two quarterbacks, since it dilutes the ability to truly focus on either.
If Vick is right, it wouldn’t be the first time that he has said more than perhaps the coached had wanted him to say. In the offseason, when the Jets were trying to create the impression of an actual quarterback competition between Vick and Geno Smith, Vick kept saying that it wasn’t an open competition until the coaching staff eventually conceded that Smith would get the bulk of the first-team reps in practice.