Dec. 23, 2012; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets quarterback Tim Tebow (15) stands with offensive coordinator Tony Sparano during the first half against the San Diego Chargers at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

Can Tim Tebow be successful in the NFL?

I know this is a very controversial topic, and that there are many fierce advocates for Tebow. I also realize that there is a large amount of people and fans who doubt his abilities to play at a high level.

As a quarterback, Tebow led the Broncos to a playoff birth two years ago, beating the Steelers in overtime in the first round of the playoffs.

However, he had everything on that team going for him. A strong defense, a solid running game, and exceptional receivers. It’s essentially the same team that Peyton Manning took to the divisional round this year with a significantly better reputation.

That year, Tom Brady exposed the Broncos defense, and Tim Tebow just didn’t have an answer for the scores.

After being traded to the New York Jets, Tebow was placed in a special wildcat package that ran about ten plays a game, sometimes less. It depended on the defense and the situation.

After Sanchez was taken out of the game, many fans were excited to see Tebow take over as starting quarterback. However, Greg McElroy was named the starter to finish the season, and football fans across the NFL were immediately angered. Especially Jets fans that had seen the “magic” Tebow had worked in Denver the year before.

But is Tebow really an NFL-caliber starting quarterback?

Before I give you my answer, let me say this. I am a University of Florida undergraduate. I spent my middle and high school years pulling for Tebow and the Gators for four years.

I love the guy as a person.

However, I wouldn’t want him as my starting quarterback.

Dec 17, 2012; Nashville, TN, USA; New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez (6) scrambles against the Tennessee Titans during the first half at LP Field. Mandatory credit: Don McPeak-USA TODAY Sports

Cough…cough….cough.

For the second year in a row, the New York Jets have choked away an opportunity to beat out the Cincinnati Bengals for a playoff spot. The Bengals now have a golden oppurtunity to make the postseason for the first time in back-to-back seasons for the first time in three decades. They clinch their second straight playoff berth with a win over the Steelers this Sunday, which will hbe a tough task to accomplish, but with the Jets’ loss tonight, they could lose and still win in Week 17 against the Baltimore Ravens, and coupled with a Steelers loss to the Cleveland Browns in Week 17, the Bengals would clinch a playoff spot.

If the Jets had won tonight, then win their next two games against the San Diego Chargers (5-9) and Buffalo Bills (5-9), then the Bengals would have needed to win-out against the Steelers and Baltimore Ravens (9-5), which would be a tall task considering they’ve lost six-straight against those two opponents.

They won’t have to now though, as the Jets loss means a win in Week 6 means the Bengals are in the postseason.

It’s also worth pointing out that Jets QB Mark Sanchez had one TD pass and five turnovers vs. the Titans, and now has 68 TD passes to 87 turnovers in 61 reg-season games dating back to 2009. Thanks Mark!

Want more Bengals news? Like Stripe Hype on Facebook, or grab our RSS feed.

Follow @StripeHype

Follow @UK_Fans

Aug 15, 2012; Cortland, NY, USA; New York Jets running back John Conner (38) walks back to the locker room following practice at SUNY Cortland. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

The Bengals have signed fullback John Conner to their roster, and he will likely serve as the teams’ starting fullback for the remainder of the regular season (and hopefully postseason). The team also placed Chris Pressley on the injured reserve with a knee injury. The deal for Conner is reportedly worth two years.

Conner is a former University of Kentucky standout where he was a walk-on and left as Wildcats’ all-time games leader. He had been working out at Ignition since he was waived due to injuries by the New York Jets who drafted him in the fifth round of the 2010 NFL draft. He played in 35 games with ten starts before he was waived on October 18.

At the time Conner was waived by the Jets due to injuries, he had sprained his MCL and pulled a hamstring before being released. It was believed the Jets would re-sign him later in the season.

Pressley had an MRI on Friday to determine the severity of his injury, which has yet to be fully revealed  Best wishes to Pressley, who has fought very hard to go from being undrafted out of Wisconsin to becoming an NFL starting fullback.

According to Pro Football Focus, Conner was the fifth-best fullback out of 28 eligible players in 2011. He also received the fifth-most offensive snaps (378) of any fullback.

Want more Bengals news? Like Stripe Hype on Facebook, or grab our RSS feed.

Follow @StripeHype

Follow @UK_Fans