By the time the game Sunday was in its closing minutes, the remaining few wearing green and white made their feelings known with each chant, loud and clear:
"Tee-boww! Tee-boww!"
Well, this mess the New York Jets are in might be too big for even Tim Tebow to fix.
Mark Sanchez and the offense had another lousy performance in a 34-0 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Bad passes, bad routes, bad football.
But this was supposed to be exactly how Tebow was going to help, by bringing a spark to the team by confusing defenses and making big plays.
So far, the Tebow wildcat experiment has been a dud. He has played in just 31 of the Jets' 257 offensive snaps, and Tebow has done little to strike fear in opposing defenses when he has been out there.
"We haven't been as successful at running the wildcat as I thought we would," Rex Ryan said. "I think that's fair to say, but again, without question, I'm not ready to give up on him. I think the wildcat is tough to defend and I've always said that."
Still, while they are standing by Sanchez right now, perhaps their biggest potential playmaker - Tebow - is mostly just standing by.
Ryan, general manager Mike Tannenbaum and owner Woody Johnson insisted all summer that Tebow wasn't a publicity stunt to sell tickets and jerseys. He was going to be a key part of a rejuvenated, dynamic and unpredictable offense under Tony Sparano.
Everyone is still waiting to see all that. Tebow was in on seven offensive plays - three at quarterback and four as a fullback - and accounted for a measly 9 yards Sunday. That came on the first and only pass he has thrown with New York, a jump toss to Dedrick Epps, who injured his right knee on the play and fumbled.
"I'm just ready and willing to do whatever they want me to do," Tebow said Sunday, not once saying anything that could be construed as frustration or be twisted to feed into an increasingly hotter quarterback situation.
Ryan did his best to defuse any talk about a change at the position, declaring Sanchez the undisputed starter after the game and then again Monday.
"I just know in my heart, right now, that this is not the time," Ryan said when asked what it would take for him to switch quarterbacks. "I think Tim is an outstanding player and I think Mark is. Right now, I think Mark gives us our best opportunity to win."
But there have been several moments in games this season that appeared to be perfect fits for Tebow to give the offense a boost. Instead, the NFL's most popular backup quarterback has remained on the sideline for many of those situations.
