The Sparanos

As a Patriots' fan, now may not be the best time to poke fun at the Jets' offense. Brady and the other Pats' starters haven't looked too sharp yet. But they have scored touchdowns. As have the Pats' second and third units. Several touchdowns. Through three preseason games in New York however, the revamped, Wildcat, smash-mouth, explosive, scary offense that new coordinator Tony Sparano has brought with him has produced exactly zero touchdowns. Zip. Zilch. Nada.

When asked about the lack of production, Sparano answered in his usual style. "We want touchdowns, not field goals," he growled. "Make sure you put that in the headlines."

Touchdowns. Got it. That should make all Jets fans feel better.

Sparano and Rex Ryan together would make for great reality TV. If the NFL Network started a "T Rex" show chronicling the weekly curse-fests, meltdowns, comedy acts, and chaos that these two coaches are almost sure to provide I would be a regular viewer. Who wouldn't? The Jets will have a good defense. Not great. But good. It's the offense that will decide whether Gang Green can get back to the playoffs. An offense that has yet to score a touchdown.

"Starting" QB Mark Sanchez had led the offense on fifteen possessions -- a decent test sample -- and has not been able to lead the Jets into the endzone. Not once. But overall he has looked good from what I've seen. I think Sanchez could have a very good season. I thought the Jets thought that too when they gave him a big contract extension. But then a few weeks later they traded for "back-up" quarterback Tim Tebow.

Ah, Tim Tebow. He too has led the offense for 15 possessions and he too has no touchdowns. But the talk out of New York is still all about him. The back-up. Soon to be the subject of an episode of "A Football Life" on the NFL Network. Tebow is quite a story and a guy I rooted for in college and with Denver. Now he's a Jet. I can't root for him anymore. Skinny Rex says Tebow's going to give the offense a dangerous dynamic that it didn't have last year. It just might work. As long as he doesn't throw the ball...

Top secret

The Jets made headlines today by running some Wildcat plays in practice. No. Really. They did.

With excitement in their voices as if they had just seen Springsteen, the football reporters on the NFL Network and ESPN1-30 reported that it was Tim Tebow's birthday today and skinny Rex gave him a gift by letting the offense go wild at training camp.

Sal Paolantonio reported from the Jets training facilities, stating the he was among the media members who were allowed to watch the Wildcat plays but, he added, "reporters were told that they could not divulge any of the formations or any of the players used in the formations." What? Reporters can't report on what they saw? And they agreed to that? What are the Jets doing? Coming up with a plan to reduce the deficit and save Social Security?

Nope. They are just practicing the Wildcat.

Here's what skinny Rex said after the practice... "We'll have an offense and the Wildcat will be a part of it. The great thing is you don't know if we're going to run it once. You don't know if we're going to run it 20 times, 50 times, whatever. That's up to us. If you're not prepared for it, why wouldn't we run it?"

The "you" Ryan is referring to there is Belichick and the Patriots. He seems to think that Belichick is twirling his whistle at practice because he is so nervous about facing the Jets and the Wildcat. Ryan feels the Wildcat is such a secret weapon that reporters can't even talk about what plays the team is practicing. Once again Rex doesn't get it. There are no secrets with the Wildcat. That's the whole point. When the Wildcat package (a.k.a Tebow) comes on the field everyone knows it. Everyone is prepared for it. The question is ... can you stop it? With the Patriots (and the rest of the NFL) the answer was no ... for about three months.

Way back in 2008 Tony Sparano (now the Jets offensive coordinator) unleashed the Wildcat against the Patriots and scored a ridiculous five touchdowns from the formation for a ridiculous 38-13 upset. Sparano and the Dolphins rode the Wildcat to a surprise AFC East title and a playoff berth. They then got crushed by the Ravens 27-9 in the first round. The Ravens had figured out the Wildcat. As did most of the NFL the following year. Eventually Sparano and the Dolphins gave up on the trick offense when Ronnie Brown -- the key to the whole thing -- got hurt and the plays started to create more turnovers than points.

So skinny Rex is hoping to rekindle the Wildcat magic with Sparano and Tebow. Problem is Tebow is a quarterback. He's fast... for a quarterback. He's shifty and elusive... for a quarterback. He's tough to bring down ... for a quarterback. Quarterbacks like Randall Cunningham and Michael Vick can run the Wildcat. Why? Because they can scramble and then stop and throw the ball 60 yards right on the money. Tebow can't do anything like that. The '08 Dolphins used running backs Brown and Ricky Williams to run their Wildcat. Mostly Brown. Ronnie Brown is fast. Really fast. Miami pretty much ran it as the Option offense from college. There was very little threat to pass. The question was would Brown keep the ball and run or pitch it to Ricky and let him run. For a few weeks defenses (especially the Pats) were frozen where they stood trying to figure it out. Then they did what all defenses eventually do against the Option or Wildcat. Just go after the darn ball. Once defenses get that in their head, the Wildcat is not so scary.

But don't tell skinny Rex that. The Jets didn't run any Wildcat plays in their preseason opener against Cincy. Rex volunteered -- as is his way -- after the game that the reason he didn't run the trick plays is because Cincy coach Marvin Lewis asked him not to. "I know nobody's worried about the Wildcat and all that stuff. It's real easy to stop," he said as the media lapped it up. "That's why I got a call at 7 a.m. the day before by Marvin not wanting to see the Wildcat. I guess I'm the only one who thinks it has a place in the NFL."

Classic Ryan. His logic is often flawed. The problem with using Marvin Lewis as his example of the power of the Wildcat? Marvin Lewis is afraid of facing the Wildcat? No kidding? Marvin Lewis is afraid of doing anything. That's why his team has consistently beat itself year after year with him leading the way. It's not like it was Tom Coughlin or Mike Tomlin making the call.

The Wildcat can be scary when run by a weapon like Ronnie Brown. When run by Tim Tebow it's just a quarterback who can scramble. Look at what the Pats did to Tebow and the Broncos twice in the span of a month near the end of last season. In Week 15 the Pats went into Denver and beat them convincingly 41-23.  Tebow rushed for nearly 100 yards and two touchdowns, but he only completed 11 passes and was mostly held in check in the second half. Turn the calendar ahead to the playoffs and a January game at Gillette. This time Tebow only complete nine passes. Nine! In the playoffs. And this time he only ran for 13 yards. Why? Because Brady was running a real NFL offense and crushing Denver 45-10. You can't run the Wildcat when you are down three touchdowns.

So Rex says he's going to keep the Wildcat a big mystery so that Belichick has a lot of sleepless nights. Will the Jets run 20 Wildcat plays? 50?

I bet I know what Belichick is thinking. Please let them run the Tebow Wildcat 50 times. Please.

Reading material

The firing squad for coaches usually begins lining up right after the New Year's Eve hangover begins to wear off. While the playoff teams start preparing for the tournament, the also-rans start "charting a new course," "heading in a new direction," "making a fresh start."

Seems they were anxious for a fresh start in Kansas City and Miami. The Chiefs axed head coach Todd Haley on Monday, followed a few hours later by the Dolphins saying see ya to Tony Sparano. (Not Soprano). It was pretty clear both coaches were not going to be around next season so I guess the teams decided why not beat the New Year's rush.

• In KC, the focus is now squarely on GM Scott Pioli. The former Patriot exec came to the Chiefs with three Super Bowl rings and a promise to return KC to its glory days. Things looked promising with a surprising division win last season but it's been more gory than glory in 2011. Now Pioli is looking for a new coach. Word is he's leaning towards another former Pat,  Josh McDaniels. Good luck with that.
• In Miami, the Phins looked like they might save their coach's job when they ran off four wins in five weeks but then they got pounded by Philly at home Sunday. Time to take Sparano for a ride. Sparano is a good guy and pretty good coach. But he had a lousy team. So he had to go. 
• That's the way it goes with coaching. Not just in the NFL but in all sports. As they say, you can't fire the players. So the coach has to go. As your teenager might say ... life's not fair.

Haley's and Sparano's firing makes three for the season so far. Jacksonville axed long-time coach Jack Del Rio a few weeks ago. That will probably be it till the season ends. Who will be next? Norv? Yes. Has to be Norv's time.