 Through 11 weeks in 2012 , the Jets struggled to a 4 – 7 record . The presence of Tim Tebow created a controversy as the media and fans called for Ryan to bench the inconsistent Mark Sanchez in favor of Tebow . Ryan was criticized for his decision to keep Tebow activated during the Jets ' Thanksgiving Day contest against the New England Patriots despite Tebow playing with two broken ribs , leading to questions about his job security . With Tebow inactive for the Jets ' following contest against the Arizona Cardinals , Ryan made the decision to bench Sanchez , who threw three interceptions , in favor of Greg McElroy . McElroy threw a touchdown pass to Jeff Cumberland to score the team 's only points in a 7 – 6 victory over Arizona . 
