Tim Tebow. Odds are you've heard of him. Heck, if you haven't heard of him you've probably been on the moon or been undercover for the last two months. His fathead ranks as the #1, #3, and #10 best sellers this year. He has a whole website dedicated to his "touchdown prayer" . Saturday Night Live did a rather hilarious skit His team has gone 7-1 (before today) since Tebow took over for Kyle Orton. Tebow has always been a winner at every level. At Florida, he won the Heisman as a sophomore, national title as a junior, and went 13-1 as a senior, including a Sugar Bowl victory over Cincinnati.
After all of these accolades, wins, awards, and records, there were two very distinct sides in regards to the fans of Tim Tebow: You either loved him or hated him. Similar to the New York Yankees, Dallas Cowboys, or A.J. Pierzynski. He was a very, very good college player. The offense Urban Meyer ran for him suited his talent. He was never a good passer. He threw for only 21 touchdowns his senior season and during his first three years at Florida, he was only a 65% passer. Most people thought that his skills couldn't translate to the NFL (see Eric Crouch, Vince Young, and Pat White).
I'm not questioning Tebow's running ability. I think he could be fullback similar to Mike Alstoff or a beefy running back a la Mike Tolbert. A rare blend of size and speed. But a quarterback? I think not. Going into the 2010 NFL Draft there was a disagreement even amongst "experts"
Tony Dungy said that he would take Tebow in the top 10 of the draft and the first quarterback taken (Sam Bradford went #1 that year)
Mel Kiper said that he couldn't be a full time quarterback and projected him as as second/third round pick
Denver took him 26th overall and Tebow saw limited playing time, going 1-2 as a starter. Kyle Orton was the starter opening the 2011 season but was benched at half time during week 5 with Tebow coming in to relieve him. The rest, they say, is history: Down 15 with less than 5 minutes to go against Miami, only to come back and win in overtime. A fourth-quarter drive against the Chargers to win on Thursday Night Football. He followed that up with 2 straight come-from-behind wins against the Vikings and Bears. Following the game against Chicago, Denver was 7-5 and sitting atop the AFC West.
After considering all this, I've come up with one realization. Tebow is a BAD quarterback and all of this LUCK will catch up to him. Similar to a rookie baseball player who mashes the stuffing out of the ball for the first week he's in the bigs, only to be never heard from again after the opposition figures out the hole in their swing.
On the season, Tebow is a 48.5% passer. 48.5%!!!! That is by far the worst in the NFL this season. The NFL is a passing league and you've got to put some fear in the opposition that you can actually beat them down the field. In week 7 against Kansas City, Tebow went 2-8 for 69 yards. That's only the fifth time in the last 31 years that a QB has thrown 2 or fewer passes and won the game. In week 14 against the Bears, Tebow did not complete a pass in the second and third quarters. In all but two games this season, Tebow completed fewer than 14 passes.
Like I said before, Tebow is a great runner, but he's not a quarterback. Over the long haul, he can't sustain his putrid play through 3 quarters only to pull a rabbit out of his hat at the end of the game. He has an awkward, slow, delivery. Tebow's only thrown two interceptions this season, but that's only because some of his passes are so horrible that there's not even a defender anywhere nearby.
Remeber Vince Young? He took the league by storm with his combination of running and throwing in Tennesee after dominating at Texas. Where is he now? Backing up Mike Vick in Philadelphia. Vick, on the other hand, is the sole exception to the rule. He is a freak of an athlete and he has a rocket for an arm. Tebow is built like a linebacker, but plays a quarterback on the field.
America loves Tebow. America loves a good story, especially about someone who is as likable as Tebow. Every sentence includes at least one reference to Jesus or God. With some of the wins that Tebow has pulled out, it makes you wonder if there is some higher power at work. Eventually people will look past all the window dressing and see what I've seen ever since his sophomore year at Florida:
Tebow's act will be fun for a year, but by this time next season, he will be either on the bench or fans in Denver will be calling for Brady Quinn because opponents will figure out a game plan that will stop Tebow in his tracks. Similar to the wildcat in Miami. Enjoy this ride while it lasts Tebow fans, the end is in sight.
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