TIM TEBOW
January 16, 2012
Is there a logical reason for all the Tim Tebow hate that transpired this season? If there is, I haven’t found one, and I’ve looked all year long. I was never a Florida Gator fan and I barely knew who Tebow was during his college years. But I had seen him on Sportscenter highlights and when he was drafted by the Broncos, I started paying him a bit more attention.
When the Broncos sucked it up in the 2010 season, I wondered why they weren’t playing that Tebow kid they drafted. Sure he was a rookie, but why not see what he can do? And you know what? They did just that when they played the Houston Texans, a game in which Tebow lead the Broncos from a 17-0 deficit at halftime to victory.
That’s when I believed the Broncos, who after that game had a 4-11 record, should play Tebow as starter. Their record couldn’t get much worse, could it? But, as we all know, Broncos brass decided to start Orton this season and went 1-4 under his “performance.” They put in Tebow and miracles began happening. Come back wins. Game-winning fourth quarter drives. Overtime magic shows.
Clearly, this kid is a winner – and not only on the field, but off it as well. Many articles have been written of his philanthropic work and his amazing too-good-to-be-true-but-it-is character, so I won’t rehash it here.
So why the hate? I’ve identified three possible reasons: 1.) you’re a fan of another AFC West team, 2.) you don’t like his unconventional (zone-read-option) style, 3.) you don’t like him talking about God and Jesus Christ.
The first reason is the only understandable reason, and even then, you must give him credit as a skilled quarterback.
Those hating on his unconventional play style need to read up on their NFL history. First off, passing wasn’t initially a part of football, in fact it was illegal. Secondly, the NFL has a history of evolving and going through phases. Lastly, if it ultimately wins the game and works for the Broncos, why complain? The quarterback's job is to be a game manager - lead your team to a victory and manage the clock.
Critics point out that the zone-read-option is not sustainable over the course of multiple seasons. With a Coach like John Fox at the helm, I’d agree. Fox only unleashed Tebow’s potential for one game; the Pittsburgh Steelers Wildcard matchup. Tebow must be allowed to pass more than only on third downs. The zone-read-option cannot be used every play, nor will merely handing off to McGahee work every play. There needs to be variety.
The Patriots handed the Broncos defeat in the divisional round because John Fox miscalled the game. Belichick is hard enough to coach against, but when you run a highly predictable game plan against him, you might as well prepare for the offseason.
Another component of Tebow’s play style is his lack of passing accuracy. Does he throw a perfect spiral? No, far from it. But saying “Tebow can’t pass” ignores all the evidence to the contrary. Yes, he does have less than a 50-percent completion rating for the season, but that also includes throw-aways and dropped passes. Tebow passed great against the Patriots during their first meetup in regular season and just look at his passing against the Steelers! Wow!
He can pass when John Fox unleashes him. Forcing him to only pass in high pressure 3-and-long plays and expecting a 100-percent completion rating is ludicrous.
To those that hate Tebow for his outspoken Christian character, I ask you, is it not better than the scandals, criminal accusations, and hate spoken by other athletes? I welcome Tebow spreading the Word of God; him using the post-game podium to do that is vastly preferable to having a player use the podium to rant or take shots at another player.
So, where does the Tebow train go from here, now that the season is over? Right to his first critical offseason. Remember, due to the lockout, he did not have offseason practice in 2011. If John Elway makes good on his word to help him during the offseason, and if John Fox can open his playbook some more, I believe we’ll see a much improved Tebow next season.
The larger question, I feel, is if Denver can add some decent receivers and a dependable tight-end to its roster next year.
The NFL was so much more interesting to watch this year with a polarizing figure like Tebow playing under center. And that's coming from a Steelers fan. Who says the NFL can't be entertaining?
Final thought: Tebow’s record for his first 16 starts is better than that of Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, and Eli Manning.
