Denver NeedsTebow To Start

Tim Tebow at Broncos training camp

The talk of whether or not Tim Tebow should be the starting Quarterback for the Denver Broncos is compelling on a level that I have never seen before.

QB battles, or controversies as they're often called, are pretty common in the NFL. There are only a handful of elite players that have the total package and bus loads of unproven guys with high potential. In the last couple years we've had Vince Young vs Kerry Collins in Tennessee. Donovan McNabb vs Kevin Kolb and then Vick vs Kolb in Philly. Brady Quinn vs Derek Anderson in Cleveland, and there was always the toss up of which one of Jon Gruden’s 7 QB’s in Tampa would start for the Buccaneers. Hell, in 2005 perennial Pro Bowlers Phillip Rivers and Drew Brees were battling it out in Sad Diego.

These “controversies” typically arise because one player fails to stand out from the next and the coaching staff has difficulty deciding who gives them the best chance to win. This one is a little different though. There’s one group of people adamant that Tebow should be starting while another believes playing Kyle Orton is the obvious choice. Both sides think playing their guy is a no-brainer and this has created the so called quarterback controversy. The only problem is, the Orton group consists of coaches, teammates and NFL analysts-you know, people who actually know what they’re talking about. While team Tebow is made up primarily of fans and LeBron James-who ingeniously came out in support of the former Gators star (given LBJ's track record, I have to think it was more accidental then a well devised plan, but still, a genius move to hitch himself to the Tebow fan-wagon)

We know that Tebow has an abundance of fans-he had the number 1 selling jersey in the NFL in his rookie campaign and has a best selling autobiography-but the majority of people are more fans of his character and legend than his actual football talent. Having a discussion with these fans reminds me of Jerry McGuire going back and forth with the little kid in the back seat. You can’t win. If you say that he’s not accurate enough and has a slow winding delivery that will never work in today’s NFL, they always counter with, “he’s a winner! A  hard worker and great leader”. Ok? That was never in question. The question with Tebow has always been about his mechanics and most importantly, accuracy.

Everyone agrees that his work ethic, morals, character and leadership skills are legendary-I firmly believe that Tim Tebow could motivate a vegan to drink a meat smoothie-but none of those traits can overcome for a lack of ability. If you can’t consistently hit a 15 yard out route you’re not going to succeed at the NFL level. Period.

ESPN NFL analyst Merril Hoge, who was in Denver for the Broncos training camp, had some harsh criticism of Timmy. Tweeting, “It’s embarrassing to think the Broncos could win with Tebow! I just watched him throw five out routes to a wide open receiver. He went 1-for-5. Two went in the stands.” Hoge also said, “That throwing motion he changed? You can’t change who you are! Just watched two throws and he throws like he did in college! College credentials do not transfer to the NFL, rah-rah speeches do not work. You must possess skill set to play! Tebow struggles with accuracy!”

Tebow responded by saying that he’s not as much of a practice player as he is a gamer and I say we let him prove it. There’s absolutely no reason not to and here’s why.

Whether they like it or not the Broncos have invested a 1st round pick and over $10 million in Tebow. At some point, they have to throw him in and see what he’s got. Otherwise, they'll be in this exact same boat next year.(they got a baby sample last year after Orton bruised his ribs. Tebow started the final 3 games. He went 1-2, had a few highlight reel plays but completed only 50% of his throws and 23% of his passes were errant-meaning 1 out 0f every 4 passes weren’t even in the vicinity of the intended receiver)

The Broncos front office has made it clear that they don’t believe they can win with Orton who went 3-10 as the starter last year. They tried to nip this whole controversy in the bud by trading Orton but couldn’t come to terms with the Dolphins. But even if Timmy plays like the second coming of Ryan Leaf, how much worse could he be than 3-10?

Add to that the Luck factor. Experts are hailing Stanford QB Andrew Luck as the best prospect since, well, maybe ever. With former Denver and Stanford star John Elway coming on as an executive vice president; you have to believe the Broncos would love nothing more than to add Luck next season.

I can’t see Tebow being a mediocre pro. He’s either going be an amazing play maker or a turnover machine. He had a wow moment during a scramble in the Broncos 1st preseason game. Dodging would be tacklers and stealing an Adrian Peterson move throwing a Cowboys defender out of bounds before cutting back across the entire field and connecting on a pass to Britt Davis. The play showcased Tebow’s playmaking ability. However, there were also 3 penalties on the Broncos as a result and they failed to convert on the 3^rd down. So, there’s that. He threw a nice deep ball early in the 2^nd quarter but also had a terrible interception that was overturned by a penalty. And while the stats say he went 6/7 for 91 yards, 4 of those completions were on short passes and 3 were thrown behind the receiver. He also has reverted back to his old throwing motion and displayed happy feet in the pocket.

I’m more confused after watching that game game than I was before. But what do they really risk in starting him, not being able to go 6-10?  Why not throw the kid in and see if he really is the savior. If he fails to show signs of greatness, it will most likely coincide with putting the Broncos in contention for Andrew Luck. Giving him another year to develop will put them in the same predicament next season-only without the possible Luck-y outcome.