There is one issue that has captured national attention and polarized the nation. Lines have been drawn, and sides have been chosen. It is full of acrimonious debate and strong opinions.
I am of course referring to the Denver Broncos' backup quarterback battle.
Okay, so maybe that was a little over-the-top, although reading some of the comments left on message boards and seeing how much attention is being paid to this, I'm not so sure. Head Coach John Fox must be amused and/or exasperated with answering all these questions about players who, if all goes according to plan, won't play much, if at all, this season.
Here's some background information for those of you who are blissfully unaware. Last year, then-Coach Josh McDaniels traded three picks to trade up and draft Florida quarterback Tim Tebow in the first round. It was a surprising and controversial move because most draft pundits didn't have Tebow graded as a first round talent. Despite his collegiate successes, there were significant questions about his ability to translate to the NFL game.
Tebow is an interesting case. One of the most highly-decorated collegiate players of all time, and considered by many to be the best college football player ever, he won the Heisman trophy as a sophomore (the first underclassman ever to do so) and led Florida to two BCS championships. He possesses a tremendous work ethic, high character, good morals, and by all accounts is a great guy and awesome role model. He is also a devout Christian.
Naturally, he is also one of the most polarizing figures in American sports.
There are appears to be no middle ground with Tebow. His followers seem to believe that any criticisms are without merit and caused simply by his religion. Tebow came on in relief last season and started the last three games for the Broncos after Kyle Orton went down, going 1-2 but playing fairly well for a rookie. The team played with a spunk that had been missing, and he lead several comebacks when the team was down.
Going into the 2011 season, new coach John Fox promised there would be a quarterback competiting between Tebow, Orton, and Brady Quinn. Orton was the best quarterback throughout training camp and preseason and won the competition early on. Tebow followers were not happy, especially after it appeared that Quinn had passed Tebow for the #2 quarterback spot. Quinn has generally outperformed Tebow throughout the preseason until the final preseason game against Arizona when the former had a dismal night while the latter had a good game and accounted for Denver's only points.
Tebow's followers seem to believe there is some anti-Tebow conspiracy in play. They don't understand why he hasn't been annointed the starting quarterback. It's almost like they believe it's his birthright and should be handed to him. Never mind that he's a second-year quarterback who has significant areas in his game to improve. Never mind that Kyle Orton was on pace to set the single-season passing record for much of last year. THat doesn't matter. Tebow works hard and is a proven winner. He deserves it, or so the argument goes.
On the opposite end of the specturm, his critics have been rather harsh. They claim that he won't make it as an NFL quarterback. ESPN analyst Merril Hoge even tweeted that the idea the Broncos could win with Tebow was "laughable." Many other analysts such as Boomer Esiason and Steve Beuerlein have spoken out against the former Florida Gator.
There seems to be no middle ground here. I humorously wrote on Facebook after the Arizona game that there was indeed a quarterback controversy in Denver, but that it revolved around Adam Weber, an undrafted rookie free agent out of Minnesota who was cut and will likely end up on the practice squad. Based solely on misrepresenting stats, he was the best Broncos quarterback of the preseason. He completed 100% of his passes, average 89 yards per attempt, had a rating of 118.8, and even averaged 13 yards per rushing attempt. Granted, he played all of three plays, and his one throw was a 10-yard out that was turned into and 89-yard gain. He then scrambled for 13 yards on the last play of the game. I received some backlash about that from a Tebow supporter who didn't get my tongue-in-cheek post and thought I was serious.
What I find most odd is how people forget all the other details. People, we need to calm down and look at the facts. Kyle Orton is an experienced NFL veteran who played in a traditional passing offense at Purdue. He's also been a starter for several years in the NFL and is in his prime. Tebow is a second-year quarterback who played in a spread option offense in college. He's started all of three games in the NFL. It's always been known that he was going to need time to adjust to the NFL game and work on things. On top of that, the NFL lockout this summer meant that he wasn't able to work with Broncos coaches. That lack of instruction really hurt Tebow.
To Tebow supporters, relax. He's going to get his chance. Another year of sitting, learning from Orton and the coaches, and working on his game and mastery of the offense can only help Tebow, especially since he's known for his work ethic. There is no downside here. Plus, he plays such a physical style that spending a year not getting hit every week will help keep him fresh and healthy.
To Tebow critics, have some patience. Don't be so quick to judge the guy. Remember, he's a second-year quarterback. Young quarterbacks struggle, especially ones who didn't come from a pro-style offense in college. Yes, Ben Roethlisberger, Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco, and Sam Bradford performed well as rookies. They are exceptions. Peyton Manning struggled as a rookie, tossing a league-high 28 interceptions. Drew Brees struggled initially at San Diego, prompting the team to draft Philip Rivers. John Elway lined up under guard as a rookie and had his own struggles. Steve Young took a few years before he developed into a Hall of Fame quarterback. These guys all turned out okay. Let's give Tebow a chance to show what he can do before writing him off. Quarterback is the toughest position to play in football. Many guys have benefited from sitting for a year or more (Carson Palmer, Aaron Rodgers). Tebow may turn out the same way.
No comments:
Post a Comment