So, word just got released that Tim Tebow will be the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos, taking over for Kyle Orton.
I see only two possible reasons for this - 1. The Broncos are 1-4 and want to see what potential Tebow has for future clubs and 2. Due to the Broncos poor record and low expectations, starting Tebow could help attract fans to the games. There have been a number of Broncos fans clamoring for Tebow to start.
Outside of the two before-mentioned reasons, I personally see no reason to start Tebow. He seems like a nice guy and all the power to him to get involved in the community and put his fame and money to good use. However, I highly doubt he'll ever be a good NFL quarterback. While, as I mentioned recently, I have not bought into the hype surrounding rookie quarterback Cam Newton, I'm very skeptical of the idea that Tebow can become a quality professional quarterback. Newton is quicker, has a stronger throwing arm and has better passing mechanics than Tebow. He also has a receiver in Steve Smith whom makes it easy for him to stretch the field where he can just throw it 40 yards and know Smith has a decent chance of catching it and if he catches it in stride, can take it in for six. Tebow, on the other hand, while a good runner for a NFL quarterback, is not too fleet a foot. He also lacks in passing mechanics, which will hurt him at this level, especially after he's played a few games and defenses have tape of him to adjust to those very mechanics. The guy has more of a windup throwing the ball than Justin Verlander.
Kyle Orton is not having a great season thus far, but has had a decent NFL career to this point, with his best season coming a year ago, where he threw for 3,653 yards, 20 touchdowns, 9 interceptions and a quarterback rating of 87.5. For his career, he's thrown for 13,753 yards, 79 touchdowns, 55 interceptions and a rating of 79.4. He's also run for 278 yards and 3 touchdowns. This year, he's thrown for 979 yards, 8 touchdowns, 7 picks and a rating of 75.7. Again, not earth-shattering number, but good enough to where if he garners some help from the other 10 players on offense, the Broncos should score some points. As far as NFL quarterbacks go, I'd probably give Orton somewhere between a B- and C+.
Tebow, meanwhile, has a very small sample size. He's thrown for 733 yards, 6 touchdowns, 3 interceptions and a quarterback rating of 84.2. He's also run for 264 yards and 7 touchdowns. For being used sparingly, these are pretty good numbers. However, there's one stat I haven't shown yet and that's completion percentage. Tebow has completed just 48.9% of his passes and was just 4 for 10 last week.
Who knows, Tebow could prove me and other doubters wrong, but unless he improves his passing mechanics and accuracy, I can't see the guy being anything more than an average NFL quarterback.
Tebow and the Broncos will have an extra week to gel, as they have a bye week this coming Sunday, before heading to Miami to face the Dolphins. They'll then take on the unbeaten Detroit Lions at home, and then go on the road to face two AFC West teams in the Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs.
I see only two possible reasons for this - 1. The Broncos are 1-4 and want to see what potential Tebow has for future clubs and 2. Due to the Broncos poor record and low expectations, starting Tebow could help attract fans to the games. There have been a number of Broncos fans clamoring for Tebow to start.
Outside of the two before-mentioned reasons, I personally see no reason to start Tebow. He seems like a nice guy and all the power to him to get involved in the community and put his fame and money to good use. However, I highly doubt he'll ever be a good NFL quarterback. While, as I mentioned recently, I have not bought into the hype surrounding rookie quarterback Cam Newton, I'm very skeptical of the idea that Tebow can become a quality professional quarterback. Newton is quicker, has a stronger throwing arm and has better passing mechanics than Tebow. He also has a receiver in Steve Smith whom makes it easy for him to stretch the field where he can just throw it 40 yards and know Smith has a decent chance of catching it and if he catches it in stride, can take it in for six. Tebow, on the other hand, while a good runner for a NFL quarterback, is not too fleet a foot. He also lacks in passing mechanics, which will hurt him at this level, especially after he's played a few games and defenses have tape of him to adjust to those very mechanics. The guy has more of a windup throwing the ball than Justin Verlander.
Kyle Orton is not having a great season thus far, but has had a decent NFL career to this point, with his best season coming a year ago, where he threw for 3,653 yards, 20 touchdowns, 9 interceptions and a quarterback rating of 87.5. For his career, he's thrown for 13,753 yards, 79 touchdowns, 55 interceptions and a rating of 79.4. He's also run for 278 yards and 3 touchdowns. This year, he's thrown for 979 yards, 8 touchdowns, 7 picks and a rating of 75.7. Again, not earth-shattering number, but good enough to where if he garners some help from the other 10 players on offense, the Broncos should score some points. As far as NFL quarterbacks go, I'd probably give Orton somewhere between a B- and C+.
Tebow, meanwhile, has a very small sample size. He's thrown for 733 yards, 6 touchdowns, 3 interceptions and a quarterback rating of 84.2. He's also run for 264 yards and 7 touchdowns. For being used sparingly, these are pretty good numbers. However, there's one stat I haven't shown yet and that's completion percentage. Tebow has completed just 48.9% of his passes and was just 4 for 10 last week.
Who knows, Tebow could prove me and other doubters wrong, but unless he improves his passing mechanics and accuracy, I can't see the guy being anything more than an average NFL quarterback.
Tebow and the Broncos will have an extra week to gel, as they have a bye week this coming Sunday, before heading to Miami to face the Dolphins. They'll then take on the unbeaten Detroit Lions at home, and then go on the road to face two AFC West teams in the Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs.
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