Wednesday, February 1, 2012

It’s Time to Get Tim Tebow Out of Town

 Blasphemous, egregious, call it the rhetoric of a traitor, but it’s time to trade Tim Tebow. It’s the only way the Denver Broncos and Tebow can move forward with their collective NFL fates. Tebow took the reigns of a hapless (1-4) team to (8-8), a division championship, followed by a 316 yard passing game in a playoff win against the NFL’s best defense, the Pittsburgh Steelers. He eclipsed numerous playoff passing records previously held by John Elway.

Remember that uncomfortable feeling after the Broncos had a miraculous comeback against the New York Jets, Tebow leading the charge with his feet on a late 20-yard touchdown run. Elway’s smile was authentic as a real housewife. Coach John Fox commented on the turnaround, carefully tightrope walking the line to avoid excessive praise for his young quarterback.

We know what happened in Tennessee when Head Coach Jeff Fisher never fully supported Vince Young who ironically has a skill set very similar to Tebow.

In Denver, the Coach that drafted him, Josh McDaniel’s is gone and back with the New England Patriots. Elway and Fox didn’t hand pick him and never would have. Winning, however changes things, but apparently not enough for Elway to definitively say Tim Tebow is their franchise quarterback. John Elway wants a quarterback in his image, a pass first guy who can scramble out of the pocket when the play breaks down, not one whose plays are designed for him to use his feet.

All season, we watched as Coach Fox restrained Tebow through three quarters, only letting him loose in a tight fourth quarter contest.

Now, fans are erratic emotional creatures and they should be, that’s what makes them fans, but Elway is the impartial judge and jury. He believes deep down this option-style is not sustainable long-term. The Broncos aren’t in the business of finishing (8-8) and squeaking into the playoffs in a turmoil-ridden AFC West.

They are in the business of winning Super Bowl championships.

After the Broncos were shellacked at the hands of the Patriots, Elway said Tebow would be the quarterback at the start of training camp, stressing the words ‘at the start’, his enthusiasm somewhere between librarian and study hall monitor.

For the sake of both parties, let the Tebow circus go to an organization that will use it as diesel fuel. How about the glitzy Miami Dolphins where owners include Jennifer Lopez, Fergie, and Serena Williams? Tebow will have an elite wide receiver in Brandon Marshall to bomb it down the sideline to and a resurgent Reggie Bush run game. 

See, the trouble with Tim Tebow as your quarterback is because of his playing style, you have to build the team around him; an organization has to be all in. The Broncos aren’t willing to even proclaim him their franchise quarterback for next season, let alone draft and sign player’s who will be an extension of his style.

Tebow has all of the intangibles, but Elway will never be satisfied with 46% completion percentages, an octopus delivery, and throwing at receiver’s ankles. He could start next season 6-0 and still be in the statistical dog house. Let Tebow go to a team that actually wants and believes in him.

Getting rid of Tebow will require short-term patience from fans, the team will likely fall back to the bottom of the AFC West, but it’s a sacrifice for long-term solidity. With a full off-season and training camp, defenses will be able to study countless hours of film to exploit Tebow’s passing weaknesses, his ineptitude at the intermediate route, and inability to get rid of the ball quickly. The option-style that this year was successful guerrilla warfare will become exploited open-field combat, an undisguisable gimmick.  

Elway knows they snuck into the playoffs on a kicker’s foot, another team’s offensive miscue, and a defense playing over their mile-high altitude. Next season, when defenses have learned the secret’s of Tebow’s magic tricks what will happen?

Remember the preseason, when Tebow was reportedly demoted to fourth-string after a few lackluster practices. No matter how much he improves this offseason, he will never mirror Super Bowl winning MVP and boss, John Elway.

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