FanPost

Jesus, I got what I wished for. Now what!

 

I have thought all along that for the team and Tebow to develop, he needed to play games, not languish on the bench.

Gulp! Now, I worry that right now, with the Broncos, its not the right time. It seems that "the right time" has more to do with the team going no where and Orton's "chokes" than it does an  itemized list of why Tebow should start now.

I think if Tebow could complete, say, 2 or 3 more passes a game than his usual, it will eventually work IF he doesn't get hurt.

The other things is that no matter how good a QB is, he has only so much time on a losing team before he takes on the taint of a loser. 

I am also worried about Fox and his distaste for developing young players. I encourage you to read a post by Bengoodfella who has a number of troubling details about Fox and young players, particularly QBs: link 

The long post was a point-by-point refuting of Woody Paige and his perceived love of Tim Tebow. The point I'm sharng in his post is the one where he details reasons why Fox hates young players and is not interested in developing them. His essential point is the following: ". ..I just laughed at this because the only way Fox would change quarterbacks in Carolina was based on injury or death to his starter."

He cited the following to refute Woody Paige's assertion that Fox was willing to change quarterbacks based on performance: "Apparently in this [Woody;s] alternate universe he [Fox] had a willingness to switch quarterbacks based on performance and not based on an edict sent from the owner, the General Manager cutting Fox's favorite starter or because of an injury to Fox's favorite starter. He [Fox] tends to stick with his guys to the very bitter end."

Now, I know that some will say Fox's decision to start Tebow now proves that he will change based on performance. But we don't know who among the owner and EFX had any influence on Fox.

I say this because Bengoodfella  goes on to cite other examples: "Jake Delhomme was cut from the roster for the simple reason he would have been the starter had he been on the roster. Fox's "willingness" to switch quarterbacks was forced on him by the front office and by injuries to Fox's other "guy," Matt Moore."

Moore suffered a concussion so Fox started Clausen since he was the last QB and not starting him meant the "wild cat" with no acutal QB. Still, "Fox had the offense run the Wildcat offense and refused to throw the ball for nearly an entire game."
Clausen struggled for three games in the Fox system, and then Fox went back to Moore, the more veteran QB.

Moore was hurt again, so Clausen ws nambed the starter but the Panthers went out and signed St. Pierere, "who was retired, and 5 days later he started a game for the Panthers.

Bengoodfella concludes with the following: "John Fox would rather have signed a veteran quarterback off the street and 5 days later have him start an NFL game, than start Clausen. This says a lot about Clausen's talent level and about how Fox feels about young quarterbacks."

Bengoodfella also addresses what we Denver fans went through about the "open competition" for QB during TC and the "Orton is the starter" announcement before preseason games even ended. He says, "Anyone who has followed Fox's coaching career would know Orton would have that starting job, almost regardless of what Tebow did."

That's his opinion, but it sure fits what we saw, including Fox's "best chance to win" mantra.

So, my bottom line is that I didn't really address all the reasons that many MHR members listed as reasons why they were leary of Tebow starting in this kind of situtation.

I had heard that Fox had a reputation for favoring veterans and had no expertise in developing young QB's in particular. I also had heard him called stubborn, but i didn't have anything other than general examples. However, after reading Bengoodfella's post from 9/7/11, I'm even more worried about Fox, particularly the information that the Carolina owner and GM cut some of the veterans Fox always came back to in order to give younger players a chance to develop.

We know that Carolina drafted Cam Newton AND got rid of Fox. Carolina's offense is now totally different, and much more successful. I am guessing, but it sure looks like the FO in Carolina did not think Cam Newton and John Fox were compatible. Until I see Fox behave differently than he has up until now, I stay worried.

I would hope that Elway will balance off Fox. I suspect that we are moving into uncharted waters with what Carolina avoided by separating Cam Newton and John Fox.Tebow has said that he has improved his mechanics and given example of times when his timing has been late, resulting in his holding the ball or running when the receiver broke open and he wasn't ready to throw. His diagnosis at the time was that more "reps" was the solution. It looks like he will get more reps, now, and I hope he's right.

I have also read that Fox's "smashed mouth" football will take some of the pressure off him. I hope that is the case, but Tebow did better in games last year when the game plan was opened up. I shudder to think that he will have to run Fox's traditional conservative style 100% of the time. That would also be boring to fans, and frustrate the excitement Tebow can bring to a game.

I just hope that Elway can balance Fox's long-standing reputation, without undercutting him, which will only be possible it Fox buys in whole heartedly to Tebow.Actually I don't even know if Elway thinks any differently than Fox, but I assume he has the QB expertise if he is so inclinded 

I suspect there needs to be some change in game plans for Tebow, but also some continuation of Fox's system. I don't have confidence that Fox can do that on his own, nor do I think he can have a veto over everything new coming in.

It will be quite a challenge to the organization, but it will fail if the notion is to just plug Tebow into the Fox system and see if he "earns" his starter role.    

This is a Fan-Created Comment on MileHighReport.com. The opinion here is not necessarily shared by the editorial staff of MHR.