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It happened much sooner than I ever thought would be possible considering how training camp and preseason went down, but Tim Tebow is now the starter for the Denver Broncos. It's no secret that I felt Tebow should have been the starter this year, until training camp that is. As good as Kyle Orton looked and how bad Tebow was, it just appeared obvious to me who gave us the best chance to win.
I never thought Orton would succumb to the pressure of Tebow sitting on the bench as badly as he did. Kyle Orton is a better quarterback than what we have witnessed over the past several weeks, however, he is no longer able to hold off the rising tide of The Tebow. A Foxism seems appropriate here, "It is what it is."
The thing that kills me is the expectation levels here. There is a group of people who are just chomping at the bit to hammer Tebow for every mistake he is about to make, while another group is anxious to proclaim him King of the World for being our football savior. Let's get real okay?
The fact about this team is that its not very good. Yet. The running game is hit or miss at times, as is the defense. This organization is still at least a draft or two away from emerging from the last four disastrous years. We just made a change at quarterback to a guy who is realistically 2-4 years from figuring the NFL out. I think he'll succeed, but its going to take time and my biggest fear is that the Broncos will end up Steve Young's Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with Tebow ending up taking the reins from Peyton Manning or Tom Brady a few years from now.
With the way things are going, this is a distinct possibility. I am happy Tebow is playing, because one more game of playing for what was instead of what is would have been too much for me. I just hope it works out long term, because the next 11 weeks are going to be rough for Tebow and the Broncos.
You might disagree, but Tim Tebow isn't ready yet. He will have breath-taking ups and frustrating downs - it will be exciting for sure. Why? Because Tebow is a "gamer". I like "gamers", but he isn't going to be an elite quarterback until he learns how to be consistent in his throws, his reads, and his footwork.
So that leads us back to the two groups of people, the attackers and the defenders. Get over yourselves. Try being objective about this situation. Tebow is a 3 game starter and Tebow is a 3 game starter. He isn't going to be Tom Brady and he isn't going to be Tom Brady. See how I did that? Both sides are digging in already, I could see it in the last couple of posts on MHR. It is okay for Tebow to make mistakes, he is supposed to. Why? Because he isn't ready. But that doesn't matter anymore, he is the best option we now have.
What we need to look for is improvement over the next 11 games. I'm not talking about the late game improvisation that we already know he can do. I am talking about the other 3 quarters of the football game. He needs to score points in the first quarter, in the second and in the third. If he can put up 14 points in the 4th quarter, then he needs to do it in other quarters too.
I have decided to be cautiously optimistic. No overreactions, no proclamations, no stats, just patience and fortitude. By Week 11, we should all know in our hearts if Tebow is improving and getting better. So if he makes a mistake, criticize. If he makes a great play, congratulate. However, let's save the noose and pitchforks for the 2012 offseason, because if Tebow doesn't play the team out of position of the quarterbacks in the 2012 draft, then he will not have secured himself a starting job. The ball is in his hands now, so its time to find out just how much of a "gamer" he is.
The Tebow has been Unleashed.