I look back on that one season Tim Tebow had in Denver, and I know that's the highest he's ever going to go. That one season was an incredible mix of huge media coverage, and a fundamentally flawed player who had something that made his team win down the stretch. It got to the point where every Monday I'd wake up, turn on SportsCenter, and see analysts arguing for three different five minute segments about how Tim Tebow played yesterday.
He came in after the bye week and won 7 of the next 8, the last win coming against the Chicago Bears in overtime. Almost all the wins came in dramatic fashion after his repeated mistakes during the game. He had built almost a cult following, not just in Denver, but all across the country. However, it didn't extend to the QB experts on any of the sports networks. They all thought his throwing motion was flawed, he couldn't read defenses, and he should be counted lucky for all those wins. It appeared they were right when the Broncos lost their next three games, including a 41-23 drubbing at the hands of the New England Patriots. They eked into the playoffs at 8-8 on tiebreakers in a putrid AFC West.
Then came the Wild Card game. Because of one of the NFL's many stupid rules, the 8-8 division winning Broncos got the home game against the 12-4 wild card Pittsburgh Steelers, who allowed the fewest passing yards, points, and total yards that season. Everyone was taking the Steelers, the previous year's AFC champs. The Broncos got it into overtime, somehow, and elected to receive. They never gave the Pittsburgh offense a chance. On the first play from scrimmage, Tebow connected with Demaryius Thomas for an 80-yard touchdown.
Pause. Tebow is Tebowing in the end zone, and the Denver crowd is losing their drunken minds.
This is the best it's going to get for Tim Tebow.
After that season he was traded to the Jets once John Elway got Peyton Manning. Tebow in New York was too much media attention. The Jets hardly used him all year. It was a wasted season, an unmitigated disaster. Tebow not only got worse, but I think he lost his manic drive and confidence. That season also killed Mark Sanchez's confidence with Tebow behind him. Leave it to the Jets to ruin two of their own quarterbacks in one season. After the season New England picked him up, and people thought "Well, if anyone knows how to use him it's Bill Belichick." Not so. Released before the regular season started. He couldn't throw in preseason.
Today on Sunday NFL Countdown on ESPN, there was a segment showing former QB Trent Dilfer working with Tebow on everything about being a quarterback (which begs the question: if you could pick a QB to work with you, why Trent Dilfer? I realize he was a fundamentally sound QB but... he wasn't a master or anything). Dilfer said at the end that if you put Tebow out there with any other QB in the NFL and just watch the flight of the ball, you wouldn't know which one is Tebow's.
Maybe so, but there's a lot more to playing QB. I don't see Tebow coming back, not just because of his inability to read the defense, but because he already got three chances. Even in New England, they couldn't salvage him. In the NFL, three chances is too many. Of course, I could be wrong. Tebow definitely showed flashes in Denver, and I respect his ability to win at the end of games. I just think that the Jets management mishandled that year so badly that Tebow couldn't come back.
The lesson, as always: the Jets suck.
