Quarter Till Tebow?

Tis’ this the season for Tim Tebow? 

Now that the Broncos’ season is all but in the books, many fans are wondering when Tebow will get the call to start or garner some significant playing time. Will it be half past an empty glass? If it is, Tebow’s time will come very soon.

 A 3-8 record will do that to some fans. So will a 45-point home loss to the Oakland Raiders. When the glass is half empty, as it is with the Broncos right now, throwing individuals to the wolves is a first-thought. Many would like to see Josh McDaniels in teeth’s way as well as some members of the coaching staff. They’re the brain behind the bronze on the field, so they’re easy #1 targets.
 

What I don’t understand is why people want to throw Tebow in now that the season is a wash. I understand that letting him develop and gain experience is what the people want. I don’t understand why a lot of attention is on this issue right now.

Kyle Orton is having a career year, and taking Orton out to let Tebow do what Orton has already been doing, but on a lesser level, just doesn’t strike a chord with me. 

We know the stats that Orton is airing out – he’s No. 1 in passing yards with 20 touchdowns and 6 INTs. He’s got his receivers on the same page as Brandon Lloyd is No. 1 in the league in receiving yards. Read the fine large print: The only place the Broncos don’t have an issue is at quarterback. Sure, they’re having trouble converting on third down (2-for-21 in their last two games), but that’s because they don’t have a running game. An unbalanced offense can even throw Orton off of his game. 

There’s no doubt that Tebow is productive when he’s on the field, but being productive as a quarterback is a different story. So far this season, he’s rushed for 3 TDs and thrown for another one. He enters the game in short-yardage situations, mostly near the goal-line. He’s been a very valuable threat in those situations, but there appears to be a very good reason why he’s not throwing the long balls as a rookie. It’s Kyle Orton – the man who has already proven himself this season and looks to be the quarterback of the future with Tebow learning along the way and coming in during special situations.

Why should Orton sit on the cold bench during his career year? Let him break a record or two and finish off the season on a strong note instead of being benched just because fans are singing the Tebow tune. Orton deserves that respect.

We should be more concerned with the Broncos’ weaknesses – the lack of running game, the inability to stop opposing offenses from racking up on average 29.4 points per game, the off-the-field drama that distracts from weekly game preparation.

Tebow will get his turn. Considering he’s being paid $40 million less than #1 pick Sam Bradford, let the kid develop on the sidelines by watching Orton, but giving him reps in practice. If you think that Tebow will fix this Broncos team immediately, then you’re got your’ve predominantly Florida glasses on. Take them off, and you’ll see a team that needs order – not rookie chaos. 

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