Lonestar
08-20-2010, 03:33 PM
Tebow's ferocious physicality could need taming in the NFL
By Mike Klis
Denver Post
POSTED: 08/20/2010 01:00:00 AM MDT
Hit heard 'round Broncos Nation: Tim Tebow takes a blast from two Bengals defenders in the end zone. (Joseph Fuque II, The Cincinnati Enquirer )
Taming Tim Tebow has begun.
For a second consecutive day, while the Broncos were finishing up training camp Thursday, the rambunctious rookie quarterback was locked up inside the trainer's room, the wild stallion equivalent of the barn.
All quarterbacks eventually learn bone-jarring contact is detrimental to present and long-term health. Breaking Tebow of his ferocious physicality may well be the greatest of challenges.
Though no one questioned the wisdom of Tebow's full-body hurdle into a two-tackler sandwich, and touchdown, on the final play of the Broncos' preseason game Sunday at Cincinnati, the play encapsulated the overriding concern of how the 245-pound quarterback is willing to put himself in harm's way.
"You've got to choose between smart decision and toughness," Broncos cornerback Andre Goodman said. "But when it's in you, it's in you. It's hard to run it off. I would imagine it's going to be tougher for him to learn that than most quarterbacks. I was watching him pace the sideline for the first half. You should have seen the look he had. He couldn't wait to get in the game."
Tebow's gallant first professional touchdown left him with bruised left ribs, courtesy of an unintentional but full-force helmet blast from Bengals linebacker Abdul Hodge. As Tebow's ribs absorbed the impact of Hodge's blow, the quarterback- turned-ball carrier was almost simultaneously struck on the right side by safety Kyries Hebert.
The touchdown was signaled, and Tebow slowly got up. Hebert was considerably slower to rise.
"Had he not tried to get it in on the last play of the game, I'm sure that would have been a bigger story," Broncos coach Josh McDaniels said. "Now, if it's the first quarter and you get a first down on a scramble, yeah, you try to preserve your body. I think that's the smartest thing to do. He hasn't been in that situation yet, so to judge him on what happened the other night in terms of being reckless,
I would say, is very unfair."
Safety vs. hard-core zeal
McDaniels' policy is to not make any injured player available to the media. No exceptions were made for the NFL's most well-known third-string quarterback.
Not that Tebow hasn't already been confronted with questions about his contact-seeking preferences. In October 2007, a story in the Palm Beach Post was headlined: "Hits on Tebow Worry Players."
A few days earlier, Tebow suffered a right shoulder injury during a 45-37 victory against Kentucky and linebacker Wesley Woodyard.
"We'll be like, 'Coach, you might need to chill out with Tebow,' " Florida receiver Percy Harvin said at the time. "They'll look at us and say, 'Yeah, we're going to start (giving more carries to the running backs), but in the heat of the moment, when we need those three yards, we've got to go to him.' "
Said Tebow then: "You have to be responsible for your teammates by staying healthy and not taking too many hits."
Tebow, thus, understands he needs to slide after crossing the first-down marker, or go out of bounds rather than take on an uncoiling safety.
But these self-preservation tricks are in contradiction to his genuine zeal for sacrificing self for team's sake.
"Of course, you want him to protect himself," Woodyard said. "But, honestly, as a defensive guy, we feed off it when you see your quarterback go out and track down people, show a hard-nosed mentality. We like that spirit from your quarterback."
Going on instinct
Post Poll - Broncos QBs
Which quarterback do you wish to see take the majority of snaps as the starter this year for the Denver Broncos?
Total Votes = 20316
Kyle Orton: The incumbent will flourish in his second season under coach Josh McDaniels.
43.14 %
Brady Quinn: Given a second chance in a new system, his vast potential will be realized.
22.55 %
Tim Tebow: Why wait? He has proven himself a winner at the highest levels of college ball.
34.29 %
Although there is no serious damage to Tebow's ribs, he is questionable to play Saturday night in the Broncos' second preseason game against Detroit.
He might play, because as a raw, talented rookie, he needs every preseason snap possible. He might not, because it appears the Broncos need him healthy for the regular season, starting with the opener Sept. 12 in his hometown of Jacksonville.
"The fella's got a nice game to him," Broncos linebacker Mario Haggan said. "He changes a defense like Vince Young and Michael Vick does. You can't sit back and play a lot of coverage — you've got to have a spy. So that opens up a lot of things when he's in there."
Case in point: Tebow's touchdown run at Cincinnati. He threw low for an incompletion on what should have been a touchdown pass with three seconds remaining. On the next and final play, he dropped back to pass again, only to see nobody between him and the end zone.
"Maybe in your eighth, ninth, 10th year, maybe you don't go headfirst into the end zone in the preseason," Broncos safety Brian Dawkins said. "But then again, when your juices get going, and you see that lane open up, your first instinct is to get going."
Cincinnati's defenders closed too late to stop Tebow from scoring; not too late to deliver a punishing blow. It's a swap Tebow's history suggests was worthwhile.
"I think what he did the other night — I hope all of our guys would have done," McDaniels said. "I'm sure he'll learn either the easy way or the hard way that you want to try to stay in this league as long as you can. And we'll help him do that."
Mike Klis: 303-954-1055 or mklis@denverpost.com
http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_15834758?source=rsssimplepiebroncos
By Mike Klis
Denver Post
POSTED: 08/20/2010 01:00:00 AM MDT
Hit heard 'round Broncos Nation: Tim Tebow takes a blast from two Bengals defenders in the end zone. (Joseph Fuque II, The Cincinnati Enquirer )
Taming Tim Tebow has begun.
For a second consecutive day, while the Broncos were finishing up training camp Thursday, the rambunctious rookie quarterback was locked up inside the trainer's room, the wild stallion equivalent of the barn.
All quarterbacks eventually learn bone-jarring contact is detrimental to present and long-term health. Breaking Tebow of his ferocious physicality may well be the greatest of challenges.
Though no one questioned the wisdom of Tebow's full-body hurdle into a two-tackler sandwich, and touchdown, on the final play of the Broncos' preseason game Sunday at Cincinnati, the play encapsulated the overriding concern of how the 245-pound quarterback is willing to put himself in harm's way.
"You've got to choose between smart decision and toughness," Broncos cornerback Andre Goodman said. "But when it's in you, it's in you. It's hard to run it off. I would imagine it's going to be tougher for him to learn that than most quarterbacks. I was watching him pace the sideline for the first half. You should have seen the look he had. He couldn't wait to get in the game."
Tebow's gallant first professional touchdown left him with bruised left ribs, courtesy of an unintentional but full-force helmet blast from Bengals linebacker Abdul Hodge. As Tebow's ribs absorbed the impact of Hodge's blow, the quarterback- turned-ball carrier was almost simultaneously struck on the right side by safety Kyries Hebert.
The touchdown was signaled, and Tebow slowly got up. Hebert was considerably slower to rise.
"Had he not tried to get it in on the last play of the game, I'm sure that would have been a bigger story," Broncos coach Josh McDaniels said. "Now, if it's the first quarter and you get a first down on a scramble, yeah, you try to preserve your body. I think that's the smartest thing to do. He hasn't been in that situation yet, so to judge him on what happened the other night in terms of being reckless,
I would say, is very unfair."
Safety vs. hard-core zeal
McDaniels' policy is to not make any injured player available to the media. No exceptions were made for the NFL's most well-known third-string quarterback.
Not that Tebow hasn't already been confronted with questions about his contact-seeking preferences. In October 2007, a story in the Palm Beach Post was headlined: "Hits on Tebow Worry Players."
A few days earlier, Tebow suffered a right shoulder injury during a 45-37 victory against Kentucky and linebacker Wesley Woodyard.
"We'll be like, 'Coach, you might need to chill out with Tebow,' " Florida receiver Percy Harvin said at the time. "They'll look at us and say, 'Yeah, we're going to start (giving more carries to the running backs), but in the heat of the moment, when we need those three yards, we've got to go to him.' "
Said Tebow then: "You have to be responsible for your teammates by staying healthy and not taking too many hits."
Tebow, thus, understands he needs to slide after crossing the first-down marker, or go out of bounds rather than take on an uncoiling safety.
But these self-preservation tricks are in contradiction to his genuine zeal for sacrificing self for team's sake.
"Of course, you want him to protect himself," Woodyard said. "But, honestly, as a defensive guy, we feed off it when you see your quarterback go out and track down people, show a hard-nosed mentality. We like that spirit from your quarterback."
Going on instinct
Post Poll - Broncos QBs
Which quarterback do you wish to see take the majority of snaps as the starter this year for the Denver Broncos?
Total Votes = 20316
Kyle Orton: The incumbent will flourish in his second season under coach Josh McDaniels.
43.14 %
Brady Quinn: Given a second chance in a new system, his vast potential will be realized.
22.55 %
Tim Tebow: Why wait? He has proven himself a winner at the highest levels of college ball.
34.29 %
Although there is no serious damage to Tebow's ribs, he is questionable to play Saturday night in the Broncos' second preseason game against Detroit.
He might play, because as a raw, talented rookie, he needs every preseason snap possible. He might not, because it appears the Broncos need him healthy for the regular season, starting with the opener Sept. 12 in his hometown of Jacksonville.
"The fella's got a nice game to him," Broncos linebacker Mario Haggan said. "He changes a defense like Vince Young and Michael Vick does. You can't sit back and play a lot of coverage — you've got to have a spy. So that opens up a lot of things when he's in there."
Case in point: Tebow's touchdown run at Cincinnati. He threw low for an incompletion on what should have been a touchdown pass with three seconds remaining. On the next and final play, he dropped back to pass again, only to see nobody between him and the end zone.
"Maybe in your eighth, ninth, 10th year, maybe you don't go headfirst into the end zone in the preseason," Broncos safety Brian Dawkins said. "But then again, when your juices get going, and you see that lane open up, your first instinct is to get going."
Cincinnati's defenders closed too late to stop Tebow from scoring; not too late to deliver a punishing blow. It's a swap Tebow's history suggests was worthwhile.
"I think what he did the other night — I hope all of our guys would have done," McDaniels said. "I'm sure he'll learn either the easy way or the hard way that you want to try to stay in this league as long as you can. And we'll help him do that."
Mike Klis: 303-954-1055 or mklis@denverpost.com
http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_15834758?source=rsssimplepiebroncos