Denver Native (Carol)
08-22-2010, 12:57 PM
http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_15855055
If hardly extinguished, Tebowmania has at least been drenched.
Holding the firehouse hose is NFL reality.
So go away, CBS, Sports Illustrated, Fox Sports, NFL Sirius, NFL Network, NFL.com and the NFL United Kingdom. Find someone else to bother, you relentless gang of ESPN reporters. Boo-hoo, you Yahoo, you.
To the 13 national media representatives who came out specifically to see the wonders of Tim Tebow in training camp and Saturday night when the Broncos played the Detroit Lions in a preseason game at Invesco Field: Check back in two years.
The contract extension the Broncos just gave Kyle Orton through the 2011 season most likely means Tebow won't become a full-time NFL starting quarterback until 2012.
"Matt Ryan played right away and he played well, but I think it's an individual deal," UCLA offensive coordinator Norm Chow said. "I think the system from which you come can put you in an advantage if you come from that pro style."
Chow coached Vince Young for two years with the NFL's Tennessee Titans. Young, like Tebow, is a quarterback who was more accomplished as an athlete than a passer.
"I don't think Vince was ready because of where he came from. I don't think Tebow is quite ready because of where he came from. The intricacies of a pro passing game are unbelievable. It takes time."
Wise move to wait
With the possible exception of Tebow and those responsible for Tebow hysteria, placing the strapping, full-throttle, All-America quarterback on the NFL slow track is widely lauded for its wisdom.
"When Tim was taken in the first round, it was a surprise to so many of us that played the position and watched him," said former NFL quarterback Joe Theismann, who watched Tebow's preseason debut last week at Cincinnati.
"I would hope there isn't anybody who would say Tim Tebow was going to come in and start for the Broncos this year. It would have been too great an expectation for him."
Chow has coached his own Tebows in addition to Young, even if no one has matched Tebow's adoration quotient. At the college level, Chow coached Philip Rivers, Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart. Like Tebow, they were superstar college quarterbacks.
"Tebow's strength, obviously, is running the ball," Chow said. "And he's not going to be able to do that in the NFL. We tried to do some of that stuff my first year with Vince, and he had a little success. But once teams figured it out — which in the NFL it usually takes them a half, or a quarter to figure things out — it wasn't very effective anymore. All it's going to do is you're taking a lot of hits. And you're not going to survive if you take a lot of hits in the NFL."
Hence, Tebow did not play Saturday night in the Broncos' preseason game against the Lions. He didn't play because he suffered bruised ribs en route to his touchdown dive against the Bengals.
That game was typical Tebow. After No. 2 quarterback Brady Quinn struggled, Tebow brought instant energy to the game. He was able to employ his 245-pound frame to muscle two sacks into two completions. He took off like Mel Gibson in "The Patriot" while scoring from 7 yards out.
Changes won't workBut there was a disturbing element to Tebow's play that has many NFL quarterback aficionados concluding he has a ways to go.
"They said they were going to change his throwing style and that's a bunch of bologna," Chow said. "You don't change, in one summer, the throwing style a guy has been using for 20 years of his life."
Theismann was emphatic about the gravity of Tebow's throwing flaw.
"If you can't refine his delivery, then he's going to struggle to become a consistent quarterback," Theismann said.
Tebow's long, winding release was discussed before the NFL draft more than the national employment crisis. But there were reassuring comments from Broncos coach Josh McDaniels and legendary quarterback John Elway. And Tebow's work ethic seemed to twist the bad habit into an overrated concern.
"I remember Philip Rivers as a freshman, I called him the javelin thrower," Chow said. "Mike Holmgren (the former Green Bay and Seattle head coach) and I were friends, and I sent him a clip of Phil to see if he could help me. And Mike told me, 'You're not going to change this guy. Just make him good with the way he throws it.' We kind of chuckle about that now, because he still throws that way."
Rivers' quirky style works, but the delivery Tebow reverted to during the heat of preseason competition last week continues to be scrutinized.
"It's long and low," Theismann said. "Randall Cunningham had a long windup, but it was long and high. Tim's is long and low. The ball is away from his body a long time."
And so by giving another year of financial security to Orton, McDaniels inadvertently has — or maybe not so inadvertently — slammed the brakes on Tebowmania. The attention will resurface.
But after a while, interest in a backup quarterback, even a famous backup quarterback, will fade. For the first time in at least five years, Tebow may be able to go about his business away from the brightest spotlights, maybe even to an isolated area where young players go to harness their game.
Mike Klis: 303-954-1055 or mklis@denverpost.com
Unconventional development
Five other quarterbacks who, like Broncos rookie Tim Tebow, were better athletes than passers coming out of college:
Quarterback Team Rookie year First start
Bobby Douglass Bears 1969 6th game
Huge southpaw was arguably the strongest armed, best rushing and worst-passing QB ever. He had 968 yards rushing (previous QB rushing record was 530 yards) in 14-game season of 1972, but only 37.9 completion percentage.
Randall Cunningham Eagles 1985 2nd game
Replaced a shaky Ron Jaworski, but Cunningham went back to the bench after four starts. Cunningham didn't become a full-time starter until third season. All-time QB leader with 4,952 rushing yards.
Steve Young Bucs 1985 12th game
After two years in USFL and two years with lowly Tampa Bay, Young was Joe Montana's backup for 4 1/2 years in San Francisco until he became full-time starter at age 31. All-time QB rushing TD leader with 43.
Kordell Stewart Steelers 1995 1997
Former CU Buffs great was two-year "Slash" player before leading Pittsburgh to AFC championship game against Broncos in his first season as starting quarterback.
Michael Vick Falcons 2001 8th game
Went back to bench after completing 4-of-12 for 32 yards in starting debut. No. 1 overall draft pick became full-time starter in second year. Broke Douglass' season rushing record with 1,039 yards in 16-game season of 2006.
If hardly extinguished, Tebowmania has at least been drenched.
Holding the firehouse hose is NFL reality.
So go away, CBS, Sports Illustrated, Fox Sports, NFL Sirius, NFL Network, NFL.com and the NFL United Kingdom. Find someone else to bother, you relentless gang of ESPN reporters. Boo-hoo, you Yahoo, you.
To the 13 national media representatives who came out specifically to see the wonders of Tim Tebow in training camp and Saturday night when the Broncos played the Detroit Lions in a preseason game at Invesco Field: Check back in two years.
The contract extension the Broncos just gave Kyle Orton through the 2011 season most likely means Tebow won't become a full-time NFL starting quarterback until 2012.
"Matt Ryan played right away and he played well, but I think it's an individual deal," UCLA offensive coordinator Norm Chow said. "I think the system from which you come can put you in an advantage if you come from that pro style."
Chow coached Vince Young for two years with the NFL's Tennessee Titans. Young, like Tebow, is a quarterback who was more accomplished as an athlete than a passer.
"I don't think Vince was ready because of where he came from. I don't think Tebow is quite ready because of where he came from. The intricacies of a pro passing game are unbelievable. It takes time."
Wise move to wait
With the possible exception of Tebow and those responsible for Tebow hysteria, placing the strapping, full-throttle, All-America quarterback on the NFL slow track is widely lauded for its wisdom.
"When Tim was taken in the first round, it was a surprise to so many of us that played the position and watched him," said former NFL quarterback Joe Theismann, who watched Tebow's preseason debut last week at Cincinnati.
"I would hope there isn't anybody who would say Tim Tebow was going to come in and start for the Broncos this year. It would have been too great an expectation for him."
Chow has coached his own Tebows in addition to Young, even if no one has matched Tebow's adoration quotient. At the college level, Chow coached Philip Rivers, Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart. Like Tebow, they were superstar college quarterbacks.
"Tebow's strength, obviously, is running the ball," Chow said. "And he's not going to be able to do that in the NFL. We tried to do some of that stuff my first year with Vince, and he had a little success. But once teams figured it out — which in the NFL it usually takes them a half, or a quarter to figure things out — it wasn't very effective anymore. All it's going to do is you're taking a lot of hits. And you're not going to survive if you take a lot of hits in the NFL."
Hence, Tebow did not play Saturday night in the Broncos' preseason game against the Lions. He didn't play because he suffered bruised ribs en route to his touchdown dive against the Bengals.
That game was typical Tebow. After No. 2 quarterback Brady Quinn struggled, Tebow brought instant energy to the game. He was able to employ his 245-pound frame to muscle two sacks into two completions. He took off like Mel Gibson in "The Patriot" while scoring from 7 yards out.
Changes won't workBut there was a disturbing element to Tebow's play that has many NFL quarterback aficionados concluding he has a ways to go.
"They said they were going to change his throwing style and that's a bunch of bologna," Chow said. "You don't change, in one summer, the throwing style a guy has been using for 20 years of his life."
Theismann was emphatic about the gravity of Tebow's throwing flaw.
"If you can't refine his delivery, then he's going to struggle to become a consistent quarterback," Theismann said.
Tebow's long, winding release was discussed before the NFL draft more than the national employment crisis. But there were reassuring comments from Broncos coach Josh McDaniels and legendary quarterback John Elway. And Tebow's work ethic seemed to twist the bad habit into an overrated concern.
"I remember Philip Rivers as a freshman, I called him the javelin thrower," Chow said. "Mike Holmgren (the former Green Bay and Seattle head coach) and I were friends, and I sent him a clip of Phil to see if he could help me. And Mike told me, 'You're not going to change this guy. Just make him good with the way he throws it.' We kind of chuckle about that now, because he still throws that way."
Rivers' quirky style works, but the delivery Tebow reverted to during the heat of preseason competition last week continues to be scrutinized.
"It's long and low," Theismann said. "Randall Cunningham had a long windup, but it was long and high. Tim's is long and low. The ball is away from his body a long time."
And so by giving another year of financial security to Orton, McDaniels inadvertently has — or maybe not so inadvertently — slammed the brakes on Tebowmania. The attention will resurface.
But after a while, interest in a backup quarterback, even a famous backup quarterback, will fade. For the first time in at least five years, Tebow may be able to go about his business away from the brightest spotlights, maybe even to an isolated area where young players go to harness their game.
Mike Klis: 303-954-1055 or mklis@denverpost.com
Unconventional development
Five other quarterbacks who, like Broncos rookie Tim Tebow, were better athletes than passers coming out of college:
Quarterback Team Rookie year First start
Bobby Douglass Bears 1969 6th game
Huge southpaw was arguably the strongest armed, best rushing and worst-passing QB ever. He had 968 yards rushing (previous QB rushing record was 530 yards) in 14-game season of 1972, but only 37.9 completion percentage.
Randall Cunningham Eagles 1985 2nd game
Replaced a shaky Ron Jaworski, but Cunningham went back to the bench after four starts. Cunningham didn't become a full-time starter until third season. All-time QB leader with 4,952 rushing yards.
Steve Young Bucs 1985 12th game
After two years in USFL and two years with lowly Tampa Bay, Young was Joe Montana's backup for 4 1/2 years in San Francisco until he became full-time starter at age 31. All-time QB rushing TD leader with 43.
Kordell Stewart Steelers 1995 1997
Former CU Buffs great was two-year "Slash" player before leading Pittsburgh to AFC championship game against Broncos in his first season as starting quarterback.
Michael Vick Falcons 2001 8th game
Went back to bench after completing 4-of-12 for 32 yards in starting debut. No. 1 overall draft pick became full-time starter in second year. Broke Douglass' season rushing record with 1,039 yards in 16-game season of 2006.