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Sports Arena
Quarterback Quandaries
Tim Tebow is not the only NFL QB to have been treated shabbily this season.
When Tim Tebow was traded to the New York Jets, he instantly became the NFL’s most famous backup quarterback. Inserted as an impromptu starter toward the end of his first two seasons with the Denver Broncos, Tebow was fresh from an unlikely playoff run and almost seemed too big for the Big Apple.
While the former Florida standout is controversial for everything from his throwing motion to his praying stance, it only seemed like a matter of time before he would crack the Jets’ starting lineup. Despite showing some flashes during his first two seasons, Mark Sanchez was a wobbly quarterback. He seemed to regress last season and practically crawl back into the womb this one.
Yet when Rex Ryan finally decided to give Sanchez the hook, Tebow didn’t get his chance. Instead third-stringer Greg McElroy was given the job. McElroy had thrown the Jets’ first offensive touchdown in preseason and led them to victory in a 7-6 snoozefest over the Arizona Cardinals.
A surprise to some fans, perhaps, but the handwriting had long been on the wall. The Jets clearly lacked confidence in Tebow, using him sparingly (and predictably) even in the vaunted wildcat package. The fact that they never seriously considered pulling the plug on Sanchez’s turnover machine suggests Jets management didn’t think Tebow gave them a better chance to win than Kellen Clemens or the prehistoric Mark Brunell before him.
Oh well. At least Sanchez never wiped his nose on Tebow.
Even when Tebow was winning games in Denver, he wasn’t management’s choice to lead the franchise. A traditional pocket passer was needed, John Elway, traditional pocket passer, decreed. So they got one of the best in the business in the form of Peyton Manning.
Why did the Jets even bother to acquire Tebow if they weren’t going to use him? Were they envious of the headlines being grabbed by their Super Bowl champion neighbors?
It is impossible to know. But the Jets’ mishandling of Tebow isn’t the only quarterback head-scratcher in professional football this year.
In Buffalo, Ryan Fitzpatrick hasn’t exactly covered himself in glory despite a flurry of touchdown passes. He seems to make up for his bouts of productivity with intercepted errant throws. Or perhaps as a product of those liberal lovers of social justice at Harvard University, he doesn’t think it’s fair to just throw touchdown passes to his own teammates.
But surely the team’s ownership is more hard-headed about the matter. Nevertheless, the Bills signed Tarvaris Jackson as a backup quarterback in the offseason. Jackson’s bust will never appear in Canton, but he has led a team to the playoffs and acquitted himself reasonably well as a starter.
At the very least, one might think Jackson would have been used to push Fitzpatrick when he started to stumble. Or once the Bills were eliminated from playoff contention, perhaps it might have made sense to see how Jackson could do for a game or two.
Jackson hasn’t even been active in this season, buried on the depth chart behind Tyler Thigpen. Thigpen’s résumé as a starter is if anything less impressive than Jackson’s. There have been rumors that Jackson has struggled with the playbook. The players on the field aren’t exactly doing a bang-up job executing it either.
Then there is the case of Alex Smith in San Francisco. Smith was the first overall pick in the 2005 NFL draft, but he struggled. He was yanked in and out of the lineup. His rookie season he threw just one touchdown pass to 11 interceptions. Smith endured boos and jeers from his own fans.
Like the rest of the San Francisco 49ers franchise, Smith turned it all around when Jim Harbaugh became head coach in 2011. He led his team all the way to the NFC Championship. The mistakes that kept them out of the Super Bowl were not his.
Smith continued with another strong campaign this year. He completed a league-leading 70 percent of his passes. He threw more than twice as many touchdowns as interceptions. The 49ers went 6-2-1 with Smith at quarterback.
About the Author
W. James Antle, III, author of the new book Devouring Freedom: Can Big Government Ever Be Stopped?, is editor of the Daily Caller News Foundation and a senior editor of The American Spectator. You can follow him on Twitter @jimantle.
Letter to the Editor View all comments (23) | Leave a comment
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kurt2022| 12.24.12 @ 8:49AM
Rex Ryan is clearly the most over rated coach in the NFL, but most of the NFL media has given him a pass! He has treated Tebow like a pile of shinola and would rather lose games then take a chance on Tebow winning a game and prooving him to be the idiot that he is!
Mike Giles| 12.24.12 @ 9:38AM
The Liberal media was never going to allow Tebow to be a success in NYC. He shouldn't have come here.
Hardcard| 12.24.12 @ 9:43AM
The liberal meda love to hate Tebow and all he believes. Rex Ryan is a tool, and is kissing up to liberal schmucks in NYC/NJ. Check out the libs attack of RGIII not as vile as Tebow's but not as nasty. Hate is hate, black or white ie Clarence Thomas, Herman Cain, George Bush, Rick Santorum, socialist liberals are hateful, narrow minded goons.
Stormy| 12.24.12 @ 9:50AM
It was the Jets' owner who brought Tebow to New York. Rex Ryan had to take him, but he did not have to play him. The experts say that Tebow can never make it as an NFL QB, but how do they know, he never has a chance to fail. Tebow will never be a classic NFL QB, but that does not mean that he does not have talent and football value. There once was a QB nicknamed Slash that played for the Steelers. They moved him around the field, and he had a decent career. Tebow could as well, if he was on a team with an innovative coach that had the confidence to use him in a non-traditional manner.
squalis| 12.24.12 @ 10:07AM
A man of faith, and by all appearances a perfect gentleman, does not necessarily make for a good football player. Rex Ryan, a good coach or not, is the individual making the decisions as to who plays. He is the one who sees Tebow each day in practice and meetings. His judgements are no doubt aided by the offense and QB coaches. I have faith he knows far more about Tebow's ability to play in the NFL than Mr. Antle or other posters who, by virtue of TT's faith, think otherwise.
W. James Antle III | 12.24.12 @ 11:30AM
I actually don't think Tebow's style of quarterbacking lends itself to long-term success in the NFL, unless he can be taught to become more of a pocket passer. But that doesn't mean he should have been brought to the Jets, when he had other options, under false pretenses.
Big Bob| 12.24.12 @ 10:36AM
Wow. Yes, these are all QB "situations". But not one is similar to the other. Ryan is one of the most obnoxious, foul mouthed coach in the entire NFL, without exception. Tebow has never said a word of resistance, complaint or correction. In fact, Ryan and Tebow are probably the best example of a coach/QB mismatch in the entire NFL. Management brought Tebow in, and Ryan had to "make nice". NOT. So Tebow sits. My money is on Tebow. Harbaugh is kicking a@@ in SF and Smith had hit the glass ceiling. The inkmeister from Las Vegas has everything Smith doesn't, including the ability to make correct decisions and through accurately!! REALLY accurately!! I am a died in the wool Patriot fan, and I hated to watch the SF/NE game where they took Brady et al to the woodshed. But they did it with class and panache. I don't think Smith had it him to do that. I'm not familiar with the Bills. Suffice to say, it's all about money and ego. If the money is not getting it done, then there is an ego somewhere tripping things up.
JP| 12.24.12 @ 11:28AM
Not to start a race thing, but if Tebow was black he would have started by game 6 in NY. White QBs are not expected to run, but black QBS are. Tebow is a lousy passer, but an outstanding athlete who can run. There hasn't been a white QB who could effectively run with the ball since Bobby Douglas lead the Chicago Bears. Just the same, until Warren Moon black QBS were thought incapable of throwing with any accuracy. I remember James Harris (Rams) getting the shaft.
I'd say let Tebow play. Again, if he was black, offensive coordinators would be redesigining offenses to take advantage of his athletic ability.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Douglass
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Harris_(quarterback)
Seek| 12.24.12 @ 1:32PM
"There hasn't been a white QB who could effectively run with the ball since Bobby Douglass...." Say, what? Steve Young could have been one of the premier running backs in the NFL had he not been the 49ers starting quarterback during 1991-99.
Occam's Tool| 12.24.12 @ 7:31PM
Yes, but Bobby was a rotten QB who lost a lot. Tebow, on the other hand, despite his gaucheries, WON.
astorian| 12.24.12 @ 11:36AM
I like Tim Tebow- he was a great college quarterback, he's a superb athlete, and he seems like a great guy.
Unfortunately, he can't make routine throws that NFL quarterbacks HAVE to make. No NFL team running a conventional offense can afford to have him as starting quarterback. Even the NFL quarterbacks who run as well as Tebow does (Robert Griffin III, Russell Wilson, et al.) have strong arms and can hit receivers deep downfield. Tebow can't.
Now, Tebow DOES have one valid beef with the Jets: they indicated that they were going to use him creatively in special situations, where they could take advantage of the gifts he DOES possess. They really never did that.
But let's face facts: he was ALWAYS a longshot to succeed in the NFL.
Kingofthenet| 12.24.12 @ 11:39AM
Give Rex a little credit, he wants to win games. From what I am getting from local media is that Tebow sucks HARD, and there is NO way they can use him.This isn't just a view from the coaches but from his other teammates, they have ZERO confidence in him.
Cpm| 12.24.12 @ 11:59AM
It looks like they have ZERO confidence in Rex Ryan.
Occam's Tool| 12.24.12 @ 7:32PM
Tebow is always mediocre until the time comes to win.
I hope he kicks ass in Jacksonville.
kenc| 12.24.12 @ 12:13PM
You forgot RGIII, who apparently isn't black enough for one ESPN commentator. It wasn't someone in the front office, but it was still despicable.
Al_B| 12.24.12 @ 12:39PM
The problem with the Jets is, and always has been, Rex Ryan. His coaching talent peaked a couple of years back, and all he has left is betting on the wrong horse and playing musical chairs with his starting quarterback position. Not a surprise that there is zero offensive chemistry when watching the Jets play. How he avoids keeping his head off the proverbial chopping block is beyond comprehension.
OP4| 12.24.12 @ 2:35PM
The Jets situation with Tebow is indicative of a poorly run, poorly coached team. What a mess.
Petronius| 12.24.12 @ 2:54PM
Tebow rides the bench for one reason: the Main Scum Media detest him. Front office cludge is all over. When Fisher took over as head coach of the lambs, he demanded the latitude to do it his way. He's getting more mileage out of the team than Spagnolo who is now afflicting the Raiders, and The Rams are growing their horns back. If Tebow were at another position he'd be welcome here, as a tight end with good hands is always in demand. We need linemen. Last year they were a sieve letting Bradford get flattened constantly, and calling them offensive when they couldn't offend your granny showed they were no more effective than cardboard. So the best to him and he should finally get to play since Gabbert flamed out.
Occam's Tool| 12.24.12 @ 4:01PM
Well,he's moving to Jacksonville. Hopefully, they will give him a year or two to mature as a QB.
I'm hoping he becomes a huge winner in the NFL. I'm tired of vermin smacking on him.
Quartermaster| 12.27.12 @ 9:47AM
Hopefully he's moving to Jax. The word is he's asked to be traded or released. I hope they trade him.
PCPSmokerII| 12.25.12 @ 2:17AM
Never thought a moderate RINO had so much football knowledge within him. This line, "Or perhaps as a product of those liberal lovers of social justice at Harvard University, he doesn’t think it’s fair to just throw touchdown passes to his own teammates," is darn classic.
SFCMikeJ| 12.26.12 @ 10:02AM
I am no Tebow fan. I live in the Panhandle of Florida and I am not a Gator fan. 24/7, 4 year year long media Tebow love affair in this neck of the woods soured my opinion.
The guys got talent though. To those who say he can't make it in the NFL did they not watch Denver last year? This will date me a bit but those same types said Sonny Jurgensen and Fran Tarkenton couldn't make it in the NFL. I never saw either of those guys throw a beautiful spiral. I wonder where Tarkenton's bust is?
Mike Johnston
SFC USA (RET)
7-08| 12.26.12 @ 7:22PM
I am a Tebow fan. I think his passing stats will improve drastically – Jacksonville just got a walk on wide receiver recruit that can run a 3.8 in sandals. He has been seen practicing running the stadium stairs carrying this big wooden cross.