Thoughts From NFL Wildcard Weekend: Bears and beyond
by Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. on Jan 10, 2012 10:30 AM CST
in Notes
Email
PrintWhen I saw that the Sunday afternoon playoff game on CBS was going to be the Steelers at the Broncos I thought that a huge nationwide audience would get to see their "savior", their "hero", their football "messiah", Denver QB Tim Tebow exposed against a really good NFL defense. Oops. Not only was he still able to pick up yards with his feet, not only was his zone read still effective, but he threw for over 300 yards.
The Tebow haters now have to quickly shift their arguments over to, 'the Steelers blew the game by giving Tebow time in the pocket' or my personal favorite, 'but he still sucks because he's under 50% passing'. For the record, I thought the Steelers would win big and I'm predicting a big Patriot win this week. Time will tell, or should I say Tebow Time will tell...
1) Staying with Timmy, will "TEBOW" signs start to replace the "John 3:16" signs at random sporting events?
2) I know they don't get no where near the credit they deserve, but the Bronco defense is very good.
3) Has Matt Ryan ever won a big game? I've always thought he was overrated.
4) If the Giants running game has stabilized they will give the Packers a heck of a game, and I wouldn't be surprised if they upset the defending champs.
5) I'd be willing to bet that the Detroit Lions will be drafting defensive heavy come April.
6) Staying with the Lions for one more, It's almost unfair how good Calvin Johnson is.
7) The Texans defense is playing at a high level right now. Too bad this is an offensive league, and once they run up against a team that can score, their run will end. The good news is they could beat the Ravens this weekend.
8) I know that Eric DeCosta is the heir apparent to Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome, but when is Ozzie going to step down? Is he close to retirement? Is there a bump up the organization pending for him? This is the second season that DeCosta spurned various teams advances, and at some point the competitive nature has to get the best of him and he'll want to be the "Man".
9) If there's one thing that excites me about the Mike Tice hire to run the Bears O, it's that audibles are back on the table. I understand the Martzfense in theory (there's a read for any defensive look), but fast athletic defenses could give a rip about theory.
10) I'll go college football with this last thought. I just can't get into the National Championship game or the entire Bowl season. Too many meaningless Bowl games, and just my opinion, but until there is a playoff you can't truly say who is the best.
39 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Tebow
He’ll never be stopped. He’s on a mission from God.
"He took a shot in the most sensitive and painful area" - MIke Tirico
by boondock_saint812 on Jan 10, 2012 10:39 AM CST reply actions
The thing that most people don't realize about Tebow
Is that (if you can get past the mechanics), he’s a heady QB who really knows how to prepare himself for his opponents. He supposedly spends a lot of time watching film and he’s got a lot of “football smarts.” He understands play design and picks up the terminology faster than a lot of young QBs. That’s why Josh McDaniels was willing to invest a first rounder in him.
I was impressed
in part that the Steelers not only didn’t sack him Sunday, but didn’t even get a QB hit on him. Despite the Steelers defensive injuries, that was surprising.
If its free, take two.
by T.J. Shouse on Jan 10, 2012 11:04 AM CST up reply actions
That was impressive
He looked decisive and he got rid of the ball quickly, moved away from the pressure or took off running when he had to.
Speaking of the Steelers
At one point in the 2nd quarter I honestly thought Mike Martz was hiding somewhere and secretly calling the shots. Pass play after pass play. Dropping back with an empty backfield. No shotgun calls. Not even bothering to give Redman more of the load. All of this coming when your quarterback aggravated an ankle that was already bad? Idiocy. Combine that with a riddled defensive line and poor coverage, and the that run by the Broncos at the end of the first half isn’t at all surprising.
"Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win."
by GriggsBriggs on Jan 10, 2012 4:39 PM CST up reply actions
It will be interesting to see what he can do if he ever develops into a 55/60 completion % passer
Arizona Cardinals/Chicago Bears fan
Phoenix Suns, Arizona Diamondbacks, Phoenix Coyotes, Arizona Rattlers fan
[I have always lived in Arizona, dad is from Chicago].
Leading the NFL in swagtangibles
Tebow played like a veteran
against the Bears. Very crafty. He’s a winner. Winners win. He just beat the mighty Steelers and the infallible Dick LeBeau. The things that are wrong with his game can be corrected with time and effort. The things that are right – leadership – you can’t teach. He makes his teammates better. That’s what winners do.
Often Wrong, Never In Doubt.
Tebow Blues is just asking for a photoshop creation!
If its free, take two.
by T.J. Shouse on Jan 10, 2012 11:10 AM CST up reply actions
"He took a shot in the most sensitive and painful area" - MIke Tirico
by boondock_saint812 on Jan 10, 2012 4:01 PM CST up reply actions
Interesting thoughts......
1. I’ll give props where they’re due but how come no one is talking about Demaryius Thomas abusing Ike Taylor? Tebow made some nice throws but Thomas was breaking tackles and getting ridiculous YAC. He only had 4 receptions yet he had 204 yards on the day with an average of 51 yards a catch. As clutch as Tebow was, Thomas is the real hero IMO.
2. Yes the Broncos D is real good but a banged up Roethlisberger would’ve had a field day had he been able to play his type of game. I’m not taking credit away, but Big Ben’s lack of mobility really hurt the Steelers offense.
3. Agreed! The guy has 2 studs at WR, an aging but still beastly TE and a stud RB yet still plays mediocre.
4. I was thinking the same thing but I think the Packers play an emotional game because of the tragic news about Philbin’s son. I think the Pack pulls this one out.
5. Agreed, especially in the secondary.
6. Agreed again!
7. I agree but I think the Ravens win with their D. I think Flacco poops the bed but with a limited rookie QB the Texans can only go so far.
8. Agreed and isn’t his wife from the Baltimore area? Maybe that’s another reason he doesn’t want to leave.
9. Yeah giving Jay the luxury of changing a play can only help the offense.
10. Yep!
by frenchbears113 on Jan 10, 2012 10:51 AM CST reply actions
Thomas had an outstanding game
So much to ask for, a wr that can break tackles
by TR MacReady on Jan 10, 2012 12:44 PM CST up reply actions
Just can't make myself a believer in Tebow
I’m sure he’s a good guy and all, but in the NFL, at any position that’s not running back, talent will eventually trump smarts and he’d better enjoy the run while he can. I think he’s got the heart and toughness to be an every-down back; not like a typical bruising white fullback but an actual honest-to-god running back, but the man is not a quarterback in this league. Period.
Derek Anderson went 10 – 5 once. Rex Grossman went 15 – 3 once. Kyle Orton had a six game winning streak with this exact same Denver team. Joe Flacco somehow went 12 – 4 this season. This might be the first time they actually won in part from Tebow and not in spite of him.
Congrats to Alabama and LSU for somehow playing a game worse than UConn / Butler; I certainly did not think that was possible.
Whose job am I supposed to call for now?
I like the UConn-Butler game.
The defense was astronomical, the game was close. It wasn’t as good as Butler-Duke, but it was really a solid game.
Five foot three seems to thrive on his misery...
by awfullyquiet on Jan 10, 2012 11:19 AM CST up reply actions
Tebow had 12 passing touchdowns
and 6 rushing touchdowns in the regular season.
Of the 228 points they scored in games that he played in, he’s responsible for 108 of them (plus, you could say he’s heavily influenced the 18 extra point kicks that Matt Prater made.)
Thus, Tebow’s play directly contributed to over 50 percent of the team’s scoring during that time. I don’t think they were winning in spite of him.
Took the 'G' out your waffle, all you got left is your Ego.
Editor at windycitygridiron.com | @Kev_WCG
What percentage of yards did the receivers gain after the catch?
That’s a stat that has great variance from year to year, and I would think with the number of bombs the Broncos seemingly had, it was quite a bit; the last guy who had a really high % like that was Matt Cassel in 2008, who turned out… to be a replacement-level quarterback.
Similarly, Tebow’s rushing touchdowns are almost irrelevant to his ability to be an actual good NFL quarterback; he benefits because Josh McDaniels drafted Knowshon Moreno who has been nowhere near as good as advertised. As I said before, he is an effective running back. He is not a legitimate NFL quarterback.
Whose job am I supposed to call for now?
i was of thought
that tebow was hot garbage, i mean he misses throws by 10yds all the time. and i still dont know how effective he would be when down 14+ and teams know they cant run,
im rambling idk how he is doing it but he puts pts on the board
by TR MacReady on Jan 10, 2012 12:52 PM CST up reply actions
Tebow threw an 80-yd TD pass
in overtime to beat the Steelers. That’s an NFL quarterback. Period.
Often Wrong, Never In Doubt.
Why is everyone making a big deal about the YAC
every QBs stats benefits from yards after the catch. Are people gonna start going back and subtracting YAC from every QB now?
When Mike Ditka calculates pi it's decimal representation ends.
by Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. on Jan 11, 2012 8:50 AM CST up reply actions
John 3:16 to be replaced by Tebow 3/16
If its free, take two.
by T.J. Shouse on Jan 10, 2012 11:01 AM CST reply actions 3 recs
REC!
When Mike Ditka calculates pi it's decimal representation ends.
by Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. on Jan 10, 2012 11:58 AM CST up reply actions
Tebow Time isn't quite like normal time.
It’s like Hammer Time. Only with less parachute pants.
Five foot three seems to thrive on his misery...
Maybe at your house.
Took the 'G' out your waffle, all you got left is your Ego.
Editor at windycitygridiron.com | @Kev_WCG
Do you own a pair of parachute pants Kev?
Gold Lame?
Five foot three seems to thrive on his misery...
by awfullyquiet on Jan 10, 2012 12:11 PM CST up reply actions
Rookie
One thing about Tebow that nobody seems to bring up is that he is a rookie. He has been held, unjustly I believe by the haters, to a high standard that is usually reserved for seasoned veteran quarterbacks. I wonder what his rookie season wins are compared to some of the hall of famers?
Bobrem
or a 2nd year pro...
When Mike Ditka calculates pi it's decimal representation ends.
by Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. on Jan 10, 2012 11:59 AM CST up reply actions
who played in nine games his first year
and started the last three of it, but, you know, details …. details ….
I'm not so mean. I wouldn't ever go out to hurt anybody deliberately - unless it was, you know, important, like a league game or something. - Dick Butkus
mistakes happen
I found myself thinking he was a rookie earlier this year too…
When Mike Ditka calculates pi it's decimal representation ends.
by Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. on Jan 10, 2012 12:09 PM CST up reply actions
Kyle Orton?
Five foot three seems to thrive on his misery...
by awfullyquiet on Jan 10, 2012 12:11 PM CST up reply actions
He's only a rookie if this is MLB and he didn't meet the games/ABs cutoff last year.
Weekend contributor and official editorial lackey/waitstaff at Windy City Gridiron
If a people-avoiding gaming hermit is on Twitter, I should be too. Follow me!
by Steven Schweickert on Jan 10, 2012 12:12 PM CST up reply actions
The BCS has completely turned me off
They say they want to protect their regular season. But when a team that doesn’t win their own division or conference gets in to the championship game, it doesn’t make it that compelling to me. I did not watch the game for the first time in years. A plus one would be an improvement.
Where the white women at?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGQ-ISsDm8M
Here's the bottom line folks
Tebows skills are just so bad that when he does anything decent or has flashing of being good are minds are frenching blown. we are just used to him being awful and missing guys by ten yds that when he hits one, we’re just in awe of it. this is what leads everyone to keep talking about him
I saw him throw an out with a spiral
could not believe it. Half of his passes look like something I’d throw, all sideways and everything.
[...]when Giants coach Steve Owen, a certified defensive genius, was asked how he planned to stop Nagurski, he said: "With a shotgun, as he’s leaving the dressing room."
by NobodySpecial on Jan 12, 2012 1:29 PM CST up reply actions
#8 is interesting - DeCosta
I wonder why the Ravens have such a lock on this guy? I can certainly understand his concerns about the Bears’ “organizational structure” – and having to report to Ted Phillips (far from an appealing situation). But, at some point you would think a good candidate (no, Ruskell is not a good candidate) will step up and say he wants to come to Chicago and work for this tradition-rich team, in this great city.
Then, again, maybe no one cares about Chicago or the history crap, and as long as Phillips and the McCaskeys are in control, we’re screwed.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Community Guidelines
Related FanPosts on Windy City Gridiron
Related FanShots on Windy City Gridiron
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
In Association With
Shutdown Corner - NFL - Yahoo! Sports
- Former high-school star Brian Banks does serious time on trumped-up charge, now hopes for an NFL shot
- Former ‘idiot kicker’ Mike Vanderjagt in trouble after accosting junior-high heckler
- Adrian Peterson blows teammates away in footraces; appears to be on the mend
- UPDATE: Charlie Sheen didn’t buy Lawrence Taylor’s Super Bowl ring
- Alex Smith gets blown up by Jon Beason over Cam Newton comments
