Please Hire Tim Tebow - Week 11

I'll be honest, I had no idea that we would be in week 11 of the 2013 NFL season and Tim Tebow would still not be a quarterback in the National Football League. I will have to concede that at this stage, it is unlikely at best that Mr. Tebow is going to be playing this season. In this week's blog, Let's take a look at quarterback play around the league with Tebow's Achilles' Heel - pass completion percentage - in mind. And while we're at it, let's not forget that pesky winning thing.

Packers lose to Giants: One of the early-season goats, Eli Manning, has quietly proven me prescient. After starting 0-6, the Giants (as I predicted) are now 4-6 and out of the NFC East basement. I think Manning's job is secure. I'm not so sure about Scott Tolzien though. Sure, he's just a placeholder until Aaron Rogers returns but look at the numbers: Tolzien was a stout 24 of 34 (better than 70%) for 339 yards with no sacks. But...there were those three interceptions, one of which I caught in the highlights. Video evidence showed Giant defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul reach up with his island-sized paws, snatch the ball out of the air, and lumber off into the end zone. Don't get me wrong, Eli isn't playing lights-out either...but he's winning.

Jason Pierre-Paul and the Giants are on the come-back trail...

Vikings lose to Seahawks: I've about given up trying to figure out what's happening in Minnesota. I still have a soft spot for the Vikings from way back before Tampa had the Buccaneers. What nickname would appeal to an 8-year-old boy more than The Purple People Eaters? On a day when Adrian Peterson was not the leading rusher for the Vikes, two of their three quarterbacks combined to complete a woeful 18 passes for 204 yards on 35 attempts. I didn't see the game but with Christian Ponder being intercepted twice, sacked twice, and fumbling twice (losing one), I can only imagine that's when the erstwhile people eaters called on backup Matt Cassels. He didn't fumble or get sacked but his lone TD pass came in garbage time and he did throw a pick as well. Beside the obvious question of where is Josh Freeman, one might ask, "Could 2014 be Tebow Time in the Twin Cities?"

AP and the Vikes went nowhere against the Seahawks...

Jaguars lose to Cardinals: I hope you're proud of me for not dog-piling the Jaguars this week. I waited until the third highlight to kick them while they're down. Chad Henne played the entire game and put up NFL caliber numbers: 27 of 42 for 255 yards and a score. And then...two interceptions, two sacks, and the Jags have their ninth loss of the season in ten games. Mr. Khan, can I give you the number of Tim Tebow's agent please?

Anyone got Tebow's home number?

Texans lose to Raiders: Who the heck is Matt McGloin? Whoever he is, he's backing up an injured Terrelle Pryor in Oakland and taking full advantage. Although not stratospheric, the rookie's 56% completion rate and 197 yards passing were buttressed by 3 touchdown passes. The Texans, who started the season as playoff favorites, are all over the map and nowhere is that more apparent than in the quarterback department. The once-steady Matt Schaub is not, and exciting backup Case Keenum has fallen back to Earth (Are you listening Mr. McGloin?). It's doubtful either of these teams make the playoffs. I wonder how Tebow would look in boots and a Stetson?

You could always go back to school and get your MBA...

I could go on but I think the point is, there are quarterbacks that the NFL standard bearers hold up as good quarterbacks who, frankly, aren't. Chad Henne has completed 61% of his passes this year...and you see how many games he has won. Matt Schaub has completed almost 63% of his passes this season...and the Texans have won twice. Philip Rivers, Matt Ryan, Tony Romo, Geno Smith, Sam Bradford...these are all starting quarterbacks in the NFL with pass completion percentages that are recognized as being decent. Every one of them is on a losing (or .500) team.

So if completion percentage is one of the key benchmarks in the decision to play a quarterback, where does winning come into play? Clearly, Tim Tebow's NFL completion percentage is not up to these standards but I would challenge that his winning percentage is...

Latest Intel: In between coordinating Philippine storm relief efforts through his Tim Tebow Foundation, reports also indicate that Mr. Tebow continues to work on his fitness and throwing mechanics, with the ex-Gator, Bronco, Jet, and Patriot spotted regularly at the USC campus.

Will Tebow suit up this year? Next year? What do you think?

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Please Hire Tim Tebow - Week 10

Historically, NFL teams coming off their bye week haven't fared much better than at any other point in the season. Since 2000, the chances of these well-rested teams notching a win have hovered around fifty percent. Blogging can take it out of you. In amongst my day job, family and church responsibilities, taking care of the dog, and all sorts of other mind-sapping activities, I have to follow current events, catch up on relevant news, look up key statistics on teams I really don't care about...all of these things can drain a man.

So I took a bye week.

I've got a fifty-fifty chance of winning this week; what does that even mean? For me, it means writing an entertaining and informative piece on that man Tim Tebow which pulls in a goodly number of readers. As a writer, that's all I really want: people who read and enjoy my work.

Not much happened in the Tebow-sphere during my bye week - better known as week 9 of the NFL season; oh, except those pesky Jaguars fans are still urging ownership to sign the ex-Gator...

Promises, promises...

Mr. Khan may want to consider that advice. Everbank Field holds a little over 67,000 fans. If signing Tebow would fill all those seats with popcorn eating, Coke drinking fans, that might help offset the poor results in Jacksonville and on the other side of the Atlantic, where his Barclay's Premier League football team - Fulham - have not been faring well either. The Cottagers - Fulham play their home games at historic Craven Cottage which only seats 25,700 fans - have won three games out of eleven this season and currently sit 18th out of 20 teams in the league. That may not mean much to American Football fans but if Fulham end the season in one of those bottom three places they get relegated to the Championship - kind of like the minor leagues.

Packing them in at the Cottage

One other piece of Tebow news that has recently surfaced is that he has signed an additional representative to explore opportunities in college football broadcasting. Naturally, all the Tebow is no Jedi/Quarterback folks out there are cackling that this signifies the end of Tebow's NFL career. Personally, I don't think so but let's wait for this all to play out before we start shoveling dirt over him.

In week 10, both the Jaguars and Buccaneers broke their seasons wide open...well, at least they each notched their first win of the year, keeping the overall first round draft pick sweepstakes tied up tighter than a Tebow spiral. So assuming that Tim is not over in the Philippines helping out with typhoon recovery efforts, what teams are still in the running to sign him?

As I've noted before, the New York Football Giants have begun their annual late season tear. Winners of three consecutive games after dropping their first six, it certainly appears as if Eli's bunch have woken from their regularly scheduled hibernation and are starting to play some football. I never seriously considered Eli getting kicked to the curb a possibility, and it certainly is less likely now.

Another week, another...holy cow! The Jacksonville Jaguars won! The previously winless Jags held off the Locker-less Tennessee Titans despite two TD passes from backup Ryan Fitzpatrick. Does this mean Jacksonville is out of the running for Tebow? Hardly. Chad Henne was underwhelming in the win, completing 14 of 23 passes for 180 yards, no touchdowns and 2 interceptions. The Jaguars current game manager was also sacked three times. I'm sorry, to me Jacksonville remains the most obvious destination for Tebow. With Jake Locker leaving a game yet again - this time due to a Lisfranc foot injury - the Flaming Thumbtacks could be a late-season entrant in the Tebow sweepstakes.

Did Greg Schiano save his job Monday night after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers also notched their first victory of the season? Schiano may be a caretaker coach until the end of the season; I'm not what replacing him now would bring to the table. As much as I still believe Tampa Bay is the best fit for Tebow, it is doubtful the team will make any major player moves unless something drastic happens. Quarterback-wise, although the Bucs won, new QB Mike Glennon didn't light it up. The young NC State product was 11 of 21 for only 139 yards. The rookie did have a TD pass - to a tackle! - but that was offset by an interception that led to a Dolphin field goal. Couple Glennon's mild night statistically with the loss of running back Mike James, who suffered a fractured ankle, and things are not going to get any easier for my hometown Bucs.

So who else could benefit from the athletic skills and leadership abilities of Tebow?

With everyone dog-piling young Tim for his poor completion percentage, it's noteworthy that Terrelle Pryor of the Oakland Raiders was 11 of 26 (42%) for only 122 yards, with no touchdowns, an interception, and four sacks. Pryor did have a rushing touchdown but that was not enough to overcome the resurgent G-Men. Although TP's season completion percentage is much higher (almost 59%), he has only thrown 5 touchdowns against 10 interceptions, and he has been sacked an incredible 29 times. Is Pryor really a better option than Tebow?

Looking around the league you might make the case that the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings are still in need of QB help. If Cutler heals or McCown performs well the Bears would be off the table. Minnesota is on odd team this year, and after picking up Tampa Bay castaway Josh Freeman, Christian Ponder is still getting the nod as their starter. It's doubtful that Tebow could walk into that funhouse and make a difference.

So what do we know after week ten? The Jags and Bucs still look like the two best candidates to bring Tebow back to the NFL, with the Raiders running a close third. Will anything happen this year? The chances are getting slimmer by the week. But Tebow himself may not be putting too much thought into it at the moment. I suspect his heart and mind are far away from Jacksonville or Tampa or Oakland right now, and focused more on what he can do to help the good people of the Philippines recover from Typhoon Haiyan.

We're right there with you big guy.

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Please Hire Tim Tebow - Week 8

There are sixteen weeks in the NFL regular season, seventeen if you count the bye week each team gets. After eight weeks of play - tonight's game between the Seahawks and Rams notwithstanding - Tim Tebow is still unemployed. The last verifiable news we've had about Tim's whereabouts found him enjoying some family time in Hawaii.

Tebow (left), friends, and man-mountain in Hawaii

Since that time, there have been several key injuries across the league; most notably Sam Bradford of the Rams going down with a season-ending ACL tear. In the last week or so, there has been a lot of chatter - most of it negative - about Tebow's status with the Rams, Jaguars, etc. Almost every day there is an article on Bleacher Report, the Orlando Sentinel, ESPN, Sports Illustrated, etc. concerning the portents of Tebow contact, or lack thereof.

So what do we have this week to lift our spirits and give us hope that Tebow could still suit up this season? Today, it's the lack of news. The Jags and Bucs both lost and remain winless on the season. We won't know if the Rams' shunning of Tebow after Bradford's injury was a wise move until after their NFC West matchup with the division-leading Seahawks tonight.

At the risk of being obvious, here's a few prospects for Tebow, starting with the least likely.

New York Giants: The G-Men are 2-6 coming off a victory yesterday at Philadelphia. There for a while, Eli was looking a little shaky. The Giants started 0-6 and as I noted in a previous blog, the Giants would probably win out and it was very unlikely that New York City would welcome Tebow back. In making me look like a potential prognosticating genius, the Giants are 2-0 going into their bye week and will next face the Raiders (3-4) in a very winnable game. The Giants' remaining schedule isn't a cakewalk but it will be interesting to see if Coughlin can work his magic and get them to the playoffs. Although they are in the cellar of the NFC East, amazingly, the New York Football Giants are only two games out of first.

New York Jets: On the Jersey Shore is another team from (sort of) the Big Apple. The J-E-T-S Jets kicked Tebow to the curb after the 2012 season. Although many reports decried Tebow's lack of success after being brought in as the supposed number two QB behind Mark Sanchez, he wasn't even given a chance to perform. With a total of eight passing and thirty-two rushing attempts in twelve games, it's easy - for anyone with any sense at all - to see that Rex Ryan had no intention of letting Tebow play. I don't see that changing even though the Jets' latest savior, Geno Smith, is playing more and more like Sanchez every week.

St. Louis Rams: The Rams bypassed Tebow and went straight to top quality (sic) quarterbacks Brady Quinn and Austin Davis to back up starter-for-now Kellen Clemens. Last week's Tebow update highlighted Clemens' less-than-stellar career stats. I keep reading about how teams don't want to take the media circus and fan pressure that would accompany a Tebow signing. Seriously? When called on that, coaches and team executives always fall back on the tried and true platitudes of we're going in a different direction or he doesn't fit our offensive scheme. Whatever. With Bradford's injury, the Rams appeared to be a great destination for Tebow. I guess we'll see how well the triad of Clemens, Quinn and Austin works for them.

Jacksonville Jaguars: Another week, another loss for the hapless Jags. Not even a trip to the hallowed grounds of Wembley could shake a winning performance out of Tebow's home team.

Wembley - The Cathedral of Football

The Jaguars, it seems, will be playing home games at Wembley for the next four years. I suspect that has a lot to do with owner Shahid Kahn, who also owns London's Fulham Football Club of the Barclay's Premier League. Khan may not know much about American Football but he is an astute businessman and I can't imagine he doesn't recognize the business value that Tebow can bring to the club.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: I was very high on Tebow going to the Bucs, and I still am. But I'm not sure how realistic a move this would be in the short term. Tampa Bay's under-fire coach Greg Schiano could be on the way out the door any day now so it's doubtful that the team will make a major quarterback move without knowing who the coach will be for the rest of the season. Franky, if I was Schiano, I'd be pushing hard to sign Tebow. Many of the fans will love the possibilities and it could take the microscope off of the coach - at least for the short term.

About the only thing that keeps me thinking Tebow has any chance of being signed this week is the total lack of new news. When there is a bunch of idle chatter (kind of like my blog) about Tebow being signed, it's probably all pie-in-the-sky. But I would opine that, historically, when the wire goes quiet, that's when some honest-to-goodness, real negotiations may be taking place.

What do you think?

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Please Hire Tim Tebow - Week 7

We are nearly at the halfway point of the 2013 NFL season and if you're reading this blog, you already know that Tim Tebow is still unemployed. For anyone who follows the NFL, you also know that while there has been some pretty solid QB play across the league this season, there has also been some pretty sad play as well. I've never said that Tim Tebow is the second coming of Joe Montana but only that I don't believe he is as terrible as all his detractors make him out to be. I have clearly acknowledged Tebow's shortcomings since he joined the NFL after a stellar college career at the University of Florida.

Perhaps Mr. Tebow is what I could refer to as a perfect storm quarterback; one that has to be placed in just the right organization, with just the right system, and just the right personnel around him to be successful. Maybe that's too much to ask but I'll state for the record again, as the weeks go by, there are quarterback and team performances across the league that cry out for a change; and as the treatment tables fill up in more and more stadiums, someone, somewhere almost has to take a chance on the former Gator.

Looking forward to more of this...

Latest Intel:

This morning I saw a report that the St. Louis Rams have discussed Tebow but probably won't be signing him. NFL.com has reported that Sam Bradford suffered a season-ending ACL injury, and that leaves Kellen Clemens is their lone QB on the depth chart. Clemens' career-high passer rating (60.9%) came during the 2007 season** with the Jets, where he completed 130 passes for 1,529 yards and 5 touchdowns. However the 10 interceptions and 27 sacks surely didn't help his cause. As today's news cycle developed there were many names being bandied about as quarterback possibilities for St. Louis...it remains to be seen if Tim Tebow has remained sharp and fit enough to impress in a work out, assuming he is fortunate enough to get the call.

** The only season where Clemens threw more than 100 passes

In any case, with no backup to Clemens and not even a quarterback on the scout team, the Rams have to sign someone...

Week 7 Tebow Opportunities:

Jacksonville Jaguars: The Jags are 0-7. With rankings for rushing and defense against the rush at the bottom of the league, you could make a case that what the Jags need most are decent offensive and defensive lines. Current starting QB Chad Henne threw for 318 yards yesterday on 23 completions against 36 attempts. That's not so bad, right? Except for the fact that the Jaguars only scored 6 points. As the weeks drag on in Jacksonville it becomes less about the quarterback and more about the fans just having something...anything...to get excited about. I still believe Tebow brings excitement to the table for those fans, and revenue to the owners.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: As the weeks go by and Mike Glennon continues to, well, not stink, the chances of the Pewter Pirates taking a flyer on Tebow seem to diminish. Glennon had another workmanlike outing yesterday and came up short against the less-than-overachieving Atlanta Falcons. The Bucs couldn't have caught the Falcons at a better time with both halves of one of the best receiving duos in the game on the sideline due to injury. Yet, it started like the same old Bucs as Glennon coughed up the ball on their first series and Atlanta ran that fumble in for a score. For the second week in a row, Glennon hit Vincent Jackson for two scores but it wasn't enough.

Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants: We won't know if the rot has stopped in the Big Apple until after tonight. Two franchises who have both appeared on my Tebow radar in recent weeks square off on Monday Night Football tonight. The Vikings appear to have played their hand with the signing of Bucs castaway Josh Freeman. Is it even conceivable that the G-Men would consider cutting Eli loose? You wouldn't think so but New York is a terrible town to be a goat in...time will tell.

St. Louis Rams: As I inferred above, it seems like the Rams may have leap-frogged Jacksonville as the city most likely to think about signing Tebow. Although initial reports indicate Tebow's name has been in the conversation, they (those scamps) are reporting Tim Terrific is not a viable option. I think St. Louis would be doing the fans a disservice. I seem to recall that another guy who was supposedly washed up resurrected a career in St. Louis - could Tebow pull a Warner?

Could it be Tebow time in the gateway city?

Best Tebow Quote of the Week:

Mike McCoy, the new head coach of the San Diego Chargers, when asked if he had any advice for Tebow, cut by the New England Patriots before the season and now out of the NFL, McCoy said, “All I know is the experience we had in Denver with Tim. We won games with Tim as a quarterback and we had a great time doing it. That’s all I’ll say on that.’’

Which NFL teams out there could do with a few wins and a little fun?

What do you think?

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Please Hire Tim Tebow - Week 6

I have to be honest with you. I was pretty sure that Tebow would be a first, second, or even third string quarterback with some NFL team by now. It's week six; there are three winless teams in the league. There are four one-win teams in the league. That's seven teams that basically have stunk it up so far this year.

I've heard all the arguments. I've had Tebow's NFL stats thrown in my face. I've been kicked around like Cinderella in a house full of step-sisters. But I'm getting back up and I'm stating for the record - again - that I believe Tim Tebow can be a quarterback in the NFL. I don't blame him if he retires and goes on to lead his life completely for the cause of Christ. But I believe that Tim has the talent, ability, maturity and leadership to be an NFL quarterback.

So sue me.

Jacksonville Jaguars: The Jags put up a fight in Denver yesterday. But I don't think anyone seriously gave them a chance...not even Jimmy Johnson.

WARNING: Jimmy uses a crass term to describe Jacksonville's collective derrieres

Maybe the Jags need to hire Johnson as their new head coach?

In an interview last week, Jaguars owner Shahid Khan admitted that it would take more than Tim Tebow to turn around the on-field fortunes of his NFL franchise. But at least he's not saying, "No," anymore.

Honestly, while I think that Jacksonville makes the most sense geographically for Tebow, it would likely be the worst possible destination for him as a jumping off point for resurrecting his career. Unless the team was fully committed to him and ready to tailor their offense around him, it's likely Tebow would have little more success than the quarterbacks they have today.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Mike Glennon showed a little spark yesterday as well. The Bucs new starter is still 0-for the season but he did score twice yesterday with both touchdown passes going to to Vincent Jackson. Glennon's stats were a respectable 26 of 43 for 273 yards with those two TDs and 1 interception. He was also sacked twice. Is this what the Bucs want going forward? Will the Glazers be content to win moral victories every week or is it becoming a race against Jacksonville for the first overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft?

Glennon goes down against the Eagles on October 13, 2013

Looking over Mr. Glennon's stats while quarterback at North Carolina State, I don't think you can compare them to what Tebow achieved at Florida. I know that college and the NFL are light years apart, but I still prefer Tebow with the Bucs over any of their current options. There are a lot of things to recommend this match...I hope it happens.

New York Giants: I don't think anyone predicted this. If you look at the passing stats for Eli Manning it's not terrible at first. He's near the top for yardage, completing 123 of 229 (53.7%) passes for 1,721 yards. It's the next stats that are horrifying: 9 touchdowns against 15 interceptions and 16 sacks. I don't think Tim Tebow is the answer in New York. Frankly, I'm not sure what the problem is. Maybe this is just the Giant's typical terrible start to the season and they'll win out from here?

Long shots...

If not the Bucs or the Jags, then where? There are some other teams who are struggling as we wrap up week 6 of the 2013 NFL season.

Oakland Raiders: The Raiders have entered the conversation before but that was before everyone (but me) started jumping on the Tyrelle Pryor bandwagon. I don't know that you can hang their loss to the Chiefs yesterday on Pryor alone; football is a team sport. Offsetting his better than 50% completion rate and a touchdown in the second quarter were 3 interceptions and 10 - TEN! - sacks. Swap out the name Pryor with Tebow and tell me the prognosticating public would not be calling for Tebow's head if he had that kind of performance. In fact, I challenge you to go and find an NFL game in which Tebow has played where he was that bad. Go ahead...I'll wait.

Mommy!

Minnesota Vikings: I can't dog pile the Vikes today, I just can't. Cam Newton played out of his mind and AP was hurting over the death of his son. It didn't help that Matt Cassel played like he did, well, last year in Kansas City, but we'll see where the Vikings go from here. They've signed Josh Freeman off of waivers from the Bucs so I expect we may see Josh on the field next Monday night against the Giants.

Houston Texans: I'll be honest. I don't know squat about what's going on in Texas other than the fans were cheering...cheering...when Matt Schaub went down hurt. The Texans have some playmakers but I think coach Gary Kubiak may be more concerned with saving his job than bringing in a new QB project.

Apparently the lack of contact from potential NFL suitors is not causing Tim Tebow to sit around, wring his hands, and wait for the phone to ring. Reports are he was enjoying some family time in Hawaii. By all accounts he still looks to be in pretty good shape although I suspect it would take him at least a couple of weeks to be at anywhere near game shape/speed.

Still, at least for the Jaguars and Buccaneers at least, I'm thinking it would be worth the wait.

What do you think?

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Please Hire Tim Tebow - Week 5

Good morning! It's October 7th, 2013 or, as Jacksonville Jaguar fans think if it, another day closer to proof that David Caldwell is the Antichrist.

Week 5 of the 2013 NFL season is nigh in the books and my favorite quarterback - who many believe is not really an NFL quarterback - is still unemployed. To be fair, playing quarterback in the NFL is not for the faint of heart. It's easy to go from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows, in the span of a week sometimes.

Last week, Josh Freeman, this season's "What in the world happened to him?" poster boy was in the midst of being unceremoniously dumped by my hometown Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Freeman's situation had been building for some time and while it felt a little uncomfortable, not too many would argue that it was time for a change in Tampa. There are two sides to every story and it may just be a case of the Bucs not being into Josh anymore. However, it seems young Mr. Freeman has received a nice golden parachute in the form of a 1-year, $3 million deal with the Vikings. Meanwhile, the Bucs had the weekend off, hopefully spending a great deal of time working with backups Mike Glennon and Dan Orlovsky. Or, as is my fervent wish, preparing the announcement that will be made during Bucs coach Greg Schiano's press conference (1:30 pm CDT) today regarding Tim Tebow being signed to the club.

Yay! No more Creamsicle Sundays!

As a lifelong Bucs fan, I would dearly love to see Tim Tebow in the red and pewter - or even the creamsickle - of Tampa Bay. But there may be teams in even greater need of an inspirational quarterback after this weekend.

The poster team for Give us Tebow is the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jags traveled to St. Louis to battle the previously 1-3 Rams. This definitely looked like a game that Jacksonville could steal. An early 67-yard TD off of a short pass from Blaine Gabbert to Justin Blackmon had us all going. But the rest of the first half unfolded pretty much to script as St. Louis outscored Jacksonville 24-3 the rest of the way, talking a 14-point lead into the locker room at halftime. A late drive by Chad Henne - in for the injured (again) Gabbert - closed the gap but St. Louis responded and, well, oh and five for the Jaguars.

On Friday of last week there were rumors flying that the Jags were going to give Tebow a look. But Caldwell, the Jaguar's version of Captain Queeg, is holding firm. Heck, even Stephen A. Smith over at ESPN has said that the Jags should sign Tebow - and he thinks Tim is a terrible QB!

I think Tebow can do better...

So, if not the Bucs or Jags, then who?

Previous blogs on this subject highlighted the shortcomings of all the quarterbacks in Tampa and Jacksonville, but I've also called out a few other folks as potential Tebow landing zones.

• Minnesota Vikings: Despite their struggles, the Vikes have brought in Freeman from Tampa Bay to round out the competition between Ponder and Cassel for QB. Good luck with that.
• Arizona Cardinals: I had previously called out the Cards and their itinerant veteran Carson Palmer. Save some unrealized expectations in Cincinnati, Palmer - one of the train of QBs out of USC in recent years - has just never lived up to his expectations. But yesterday, Arizona laid it on Carolina 22-6. Not that Palmer lit it up; but a win takes the heat off a little. 
• Detroit Lions: Now here's a new entry. Matthew Stafford, the strong-armed Lion's QB out of Georgia, continues to frustrate Detroit football fans. I really don't think that they would be willing to kick Stafford to the curb but after a decent performance with a TD and no interceptions against division rival Green Bay yesterday, the Lion's still lost. 

With the season almost a third complete, the options are narrowing. Despite shoddy results by the Giants, Dolphins, and Carolina, I don't see their quarterbacks going anywhere. It's coming down to a two-horse race at this stage of the season: Jacksonville or Tampa Bay?

My heart hopes that the Glazer family rolls the dice and brings Tebow in to fire up the Buccaneer faithful. But my head says Caldwell will eventually cave and Tebow will be offered a shot with the Jaguars. 

It could happen!

What do you think?

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Please Hire Tim Tebow - Week 4

We are nearly 25% of the way through the NFL regular season and Tim Tebow is still unemployed despite some, frankly, horrendous quarterback play across the league. Since it likely wouldn't cost team coffers much to bring in Tebow, what can we assume is the reason he isn't getting any calls?

Poll Question: Why is Tim Tebow not on an NFL roster?

A. His lack of skill at the quarterback position
B. The right team hasn't contacted him
C. Coaches don't want to go through an offensive restructure this deep into their seasons
D. Team owners and GMs don't want to endure the hurricane of "I told you so's" that would come with Tebow being successful

I'm not some pie-in-the-sky Tebow drone who overlooks the challenges that come along with bringing in Tim Tebow. There are issues dealing with the press, there are locker room dynamics to consider, and of course the unreal fan expectations (you know who you are Jaguar's fans). And that's all before Mr. Tebow even puts on the pads. But every player in the league has those issues to a greater or lesser degree; Tim just has more of them because of the way NFL fans have polarized over his playing ability and intangibles.

Let's look at a few quick numbers; Tebow's lifetime quarterback rating in the NFL is an admittedly anemic 75.3 according to ESPN. Here are some similar numbers from players starting for NFL teams today (or who have started this year and are still getting paid):

1. Blaine Gabbert (Jacksonville Jaguars - starter): With a rating of 30.7 I'm not sure how the Jags can still justify paying this guy. No offense to Mr. Gabbert but a quick glance at Tebow's stats makes him look like Peyton Manning compared to the zero touchdowns, five interceptions and ten sacks that highlight Gabbert's resume so far this season.
2. Chad Henne (Jacksonville Jaguars - backup): Chad more than doubles his teammate's quarterback rating with a still-sad 68.8. But Mr. Henne's one TD against two interceptions and eight sacks doesn't cry out for a change from within.
3. Josh Freeman (Tampa Bay Buccaneers - ex-starter): Freeman has fallen from grace faster than you can say, "Satan," in your best Church Lady voice. Once a lock on the quarterback position in Tampa, I have no idea what happened to Josh this year. There was some speculation over the weekend that he may be struggling with some sort of substance abuse but there were no facts presented to back that up. Tebow is a great example of how a player's performance can suffer when they don't have the backing of the team...so maybe Freeman just lost his coach's confidence. Whatever the reason, and despite a fairly decent supporting cast, Freeman has only thrown two touchdowns and has been picked off three times while being sacked seven. His rating this year (to date) is 59.3 - not good.
4. Mike Glennon (Tampa Bay Buccaneers - ex-backup): Don't worry Bucs fans! We've got Mike Glennon ready to step in and take over. Not. I've never even heard of Mike Glennon before Freeman was benched. But the guy that's been in camp and at practice every day learning coach Schiano's system? He stepped in this weekend and threw two interceptions against a single TD and was also sacked twice. His rating? 55.7.

It's disheartening to see all four of those poor-performing quarterbacks playing for Florida teams. But as I've noted before, Tim Tebow is from Jacksonville. he played his high school ball there. Everyone knows the rest of the story, from the jump pass that jump started his Florida career, to the Heisman, and a slew of school and SEC records, Tebow has proven himself to be a winner.

Couldn't happen to a nicer opponent...

Look, I'm not trying to relive Tebow's glory days at Florida. I've said before that I know where Tim's faults lie - everyone does. He has trouble reading defensive progressions, he struggles with the short drop and quick throws favored by NFL offenses, he has still not repaired his loopy throwing motion. But Tim also has some excellent qualities that offset the bad: His heart is second to none, he works as hard as anyone on the team, he is very mobile and can beat you with his legs, his long ball accuracy is very good.

In addition to the players highlighted above, there are a number of quarterbacks struggling this year with sub-70 ratings. Christian Ponder (Vikings) has already been benched in favor of Matt Cassel. Carson Palmer (Cardinals) is throwing the heck out of the ball in Arizona - and running for his life. Palmer's rating of 69.8 isn't helped by throwing only four touchdowns against six interceptions and suffering ten sacks. I keep hearing that Geno Smith (Jets) is making progress but he's been sacked fourteen times - and he's supposed to be shifty - while being picked off eight times against only four TDs (rating: 68.6). Joe Flacco (Ravens) and Eli Manning (Giants) are also under 70 for their quarterback rating this year but I would expect them to rebound. The other guys? Not so much. 

So what do all these quarterbacks have in common? They are playing poorly and their teams are losing. Flacco and Manning aside (because their teams have recently won Super Bowls), the rest play for teams that have done little or nothing for years. Why wouldn't ownership take a chance on Tebow?

Heck, Big Ben Roethlisberger has been sacked fifteen times in four games and we all know Ben is not the most mobile guy on the field anymore. Despite that, his rating so far this season is 84.2 and he's even with five TDs and five interceptions. But the Steelers are 0-4 and occupy the bottom of the AFC North division, behind the Ravens, Cleveland and Cincinnati. 

Are the Steelers in the Prison League this season?

I doubt seriously the Steelers are going to part with Big Ben. Although they have only scored 61 points so far this season (15.25 points per game) the Steeler's big problems appear to be on defense not offense, letting their opponents score 110 (27.5 ppg). But as for those other guys? As ESPN says on Monday Night Football, "Come on, Man!"

Someone in Jacksonville wants Tebow...

As the flying banner above attests (flown over the stadium during this weekend's shellacking of the Jags at the hands of the Colts) it's Tebow Time in Jacksonville or even possibly Tampa. Make a move.

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Please Hire Tim Tebow - Week 3

Week three of the 2013 NFL season is nearly in the books and Tim Tebow remains unemployed. Despite intriguing offers from Satan's own Arena League team in LA and a (ba) bush (ka) league team in Moscow, my favorite Florida Gator is still riding the ultimate quarterback pine.

So what would-be opportunities are out there this week for Mr. Tebow despite all the haters? Week three was just another great example of why I shouldn't play Fantasy Football. I am consoling myself with the fact that I never play in paid leagues. I have an aversion to funding other people's good times when I'm being kicked like a Ray Finkle field goal attempt.

LACES OUT!

Over the first couple of weeks this season, there have been some pretty clear front-runners in the Tim Tebow sweepstakes. Let's take a look at whether those franchises should continue to have Tebow's agent on speed dial...

Jacksonville Jaguars:

The hags...I'm sorry...the Jags travelled north by northwest to play in the new 12th Man kingdom known as Centurylink Field. I know this stadium more from watching the Seattle Sounders MLS team but it's every bit as hostile toward opposing NFL franchises when the Seahawks are in town. This game went pretty much according to script. Backup QB Chad Henne had an even worse day than last week with a sub-50% completion percentage and two interceptions. Chad did manage to recover his own fumble but was also sacked four times. Jacksonville eked out a late score on a Jones-Drew 2-yard carry but that didn't take the sting out of the final score: 45-17 Seahawks.

Shhh! Don't tell anyone but we want Tebow!

Oakland Raiders:

A number of people disagree with me on this one. The Raiders play Peyton Manning and the Denver TD Passes, er, I mean Broncos, tonight. We'll have to wait and see how they do. Oakland still has Terrelle Pryor managing their meager offense but I guess if they keep winning...

Cleveland Browns:

What in the world? With the week's most amazing player personnel move in trading Trent Richardson to the Colts, the Cleveland Browns had become the first team entered into the 2014 NFL Overall First Draft Pick sweepstakes. Cleveland had so much as announced, "We give up!"

Apparently no one told Brian Hoyer and Jordan Cameron, who combined for three touchdowns, including the game winner with 51 seconds left. While that throws a monkey wrench in my Tebow to Cleveland campaign, it definitely creates a new entry on the potential candidate list.

Minnesota Vikings:

Christian Ponder may not be the cause of the Vikings starting 0-3 this year but when Minnesota scores three rushing touchdowns and two of them are by Ponder...something isn't quite right. Tebow may not be the answer as long as Ponder continues to run for his life, but the former Purple People Eaters bear some watching.

Teams you would have previously thought were as far from even thinking about Tim Tebow as the Sun is from the Earth...

New York Giants:

What the what? Who has the most Super Bowl MVP trophies in the last six years? If you said Eli Manning, go to the head of the class. The Giants are 0-3 and if no one is panicking in New York yet, it may start getting a little jittery in the Big Apple very soon. New York is extremely impatient with its sports teams and is the poster sports city for the, "What have you won for us lately?" mentality. Manning can't all of a sudden begin to stink overnight, but he is 32 and he has more interceptions (8) than touchdowns (5) in this young season and has been sacked 11 times. How sweet would it be for Tebow to return to New York and lead the G-Men to the playoffs? Take that J-E-T-S Jets!

Washington Redskins:

Robert Griffin III was supposed to be the next big thing in the NFL. Washington banked everything on his amazing skills. Supposedly he was (and is) everything Tebow isn't - basically someone with all the running skills of Tebow but who could actually - and accurately - throw the rock. Griffin's numbers aren't as startling as Manning's, but the 'Skins are also 0-3 and with RGIII coming off major, major knee surgery, his issues could be just  rust and having to work his way back into football shape, getting re-acclimated to the speed of the game. Still...

The worst of the rest:

It could happen...

There are a couple of other 0-3 teams out there who never would've entered the Tebow discussion a few weeks ago: The Pittsburgh Steelers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I honestly see no way Big Ben Roethlisberger gets pulled in Pittsburgh but I could totally see Tebow being given a shot in Tampa. It would be a friendly environment, being just down the road from Gainesville, and in Greg Schiano they have an ex-college coach who has shown a flair for the unusual since coming to the NFL. Despite the fact that Schiano endorsed Josh Freeman today as his QB, if Freeman continues to post the big L, who knows?

I still believe Jacksonville makes the most sense for Tebow. It would ostensibly show the fans that the team has not completely given up on the season, or them. But as a long-time resident of Tampa who endured the bad old days from the get-go in 1976, I'd love to see Tim come to town.

What do you think?

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Please Hire Tim Tebow - Week 2

Here we are, almost finished with week two of the NFL season, and Tim Tebow is still unemployed - at least as a quarterback. Absent the Ohio River Rumble that will take place tonight between the Bengals and Steelers, let's look at some of the heroic - or hapless - QB play that begs for teams to pick up the phone today and call Mr. Tebow's agent.

Patriots vs. Jets: This is always a weird game; after Thursday night, no one is kicking Brady to the curb and honestly, he's working with an entirely new group of receivers so we have to say there are no Help Wanted signs in Foxboro. Geno Smith - who NFL.com noted was, "repeatedly sacked when he took too much time to throw," also threw three fourth quarter interceptions. The Pats only scored thirteen points; if you can't beat that, improvements may be called for. In week one, the Jets pulled one out of their, um, helmet, and overcame the Bucs due to the worst defensive error I've seen in Tampa since Warren Sapp was traded. The Jets didn't receive a gift this week, so they lost. You never say never but it is highly doubtful that Tim would go back to the Jets.

How long before you can buy a Geno Smith sandwich in NY?

Actually, there was some pretty solid play across the league this week at the quarterback position, looking at the results from Sunday's match-ups: Ryan vs. Bradford, Rivers vs. Vick, Peyton vs. himself...but there were also a few stinkers.

Ravens vs. Browns: What in the world is going on with the Ravens? Did these guys really win the Super Bowl last year? Did Joe Flacco really get stratosphere money in a new contract? Did that jinx him?

The mighty Ravens may have held the Browns to two measly field goals in the first half but there was a big old goose egg on the other side of the scoreboard. Divisional game or not, the Super Bowl champions should not be playing their home opener and be down 6-0 at the half. Flacco and Browns QB Brandon Weeden put up relatively respectable numbers with completions rates close to 60% and over 200 yards through the air. Joe even added a consolation TD toss midway through the fourth quarter but still.

As bad as the Ravens were, they still beat the Browns. That tells me Cleveland needs to be hitting the phones soon. Mr. Tebow? We have a collect call from Rob Chudzinski; will you accept the charges?

We are the champions, my friend...

Vikings vs. Bears: It galls me that there is an FSU quarterback starting in the NFL and Tebow is unemployed. If you're from Florida, you'll understand that. Christian Ponder has had an iffy tenure in Minnesota and were it not for the reigning NFL MVP in the backfield, I'd warrant that Ponder's job security would be much shakier than it is. But even with all-world running back Adrian Peterson hitting the 100-yard mark, Jay Cutler and da Bears were able to beat the Vikes in spite of Cutler's two picks and a fumble that Minnesota returned for a score. Sure, Ponder is a relatively steady pocket passer...but Tebow just wins, baby!

Raiders vs. Jaguars: In reality, for the second week in a row, there is only one Job Opening Waiting to Happen:

Starting QB for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Last week's goat, Blaine Gabbert, was out injured so ex-Jets and Dolphins castaway Chad Henne (no relation to Sonja) got the start. Honestly, there is so much low hanging fruit here it's nearly too numerous to mention. The Jags were beat by a team whose kicker (another Free Shoes University product) scored over 60% of their points. The Raiders QB from the Big Ten (or twelve or something) school that must not be named was an underwhelming 15/24 for 126 yards. So Tebow could definitely be a good fit in Oakland, but we talked about that last week as well. The Jags #2 put up much prettier numbers than Pryor, completing 25 of 38 passes for 241 yards and a touchdown. Not bad. But Chad, your team scored 9 points and lost to the Raiders. You are now 0-2 with no relief in sight.

Tebow constantly gets ripped for poor stats - except in the win-loss column. Henne may be a more prototypical passer but is he really the guy who's going to take the Jags to the playoffs?

It's so bad, that the local Orlando television station that carries the Jags away games actually apologized for doing so yesterday. How desperate does a team have to be when the television networks that carry your games IN FLORIDA apologize for having to show them?

Let me re-quote a short section of Please Hire Tim Tebow - Week 1:

Back in January,  [Jaguar's GM] Caldwell told reporters, "I can't imagine a scenario in which he'll be a Jacksonville Jaguar—even if he's released."

That was in January; it's now the business end of the NFL season in September and the Jags are 0-2 with not a lot of love coming from the fans and not a lot of wins taking place on the field.

Is Tim Tebow the answer for Jacksonville? Fox Sports reported on Saturday that a Russian - yes, you read that correctly - a Russian football team has offered $1 million for Tebow to come over and help them win a playoff semi-final game. So what do the Moscow Black Storm know that Dave Caldwell and the Jaguars don't?

They got a light-up scoreboard and eh'thing!

Maybe they know that if you put fans in the seats and those fans by jerseys and stuff, your team becomes popular and makes money. I don't think anyone can argue the fact that a growing number of Jaguars fans would like to see Tebow given a shot. ESPN just reported a story indicating there is a Sign Tim Tebow Rally scheduled for 3:16 today in Jacksonville.

If I didn't know better, I'd think it was almost Tebow-Time in his hometown of Jacksonville.

What do you think?

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Please Hire Tim Tebow - Week 1

I don't know if this will turn into a series, but with some glaringly suspect QB play in week 1 of the 2013 NFL season, it just might.

NCAA National Titles, Heisman Trophy, NFL playoff victory...unemployed?

On September 3, 2013 Tim Tebow was released by the New England Patriots. Everyone involved said the right things and then the sports media immediately jumped on the, "Will Tim Tebow ever play again in the NFL?" bandwagon. Everyone, it seems, has an opinion on Tim Tebow - me included. Leaving aside the man's Christian faith and the fact that some people find it irksome, let's look at Tim's prospects against the would-be NFL quarterback play we saw this weekend.

I know it's not fair but I'm starting with the low-hanging fruit right off the bat. Back in May, some Jacksonville Jaguars fans petitioned the Obama White House in an effort to pressure new team owner Shah Khan and general manager Dave Caldwell to sign Tebow after he was released by the Jets. Seriously? I mean I like the idea but the President can't even decide on his own to attack Syria..but I digress.

Back in January, Caldwell told reporters, "I can't imagine a scenario in which he'll be a Jacksonville Jaguar—even if he's released."

How's that working out for you, Dave?

Gabbert did not shine on Sunday

Starting QB Blaine Gabbert was a pedestrian 16 of 35 (45%) for 107 yards. No touchdowns, no interceptions. Tebow's last game in the NFL (so far) was the Patriots' final preseason game in which he played the second half and went 6 of 11 (54%) with 2 TDs and 1 pick. He also had 6 rushes for 30 yards. In a half; playing with the third stringers. Did I mention the Pats won?

I'm not saying that Tim Tebow is Alex Smith - not even close - but if he can duplicate the stats above against the Chiefs (assuming the Jags have some third-stringers on their team), we're in the neighborhood of 28 points and the game becomes a lot more interesting for Jaguars fans.

No. It's not fair to blame Gabbert for the loss to the Chiefs but that's the way it is in the NFL. Most of the time if you're the QB, you get the glory for the win and you're the goat when you lose. That's why you get paid the big bucks. In the five previous NFL seasons, the Jaguars have zero winning records. They scraped to a meager 8-8 mark in 2010 but last year only won two games. Come on Dave - if Tebow is not the answer to the, "Can you imagine a scenario in which he'll be a Jacksonville Jaguar," question, what is the question?

So, what else happened in the rarefied atmosphere of elite NFL quarterbacking this weekend? Leaving aside tonight's two Monday Night Football games featuring RG III vs. Michael Vick and Philip Rivers vs. Matt Schaub - quarterbacks who have pretty much established their bona fides - let's take a quick peak:

• Baltimore vs. Denver: Never mind; St. Peyton of Manning was too busy walking on water to answer requests for an interview.
• New England vs. Buffalo: This is a game I'll admit I was expecting to highlight in Tebow's favor. Not that Brady - next in line for sainthood - would be in any trouble, but I expected the Bills' E.J. Manuel to fold like a soggy deck of cards. No surprise, the Bills still lost but after some shaky opening play, Manuel looked pretty stable.
• Seattle vs. Carolina: Cam Newton and Russell Wilson are two of the hottest young QBs in the game. But this game was a yawner. Nothing to see here...move along.

I could go on down the list but you would just get bored and I would lose my mind. Honestly, if you review the rosters of every team in the league, the majority have an established starter who is a quality quarterback. None of us have time to drill down to the backup slots but let's be frank with each other, Tebow needs to be the starter, wherever he goes. Thinking of the New York Jets I can only hear Yoda chastising Luke, "The cave, remember your failure at the cave!"

"...like an intoxicated Jawa, Gabbert was, yes..."

So, if not the Jaguars, then who? Two options stand out and one - the Raiders - would be like Jesus playing for the Devil's team and we already know He didn't do that. That brings us to option B: the Cleveland Browns. Interestingly, Cleveland matches the Jaguars in recent futility, suffering through five consecutive losing seasons. In fact, the Browns are monotonously poor, never winning more than five games in a season over that span. 

Yesterday, Cleveland's starting QB Brandon Weeden went 26 of 53 for 289 passing yards and a touchdown. That sounds pretty good. But then there were three interceptions. Oh, and a fumble. And Weeden had zero rushing attempts. And four sacks. In fact, the Browns only had two rushing first downs in the entire game despite the presence of bruising tailback Trent Richardson in the backfield. It's like the Dolphins dared the Browns to beat them through the air.

But wait, you say, wouldn't Tebow be the worst choice to replace Weeden? He struggles with short to intermediate routes and has not shown a quick grasp of reading defensive tendencies or following his progressions. All true. But what Tebow does bring to the table are things like a never-say-die attitude, the ability to run - outside or between the tackles, a very nice touch on longer throws, and the most important trait - he is a winner. 

I would think that for either the Browns or the Jaguars - who I may be picking on mercilessly if yesterday's results continue through the season - winning is something they might consider taking a chance on, seeing as neither has done much of that for the last five seasons.

C'mon guys; it's time to Tebow.

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