With Tebowmania nearing the boiling point, it’s time to find some perspective. To that end, we asked Denver Post readers to offer their opinions on the following topic: Now that Tim Tebow is the Broncos’ starting quarterback, what are your realistic expectations of him? The comments poured in from across the country. Here is a sampling of fans’ responses:
How he gets it done will probably never be pretty, but expect most of the wins to come at home, where when Tebow steps on the field, our crowd has never been louder.
Josh, Loveland
I don’t expect he will do anything passing-wise. All Tebow is good for is running. It’s like drafting a running back to play QB. I’m old school and love the passing game. Tebow cannot pass and will struggle doing so. Expect Tebow to have more rushing yards than passing.
Mark, Springfield, Ill.
What to expect from Tim Tebow?
The Qualitative:
• A lot of excitement.
• A lot of inspiration (for both teammates and fans).
• A lot of broken plays that will end either very well or very badly.
• Slow starts followed by rousing finishes.
The Quantitative (averaged over a number of games):
• 50 percent to 55 percent completion percentage.
• 200 to 300 yards passing.
• 1.5 touchdowns per interception.
• 50 yards rushing.
• One rushing touchdown.
Will this translate into wins? That is the key (but unanswerable) question.
Charles, Toronto
I think that a realistic expectation for Tebow and the Broncos is to win more games than they did under Kyle Orton’s leadership. Tebow truly provides a spark and excitement to the players and the fans.
Steve, Cañon City
Tebow is going to be just fine if the coaches allow him to pass as well. If they make him run or do handoffs for running plays 80 percent to 90 percent of the time, then opposing defenses will easily stack the box against him. With some successful screen passes and rollouts like last week with Knowshon Moreno, defenses will have to play both run and pass, and will be kept honest. Tebow will thrive on being back in Florida and probably half of the people in the stadium will be cheering for him.
Gary, Westminster
I expect Tebow to bolster our running game and force opposing defenses to put a spy on him, which should open up the passing game, keep games close and ultimately allow us to squeak out five to six wins the rest of the way.
Matt, Fort Collins
My expectations include 2011 and beyond.
• I expect that he’ll be exciting, yet insufficiently skilled as a professional QB.
• I expect that he’ll continue to be a tremendous character guy of whom his parents should be proud, but not demonstrate the depth of understanding required to do the job as a pro QB.
• I expect that if the Broncos improve, his supporters will demand he get all — or nearly all — the credit.
• I expect that if he fails to perform well as a pro QB, his supporters will demand that everyone else (coaches, management, teammates, referees, media, elected officials, random people on the street who don’t care about football) get all the blame.
Eric, Arlington, Texas
I fully expect the Tebow-led offense to start conservatively in Miami. His running and his inspirational leadership will keep this team competitive. Once his passing improves with experience, it will open up the playbook for an incredibly dynamic offense that will be very difficult for defenses to game plan against. Realistically, I feel that his time may still be a year or two away. I just hope there’s enough patience in the front office to give Tebow the time he needs to develop his game.
Gabriel, Haines, Alaska
I don’t expect Tebow to put up big passing numbers at all. His job has to be to limit turnovers and use his athleticism to keep the chains moving. It doesn’t matter how he does it. I expect him to have a low completion percentage, around 50, but put up double-digit rushing touchdowns by season’s end. His red-zone ability is undeniable. If he is successful, he is going to have to convert on those opportunities, which I expect he will.
He will bring a huge energy to the huddle initially. However, if he gets off to a bad start and losses string together, that energy will disappear, and the fans and Broncos would be in for a long offseason of rebuilding.
Adam, Los Angeles
I would expect him to play wide- open, fast and furious football along with the mistakes and shortcomings that come with the territory of being still so new to the NFL.
People are expecting him to be an instant hit or instant failure with almost no in-between. I expect him to give it all he’s got, which is what he does best, whether he wins or loses.
His determination is contagious, and I expect to be affected by that.
Rose, Jacksonville, Fla.
Tebow is all in, all the time. And that has an effect on the rest of the team. He also will represent a different skill set than most quarterbacks. Defenses will have a hard time adjusting. By himself, he can’t make a bad team good, but he sure can make them easier to watch.
Larry, Phoenix
I played in a charity golf scramble once in Jacksonville and my team was 1-under after the first six holes with Mark Brunell. Tebow rotated in for the next six holes, immediately wants to know how we did, and says, rather disgustedly, “One-under! My group was 5-under! Let’s go!” Upon which, Tebow hits several monster drives, we all play our best golf of the day. Even my dad (a lousy putter) is knocking in birdie putts while Tebow is rushing to high-five him, and of course we play those six holes at 5-under! Tebow has that great Magic Johnson-Larry Bird quality; he just makes everybody around him better.
Larson, Jacksonville, Fla.
