Enjoy the game everyone, and Go Pats! Mike Tanier, Matt Bowen and Erik Frenz of CHFF share their thoughts on the matchup.
Phil Simms: Tim Tebow has to stop worrying about throwing INTs
www.danpatrick.com
Dan Patrick: Would you want him as the QB of your franchise?
Phil Simms: Well, not now, no…He is throwing it better, and to me his biggest problem throwing is, he’s more worried about throwing an interception than he is completing the pass. He’s being so careful when he lets it go; I know he’s not gonna miss some of these 10-yard routes that are out there in front of him. But he’s neurotic about making sure it’s not going to be intercepted. If he stops that, he’s going to start completing more, and it’s going to look a lot better to everybody’s eye.
Starts around 7:38 of the podcast. (h/t tom3565)
Bears' Urlacher selling Tebow Time, but Lovie isn't buying
www.nfl.com
“[Caleb Hanie’s] going to be able to move around in the pocket a little bit—maybe a little (Tim) Tebow offense,” Urlacher told the Chicago Tribune on Monday.
Don’t bank on it. Coach Lovie Smith wasted no time Monday pumping the brakes on ripping pages out of Denver’s radioactive read-option playbook.
If it's going to sweep the NFL, it's gotta start somewhere, right? So what that it's only in Brian Urlacher's head...
Running For Three Yards Is Like Going Backwards
deadspin.com
The cliché that it’s a passing league is truer than we realize. Advanced stats that can account for sacks, turnovers, penalties, and everything else show that the average running play is a setback…And what of the Denver Tebows, who have won three of their last four games with an offensive heavily tilted toward the run?...As hard as it is to believe, the Broncos won because they were the more efficient passing team. Tebow threw for 5.0 net yards per attempt, while Mark Sanchez averaged a net 4.4 yards per attempt, adjusted for his three sacks and an interception. So long as the other quarterback plays worse than Tebow, the Broncos can win. Unfortunately for Denver, that’s not going to happen very often.
Machu Picchu: The Apex Of Tebowing
deadspin.com
“AFTER A 12000 FOOT SUMMIT I HAD TO TEBOW ONCE I COMPLETED MY JOURNEY…” That is somewhat understandable, Scott.
Hear me out: Tebow a legit MVP looker -- not winner, but candidate
www.cbssports.com
If Denver does keep winning, and keeps winning the way it has been winning…How could anyone deny Tebow’s viable candidacy?...It’s not only that he plays quarterback for a team that has won four of its past five games. Tebow should be a legit MVP candidate—if this keeps up—because of the way the Broncos are winning these games. They’re winning because of Tebow. Or rather, Tebow is winning these games.
The John Elway Show (Part 1)
www.stationcaster.com
“I think that obviously he’s making progress week in and week out, and so I think that, you know, when you look at our third-down numbers, those have to improve, I mean, and that’s the bottom line…we can’t go 3 for 13 and win a world championship…Tim Tebow did exactly what we thought he could do on Thursday night, that when we get in tough situations, he’s a guy that’s going to be able to make those plays, he’s got the will and the competitiveness to do the things, you know, you can’t coach…and that’s exactly what he did on Thursday night…now if you look at that thing, the bottom line is defensively we played great defensively and the special teams were good because we were in the football game.”
There are a hundred ways to interpret and parse this interview (and I'm sure both sides will), but after listening to the tone of Elway's voice and the language he's using here, I came away with the distinct impression that John Elway doesn't care if Tebowmania is running wild. John, a little part of a million evangelicals just died this morning, buddy. I hope you can look at yourself in the mirror, pal.
Elway was asked directly if he is any closer to knowing who is quarterback of the future is. His response: "No."
He did confirm a bias of mine, though. When a team is less than 40% on third down, turn the lights out. The party's over.
Thanks to my boy, magster, for pointing me to this interview this morning.
Jabar Gaffney downplays tweets
espn.go.com
On Monday, Gaffney said: “It’s something that got took out of ‘text. Cowboy fans, that’s how they are. I was just telling the dude: ‘Y’all won. All right, leave me alone. Don’t talk to me.’ And that’s all it was.”
You know, probably not the kind of thing you should say when you're the guy who sold the gun which your teammate used to commit suicide. Love ya Gaff, but come on...
Denver's December 4, Week 13 game at Minnesota has been flexed from a 4:05pm ET game on CBS to a 1pm ET game on FOX instead; the Broncos/Vikings matchup swaps spots with Ravens/Browns. The NFL has also spared us the pain of having to see Curtis Painter and the Colts get whipped by the Patriots on SNF, instead swapping the game out for the potential shootout between the Lions and Saints in New Orleans.
Jake Plummer on Tim Tebow: “When he accepts that we know that he loves Jesus Christ, I think I’ll like him a little better.”
sportsradiointerviews.com
Tebow, regardless of whether I wish he’d just shut up after a game and go hug his teammates, I think he’s a winner and I respect that about him. I think that when he accepts the fact that we know that he loves Jesus Christ then I think I’ll like him a little better. I don’t hate him because of that, I just would rather not have to hear that every single time he takes a good snap or makes a good handoff…like you know, I understand dude where you’re coming from….but he is a baller. He knows how to win and when your teammates believe in you that you can do good things and that’s what they are doing. They are winning. That’s fun to see.
Lots of interesting quotes from Snake, who talks about getting run out of town, Shanny's failure in Washington, and his own step back from competitive handball. (h/t LBS)
