ShareThisEven those of us rooting hard for Tim Tebow -- because we want to see a young man of his character and conviction succeed on such a grand stage -- know this can't last.
We know why NFL teams don't run the spread-option offense in which Tebow excelled at Florida. We know this is a gimmick.
And we know that, though these gimmicks catch opponents off-guard and can work for a while, defenses eventually figure out how to stop them.
That will happen to the Denver Broncos, too.
That's why Tebow, unless he drastically improves his passing accuracy and ability to read coverages, isn't the long-term answer to the quarterback question in Colorado.
Both Broncos coach John Fox and front-office boss John Elway know it, too: "If we were trying to run a regular offense, he'd be screwed," Fox said recently.
Fox has since backtracked after his words caused an uproar in Denver. But he was merely being honest -- and accurate.
Tebow is a terrific football player who possesses all the desired intangibles -- not the least of which is being an infectious winner, as proven by the Broncos' 4-1 record since he became the starter.
His passing, however, is too erratic. He's uncomfortable in the pocket. He struggles noticeably when trying to decipher coverages. And that makes him a lousy NFL quarterback.
Tebow's team, though, is winning.
It doesn't seem to matter that the Broncos' steadily improving defense has kept games close until the final minutes and has played a far greater role in the team's turnaround than anything Tebow has done. Or that the offense has been overwhelmingly pedestrian.
Fox and Elway, already having caved to public sentiment, have decided to ride Tebow as far as he'll take them. They've got nothing to lose.
They know Tebow, if he doesn't make dramatic progress in his pocket-passing skills, isn't their franchise quarterback.
Fact is, NFL teams don't run the option because they invest too heavily in their starting quarterbacks and can't afford to allow them to endure a physical pounding that often leads to injury.
NFL defenders are too big, too fast, too nasty. They also tend to enjoy roughing up quarterbacks.
So if the Broncos stay with this scheme, Tebow will continue to run with the ball. He'll continue to get hit. There's a real chance he'll get hurt.
What then?
What do the Broncos do when Kyle Orton or Brady Quinn are forced to step into an option offense that was custom-fit for Tebow?
Fox and Elway know the risks, yet they're willing to take them -- because the gimmick is working, the team is winning and Tebow isn't their franchise QB.
They also know this can't last.
(Ray McNulty is sports columnist for Scripps Treasure Coast (Fla.) Newspapers. Contact him at ray.mcnulty(at)scripps.com. On the Web at www.tcpalm.com.)
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