When I was a kid, I seem to remember some slogan that said knowing was half the battle. If that’s true, then Tim Tebow is already halfway to where he needs to be. The Denver Broncos quarterback says he realizes that there’s more work to do ahead of him if the Broncos are going to succeed, and his performance in Sunday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs was yet another sign of just how far he has to go.
“Well, obviously when you lose it’s just not good enough, and for me it wasn’t good enough,” Tebow said at the post-game press conference. “I just have to get better and learn from my great coaches and just come out next week and try to be a better quarterback, a better leader and be a better player.”
To be fair, the Broncos rode Tebow’s instincts part of the way through their surge toward the top of the AFC West and it’s unfair to make Tebow the victim of fan vitriol. While Tebow’s performance specifically was poor, it was clear that the learning curve with Tebow under center would be steep and the Broncos chose that route weeks before. You can’t complain, in other words, if you knew it was coming. Imagine the Jets complaining because Santonio Holmes is pouting (wait…).
The reality is that Tebow has a long way to go to make it as an NFL starting quarterback. Yet if any guy in the league has the right attitude and work ethic to make the adjustments, it’s definitely Tebow. The Broncos will have to endure games like they did against the Chiefs on Sunday and hope they will come less over time and practice. The Steelers, meanwhile, will hope for a repeat performance on Sunday.