Tim Tebow is coming off yet another unimpressive preseason appearance. The New England Patriots quarterback stepped into the preseason game on Friday and promptly recorded a 1-of-7 for -1 yards and 0 touchdowns stat line, along with one interception. His one completion went to Josh Boyce who was tackled behind the line of scrimmage. His interception happened after Tebow launched the ball over Kenbrell Thompkins and into the hands of Mason Robinson of Tampa Bay. Despite the poor play, both Tebow and head coach Bill Belichick are insisting he has improved.
"I feel like I'm improving every day and you know, growing and learning, and learning the offense. That's what it's about - every day trying to get a little better," Tebow said.
When asked if he thought Tebow was improving and looking better in training camp, Belichick told the media, "Oh yeah, definitely." There is a lot of confidence in that statement. The head coach elaborated that Friday's preseason game looked good for some people and bad for some people, but overall the week of practice was strong.
Belichick believes Tebow should be viewed differently than other players on the team. The head coach notes that because Tebow is much different type of quarterback, he must be evaluated differently. He stated that while Tebow was not a polished pocket-passer, he has other qualities that are worth investing in.
"I think the passing game is still the passing game," Belichick said, via ESPNBoston.com. "But all players have different skill sets. Some guys do some things better than others. You have to look at the total package and what they're able to do in all areas of the game. I think we see a lot of good quarterbacks in the NFL, they aren't all maybe the best passers but their ability to run and pass, and make plays however they make them, . . . makes them a high-level player."
Despite running a traditional offense, Belichick does not believe his quarterbacks, or any player for that matter, must player to a specific style. At the end, he just wants productivity and the ability to bring the team success. That being said, the Patriots are showing no signs of installing a read-option style offense that Tebow could run some plays that show off his mobility. The team is expecting him to run the same offense as Tom Brady and backup Ryan Mallett. It feels like wasted effort, but after two preseason games, Tebow has not run at all.
The Patriots currently have 84 players on the roster as of Monday. It is unclear whether or not Tebow will be on the 53-man roster come Week 1, but Belichick appears to be in his corner which could work in the quarterback's favor.
