Grading the rookie QBs Tebow and Bradford
It seems that the Florida Gators are getting a bad rap in terms of being able to produce quality quarterbacks and having them succeed in the NFL or outside the collegiate level. Chris Leak, Jesse Palmer and Rex Grossman have all been busts. But does Tim Tebow deserve to be on this list? Certainly not. For starters, it’s way too early to tell if he will be as bad as his fellow Gators before him and second, Tebow had a solid pro debut and finally, he has more skills and heart than all of the guys mentioned combined.
Tebow went 8 of 13 for 105 yards in the second half and in typical fashion, scored on the last play of the game by scrambling a few yards and running it in for the touchdown. “I saw an opening, so I went to go get it and thankfully got in there," Tebow said.
So why is Tebow receiving so much criticism for his play after one preseason game? It is worth mentioning that before even being drafted, the former Gator was being critiqued for his mechanics and throwing motion. "That wasn't something that was going through my mind," Tebow told the Denver Post on Monday. "It was more reading the defence and trying to get first downs."
The chatter died down leading up his preseason debut, but in the aftermath of Saturday's game, claims that the rookie has reverted back to his college days and disregarded the new throwing motion and quick release techniques are back and stronger than ever. It’s as if people want to see this talented player fail.
"I don't know if that necessarily matters. I never listened too much to what people said," Tebow said. "I'm just trying to stay focused and get better every day, and try to be the best player and teammate I can be on this team and not worry about what people say."
Tebow completed close to 60 percent of his passes, did not throw an interception, and scored a rushing touchdown. He did pretty well in his first appearance in the pros.
Another rookie quarterback played in his first NFL preseason last Saturday. Sam Bradford, the 2008 Heisman Trophy winner, started under centre for the Rams and played a handful of snaps in a 28-7 loss to the Vikings.
Coach Steve Spagnuolo was pleased with Bradford’s performance and the number one overall pick in the 2010 draft realized that he has the talent to play in the NFL although this was only a preseason game.
"There was nothing major," Bradford said of a few things that he needs to work on and correct in the future. "There's nothing I haven't seen before, haven't done before. There's just little things and I just think that comes with being in this offence and just being more comfortable."
Though St. Louis has a schedule that makes a .500 season possible, they don’t have the talent on their roster to make that a reality. The Rams don’t have an offensive line that can protect Bradford and that was apparent on Saturday’s game, when the Vikings sacked him four times. But the rookie is a tough kid and shook it off, with claims that it was no big deal.
"I feel good physically, I feel great," he said. "Really not sore at all." But Bradford can’t continue to take shots from linebackers and defensive linemen every Sunday. This is cause for concern moving forward and Bradford would have a long career if he takes unnecessary hits and is always running for his life when he gets the snap. "Until we straighten out some of these things, it's going to be tough for any quarterback," the coach said.
Considering the fact that Bradford played against a solid Vikings defence, the rookie did a decent job, but has a few more strides to take as we near the start of the regular season.
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