Two-time Super Bowl head coach Jimmy Johnson thinks there is a place for Tebow in the NFL, according to Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel. "I've talked to Chip Kelly a few times and Chip is trying to make it work,'" Johnson said.
While Johnson doesn't think Tebow is a full-time starter, he believes that there are packages that could utilize him. The one knock on Tebow has always been his throwing. In his one legitimate year starting, Tebow had a completion percentage of 46.5.
"He would get into a streak and a zone where he could make those pinpoint passes, but for the long haul he's not a real accurate passer," Johnson said. "But maybe he's improved his accuracy."
Tebow was never thought of as a prolific passer in college, but more of a tough quarterback who could get it done in the air and the ground. The transition to the NFL was difficult for Tebow especially fitting the ball in tight spaces, but what he lacked in the air he brought to the ground. In Tebow's one season starting in Denver, he led the Broncos to the number one rushing attack in the league in 2011. Tebow is great at the halfback option and knows how to fool defenses at the line, but reading defenses for passing is a whole different story.
Tebow has thrown no touchdowns and no interceptions this preseason, but he has run for one on the ground. All this information says that Tebow hasn't shown any dramatic change yet. The Eagles tried two two-point conversions with Tebow against the Packers, but both the pass and run failed to convert. The key part to note is that Kelly tried them in the first quarter when the Packers still had their top defense on the field.
Whether Kelly plans to use Tebow this way in the regular season remains to be seen, but Tebow was 12 for 16 inside the 19 yard line, scoring or getting a first down on 12 out of 16 attempts. Everyone will anxiously wait to see how Kelly uses Tebow, but it may be only certain situations he is on the field, if at all.
"Tim Tebow brings so much to the table and so much to the team that if you were very good in all the different areas - offensive line, running the football, defense - I think you could be successful with Tim Tebow as your quarterback," Johnson said via Bianchi. Johnson followed that by saying, "But you have to structure your entire offense around him - and then what happens when he gets hurt."
How Kelly plays Tebow will be a hot topic all season, but the reality of it is that if starting quarterback Sam Bradford plays well, Tebow may just fade into the background.
