Tim Tebow Continues to Prove He Is Not an NFL-Caliber Quarterback

Tim Tebow joined the New England Patriots this offseason to much fanfare as many still believe he has what it takes to play the quarterback position at a professional level. 

He doesn't. 

Tebow made his debut as a member of the Patriots in Week 1 of preseason action against the Philadelphia Eagles. He prematurely entered the game after Ryan Mallett, the No. 2 on the depth chart behind Tom Brady, left the game for good after a hard hit in the second quarter. 

The performance Tebow proceeded to etch together only further reinforced the notion that he's not capable of playing quarterback at a high level. 

Tebow's first play for New England? A misfire to an open receiver. It was bad. Really bad.

Don't believe me? Check out the evidence:

You'll never guess how Tebow's second play with the Patriots turned out. Did you guess incompletion? You must be a wizard. He was then sacked on third down. Ross Tucker of NBC put it best:

Tebow finished the night with just four completions on 12 attempts for 55 yards. He added another 31 yards on the ground, which coincidentally continued to show he's a better runner than passer. 

All the matchup with the Eagles really showed is a confirmation that Tebow is not meant to play quarterback at this level.

This is an Eagles defense that is undergoing a complex new schematic overhaul with Chip Kelly in town. Kelly is swapping out the old 4-3 for a 3-4. The first few games are going to be extraordinarily sloppy, especially with leftover 4-3 pieces like Trent Cole learning new assignments. 

Yet Tebow could not get it done in an effective manner. Not only is Philadelphia undergoing massive changes, but Tebow was also at an advantage playing against second- and third-string players. 

Throw aside statistics and facts about the opposition for a minute. The bad throwing motion is still there. The iffy pocket presence and propensity to pull it down and run rather than progress through reads is still there. 

Oh, and there's still off-field distractions like this as reported by Kent Babb of the Washington Post:

No matter where you align with what occurred, positive or negative, a distraction is still a distraction. 

There are positives to Tebow, which will likely be pointed out as a counter to the facts presented here. After all, Tebow was an exceptional punt protector last year in New York. The year before that he came off the bench to lift the Broncos to a playoff berth after a 1-4 start. 

Yet, NFL defenses are adapting to quarterbacks like Tebow rather well. Running quarterbacks aren't as big of a threat anymore unless they can beat you with their arm as well, like Cam Newton or Robert Griffin III do regularly. 

If you haven't noticed, Tebow can't beat teams with his arm. 

There's a good chance Tebow sticks on the Patriots roster when the final 53 names are announced.

Tebow is listed as the third-string quarterback for a reason. He'll stick around in New England. He'll even see time on special teams. 

Expecting anything more than that at any point next season—or years down the line— is unrealistic. He's had time to pick Tom Brady's brain. Tebow is even reunited with Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.

Tebow's debut with the Patriots, while only the preseason, furthers the notion he does not have anything to offer the NFL at the quarterback position past the flash in the pan we experienced years ago. 

Follow B/R's Chris Roling on Twitter for more news and analysis @Chris_Roling