Tim Tebow Produces Nightmare Stat Line in Embarrassing Outing vs. Buccaneers

Tim Tebow is one of the most recognizable and polarizing figures in all of the NFL. A large part of the population adores the good-guy-turned-football-player, while others question why a backup quarterback receives so much attention.

During the New England Patriots' 25-21 preseason victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the debate was temporarily won by the detractors, as Tebow posted one of the worst stat lines imaginable.

It wasn't pretty.

Tebow was 1-of-7 for negative-one yard and an interception, achieving a quarterback rating of 0.0. This happened on the same night that saw Tom Brady carve up Tampa Bay's defense on one leg, going 11-of-12 for 107 yards and a touchdown.

Tebow did gain 30 rushing yards on six carries, further proving he can be an effective player when he's not throwing the football.

Tebow has come under fire for his struggles as a passing quarterback, despite the postseason success he experienced with the Denver Broncos two seasons ago. With his skills as a runner, some believed Tebow could revitalize his career as a versatile weapon for the Patriots.

Tonight did not help Tebow in that regard. And if Brady's dominance wasn't enough, the other backup made it so Tebow really couldn't have picked a worse night to struggle.

Tebow is currently in competition with third-year quarterback Ryan Mallett for the role of backup quarterback to Brady. With Tebow performing this poorly, it's safe to say that Mallett achieved the upper hand for one evening in Foxboro.

It certainly doesn't help Tebow's cause that Mallett was 12-of-20 for 137 yards and one touchdown in that same game.

To be fair, this is the preseason, and the success or struggles of an individual at this point in the year are quite meaningless. Due to Tebow's high-profile nature and commitment to being taken seriously as a pass-first quarterback, however, this outing will do nothing but hurt his reputation.

At least Tebow proved he can still run.