NFL Fact or Fiction: Tim Tebow Is the Most Overrated QB in the NFL

Tim Tebow this. Tim Tebow that. Tune in to ESPN on any given day and the topic inevitably turns toward the Denver Bronco quarterback.

Why?

Because Tebow is the most polarizing figure in the NFL. His numbers don't jump out of the screen. The Broncos certainly aren't going anywhere. Yet Tebow remains the most dissected player in recent memory. Is he the most overrated player in football?

We shall see.


 

Passing

The numbers, well, aren't pretty for Tim Tebow.

For his career, Tebow is completing 48 percent of his passes. In 2011, Tebow is completing 46.4 percent of his passes, which ranks him No.  48 among all NFL quarterbacks who have thrown a pass.

Those percentages are paltry, considering Tebow also only averages 5.5 yards per pass attempt. According to statistics from NFL.com, Tebow is even inaccurate on shorter passes.

The Denver Broncos' signal-caller also is prone to getting his team behind the chains. Tebow is completing just 24.7 percent of his throws on first down and has been sacked 14 times.

On the plus side, Tebow outranks young quarterbacks such as Sam Bradford, Joe Flacco and Kevin Kolb in quarterback rating, which stands at 80.1 in 2011.

More importantly, Tebow protects the football, holding a ratio of 11 touchdowns to four interceptions over his short career.

Good thing for Tebow, the numbers don't tell the entire story. However, the stats thus far do not project the Florida product as a long-term NFL quarterback. 

Running

One aspect of the game that Tim Tebow excels at his tucking the football and running for yardage.

Tebow has accrued 277 yards rushing in six games played in 2011, ranking him No. 3 among NFL quarterbacks. His 46.7 yards per game average would put him second, behind only Michael Vick.

According to Yahoo! statistics, Tebow also ranks second among NFL quarterbacks in yards per rush at 7.1.

These impressive rushing stats are despite the utilization of a college-style offense by the Denver Broncos in 2011. Tebow is getting much of his yardage on designed run plays, rather than on scrambles when the defense is not prepared to contain the quarterback.

Unfortunately, the perception is that rushing for a quarterback is a negative trait. However, that bodes well for the argument that Tebow is not overrated. 

Intangibles

Now that the numbers have been thrown out there, let's take a look at the most important facts surrounding an NFL quarterback.

Wins and losses.

In six career starts, Tim Tebow has a 3-3 record to his name. His record is 2-1 thus far in 2011, including an impressive victory on the road against the Oakland Raiders.

The Broncos' record prior to Tebow becoming the starter? One win and four losses. Sure, its a small sample size. But Tebow has shown signs of improvement over the three game stretch.

The offense is beginning to show signs of shaping its game plan around Tebow, making him more comfortable and effective.

Sam Bradford

Before making the claim that Tim Tebow is the most overrated quarterback in the NFL, let's compare him to other candidates.

Sam Bradford appears to be getting an undeserved pass from expert scrutiny.

Bradford is 7-15 as an NFL starter, including an ugly 0-6 record in 2011. This is especially bad considering the St. Louis Rams play in the NFC West—the worst division in the NFL.

Bradford ranks behind Tebow in quarterback rating in 2011 and has a mediocre touchdown to interception ratio of 21 to 18.

Oh, and Bradford is a No. 1 NFL draft pick.

One must wonder where the scrutiny is for a player selected in the same draft as Tebow. Perhaps it will come in due time. 

Kevin Kolb

Kevin Kolb was touted as the quarterback that could lead the Arizona Cardinals to an NFC West division championship.

How is that working out so far?

Kolb has accrued a 1-6 record as a starter in 2011, playing in the same terrible division that Sam Bradford does.

Kolb is completing 56.8 percent of his passes, better than Tim Tebow, but has a worse touchdown-to-interception ratio and quarterback rating.

There is no Larry Fitzgerald on the Denver Bronco roster, either.

Time will tell if trading Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and a second-round pick in the 2012 NFL draft away for Kolb will pay dividends.

As for now? It's not looking good. 

Mark Sanchez

Mark Sanchez is better at every statistical category than Tim Tebow.

It is unarguable to claim that Tebow is a better quarterback than Sanchez.

However, that doesn't mean that Sanchez isn't likewise overrated.

Playing for a New York Jets team with a superior defense and running game for years, Sanchez has yet to deliver. His play has been a liability in some situations, throwing key interceptions and putting his great defense in tough spots.

In 2011, Sanchez has shown some improvement, completing 57.5 percent of his throws with a quarterback rating of 84. His propensity to throw interceptions has not changed, however, with nine to this point in the season.

The hype has simply outdone the actual production from Sanchez throughout his career. Until he puts up elite numbers on an elite team, Sanchez is undeserving of the attention he receives on some media outlets. 

Fiction

Tim Tebow is not the most overrated quarterback in the NFL. He simply is the most talked-about.

The fact is, Tebow isn't rated that highly at all by most pundits, with the exception of ESPN analyst Skip Bayless.

Tebow's mechanics and statistics are critiqued more than perhaps any second-year player in NFL history.

Other quarterbacks with more hype have produced less than Tebow. Perhaps not in numbers, but certainly in terms of team success. As a result, Tebow can sleep well at night knowing that the idea of him being the most overrated quarterback in the NFL is in fact fiction.