Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports
There are some rumors that Tim Tebow is not going to have his number called for the preseason opener. He did not have many reps when he practiced with the Philadelphia Eagles, but second string quarterback Ryan Mallett didn’t have many either. Tom Brady was on the field and he hogged up all the time in order to get a feel for his new receivers.
However, the media has portrayed it like Bill Belichick has made an objective statement that his third string quarterback is not going to play. This is not the case, but that doesn’t stop people from proclaiming it.
When asked by the media, Belichick simply said that, “its not something we’ve really talked about.” This is a typical statement from a coach and nothing to read in to. When Tebow was asked, he responded that the coach told him to be ready when his number gets called. This sounds to me like the stoic coach has a plan.
Look for Tebow to play tonight. Unlike the actions toward Tebow from Rex Ryan, Belichick has a place for the controversial star with his New England Patriots. Under new defensive coordinator Billy Davis, the Eagles are going to have to stop him. The new 3-4 defense for the Eagles will allow Tebow to get out in space, which is dangerous.
Trent Cole is going to have a tough time getting to him and will need plenty of help from the quicker linebackers. Players like Fletcher Cox and Connor Barwin will have to step up. Despite Tebow being vilified by many, he is deadly and can cut apart defenses.
Defending Tebow hasn’t been a big story on the road to the preseason, but it certainly should be. Tebow has been given new life, and if allowed to play his game he can cause our beloved Birds problems.
