Tim Tebow Heckled By Own Fans, Looks Bad At Camp

Tim Tebow can't escape being criticized, even by his own team's fans watching training camp. If you have ever watched the NFL Draft, I guess hearing a few boos from New York Jets fans shouldn't be surprising.

Tebow is the most polarizing player in the NFL and everyone has an opinion if he can be effective as the starting quarterback for the Jets. He had a bad practice today and he didn't change anyone's mind positively. He paraded around without his shirt at the end of practice, hopefully to distract everyone from his play...it didn't work.

He wasn't the only quarterback to look bad. Mark Sanchez had his own blunders in the poor weather. Interceptions and fumbles could be the overall theme in the Jets training camp this year.

Tim Tebow's honeymoon period with the New York media appears to be over. Is the Jets' blind optimism about their quarterbacks warranted?

Tebow took 12 snaps with the second team today. He went 3 for 8 and took a 'sack' after running around the field trying to avoid defenders. The hecklers started to let him have it during that play. His own fans were yelling, "Throw the ball" and "This is why you're number two!" There is a group of Jets' fans who believe Sanchez is their future and have disliked Tebow from Day 1. Sanchez did lead them to back-to-back AFC Championship appearances, but smart fans could say that he benefited from a staunch defense.

Tebow and Sanchez are in a quarterback competition manufactured by the media. You haven't heard anything from head coach Rex Ryan about a competition. Conjecture can make a mess of an already bad situation.

Tony Sparano is the Jets new offensive coordinator. He is best known for implementing the Wildcat offense when he was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins. Jets linebacker Bart Scott believes the Jets will have an advantage with Tebow in a similar package. It is a risky gamble, since teams figured out the Wildcat by the next season after it began.

The Jets have the most pressure of any team in the NFL...and they didn't even make the playoffs a year ago. The Giants won the Super Bowl last season and coach Ryan could be on the hot seat if the team starts the season poorly. They will find it difficult to share a stadium with the world champions.

If the quarterbacks' poor play becomes the norm, expect Tebow AND Sanchez to use the 'shirtless' distraction on a daily basis.

How Will The Jets Use Tim Tebow?

The biggest mystery of the upcoming season is how the New York Jets will use Tim Tebow. The team has been silent about their plans for the former Heisman trophy winner. A lot of information is being leaked out, but it is usually about Tebow and Mark Sanchez having dinner together. We all know that he is non-controversial and will not complain about being a backup to Sanchez. He is a great competitor and would love to start, but he will not admit that to the media.

New offensive coordinator, Tony Sparano, brought back the Wildcat formation when he was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins. Does Sparano have another innovative package to unleash in 2012?
Tim Tebow has not put on a helmet in four months, yet you hear his name everyday on ESPN. I'm sure that head coach Rex Ryan, quarterbacks coach Matt Cavanaugh, and Sparano are getting tired of answering the same questions. It would be stupid of them to tell the media about the role that Tebow will play this season. Cavanaugh told the New York Daily News that Tebow is improving everyday. He is focused on having consistent footwork and improving his rhythm in the pocket.

In 2008, Sparano didn't even hint about his Wildcat package until it was put into action against the New England Patriots. The Dolphins used the wildcat package six times and scored five touchdowns in that formation. They went on to beat New England 38-13 and won the AFC East division by going 11-5. The formation was duplicated across the league and defenses soon figured out a way to stop its effectiveness and it died out. Sparano will need to design a package that he can morph and mold, so defenses can't catch up to it so quickly.

Last season, the Jets admitted that were missing the x-factor that Brad Smith brought to their team. He signed with the Buffalo Bills before last season. They ran an option called the "tigercat", in which he mostly ran out of the backfield. Smith rarely passed the ball out of the package, which makes having Tebow a better fit for a similar package. Safeties started to play inside the box against Smith's package, but Tebow is a better passer. The defense will not be able to predict as much, since Tebow will pass at a higher percentage and keep the defense guessing.

I have kept an eye on the Jets' draft picks and free agent signings. All signs point towards the Jets using Tebow in an exaggerated option package. The biggest sign was drafting running back Terrance Ganaway in the sixth-round. His familiarity with an option-style offense he played at Baylor makes him a perfect running back to lineup in the backfield.

In Denver, Tebow was most effective in the red zone. If he was inside the ten line, he was automatic and scored touchdowns. Last year, the duo of Shonn Greene and LaDainian Tomlinson lacked the size to move piles. John Conner, aka The Terminator, is a fantastic blocking back, but he was even rendered useless in the red zone.

What would a "Tebow package" look like? The Jets have said that fans should expect Tebow to be in about 20 plays per game. Sparano has made this priority number one, so expect some elaborate plays from the Jets. Tebow could line up at either quarterback, fullback or tight end, expect the unexpected. He could benefit from playing in a triple option with Greene and Ganaway, which would take a lot of practice and precision from the offensive line to pull that off. He could even line up at a running back in a pro set. If that happens, he could flank out on a screen and be thrown a backwards pass. His down-the-field accuracy is sketchy at best, but he could get lucky and catch the secondary asleep.

We can only guess on how Tebow will be used on the Jets. He is an average quarterback, but if an offense is built around him, he could be great. The skills that he has as a quarterback are the skills that Sanchez lacks. Tebow is a strong leader and has intangibles that can turn a broken play into a first down. I'm not saying that that Jets don't follow Sanchez, but Tebow has the kind of charm and passion for the game that very few players can match. They are both handling this situation pretty well so far, so they must have something under their sleeves.

A lot has to happen in order for the Jets to pull off this Tebow experiment. I am excited to watch the Jets this season and I have never said that in my life.

Lastly, I leave you with a little eye candy for the ladies...shirtless pictures of Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow. I have posted half-naked photos of Kate Upton, Brooklyn Decker, and Christina Hendricks, so I kind of owe them. (I apologize to the older demography for not posting any shirtless photos of Joe Namath)

Demaryius Thomas Will Not Miss Tim Tebow

Tim Tebow and Demaryius Thomas connected on one of the most memorable catches during the 2011-12 season. The 80-yard game-winning touchdown helped add to the legend of Tebow. They ended up losing in the next round to the New England Patriots, which ended up being the last game for Tebow as a member of the Denver Broncos. During the off-season, the Broncos signed Peyton Manning and they orchestrated a trade that sent Tebow to the New York Jets. Now that he's out of town, the truth is starting to leak out. Thomas didn't mince words about his time as a wide receiver during the "Tebow Era" in Denver.

...let's just say that Mr. Thomas is looking forward to catching balls from Peyton Manning.

Thomas went on the 2 Live Stews radio show on 790 The Zone in Atlanta and he didn't mince words about Tebow. He said that "it was a business decision...I ain't gonna say that I was sad because the only thing they remember is that pass. I wasn't getting no balls and you had to make some of these plays where some players were open and he was not making the throws." The comments made by him sound like he's making excuses for his average regular season numbers. To be fair to Tebow, Thomas did drop some easy catches this year.

After he gave his personal opinion about Tebow, he spoke for the team and what they thought about the media coverage. "Eveything on ESPN was about Tim," Thomas said. "That bothered some players, too, because they would say 'Tim Tebow Time.' I felt like it was a team thing. If it wasn't for defense most of the time, there would be no supposed 'Tim Tebow Time.' "

Since Thomas was a freshman at Georgia Tech, he has not been in a pass-happy offense. Before his sophomore year, Paul Johnson took over that program and implemented the triple-option. He still had good numbers and ended up being the #22 pick overall by the Broncos in the 2010 NFL Draft. He caught 22 passes his rookie year and suffered an Achilles injury during the off-season. He rehabbed the injury and ended up catching 32 passes during the 2011 regular season. In his first two seasons, he has a total of 54 catches for 834 yards with 6 touchdowns.

It isn't clear why Thomas made these comments, but he will have a bull's eye on his back this season. These comments fall under the "wide receiver diva" category and infused with blatant jealousy. He made some valid points, but Manning will give him every opportunity to put up Pro Bowl-level numbers. It's time for Thomas to let his hands and feet do his talking.

Will Tim Tebow and Demaryius Thomas kiss and make up...again?

Why Terrell Owens Won't Be On The Jets

I know all of the New York Jets fans are excited for the upcoming season. You overachieved last season and a few players emerged as future stars in this league. You spent the off-season acquiring high-profile players in hopes of making a championship run this year. The rumor is that the Jets are now targeting Terrell Owens to sign with the team. Why would the Jets sign T.O. when they already have a wide-receiving corps able to handle the "run-first" offense? Here are some of the reasons why Ownes will not be playing for the Jets this season.

First, you have to look at the wide-receiving corps and realize that there isn't any room for him on the roster. He would be steaming on the sidelines waiting for a 4-wide set to be called. Mark Sanchez already has Santonio Holmes, Braylon Edwards, Jerricho Cotchery, Dustin Keller, David Clowney, and Brad Smith to catch the ball. I know Holmes will have to sit out the first few games this season, but when he comes back, he would jump right into that #1 or #2 receiving role. Sanchez isn't going to be out there throwing the ball 40 times a game. Rex Ryan will still be trying to manage the game and let his defense win games.

Next up, the sheer thought of having Braylon Edwards and Terrell Owens on the same team is spine-tingling. How many balls would this duo total? 40? It would be a safer bet to throw screen passes to LaDanian Tomlinson and let him get his usual 2.5 yards (he's washed up).

The Jets can't turn into the Washington Redskins and try to sign free-agents who are 2-3 years past their prime. It will get butts in the seats, but from what I know about NFL games, only the Jacksonville Jaguars have trouble in that department. Fans will go to Jets games and scream "J-E-T-S Jets, Jets, Jets" even if their starting quarterback was Justin Bieber and "The Situation" was their running back.

The chemistry of the team is important, especially one that goes into a season with high hopes. If they start out the year 2-3 or 3-4, people of T.O.'s ilk will start trying to motivate the team and there will be too many chiefs and not enough indians. You can't load a team up with veterans with a young quarterback. Sanchez will have to start being the leader of this team and get into the faces of players trying to cause trouble. I'm not sure if T.O. could handle another young quarterback trying to get into his face.

The Jets will be a good team this season, no doubt about it. They shouldn't be trying to reach. Their team is solid and they should just stand pat. Who knows, all of this could just be driven by the PR Machine of Drew Rosenhaus. He could be trying to drive up the price that the Cincinnati Bengals have to pay to sign Owens. The Bengals and Rams were the only two teams in the hunt a few days ago, and it appears that the Rams have fell out of the running. If that is the case, Rosenhaus, you got me again...show T.O. the money!

NFL Football - Week 4 Betting Picks

We had a good Week 3 with our betting picks against the spread. We went 10-6 and went with the money line in the Detroit game. We are liking a lot of road teams to win ATS this week. It could be a recurring trend this season, since home-field advantage doesn't seem to be holding up this year. Could the Lions win two in a row? Could the Steelers go 1-3 to start the season? Here are our Week 4 NFL betting picks against the spread.

I don't think home-field advantage is as important so far this season as it has been in the past. It will change later on in the season when snow and heavy winds may sway the momentum of the game. This early in the season, teams are still tweaking with the offense and many lack an identity. The good teams will win on the road and the bad teams will lose at home.

Oakland Raiders (+9) at Houston Texans (-9) - My pick is Oakland

I might be insane, but the Raiders can still run the ball and Houston is the worst in the league at stopping the run. Oakland may not win this game, but should keep it close, with or without JaMarcus Russell.

Tennessee Titans (-3) at Jacksonville Jaguars (+3) - My pick is Tennessee

Jacksonville looked good last week, but the Titans are hungry for their first win. The AFC South games are usually closer than most games, but the Titans will win this game by more than 3 points.

Baltimore Ravens (+2) at New England Patriots (-2) - My pick is Baltimore

I missed on the Falcons beating the Patriots last week, but the Ravens are a better team than Atlanta. Joe Flacco may not have many weapons, but they have a dual-threat running game that will cause New England's D-line to struggle. I like the Ravens to out-right win this contest.

New York Giants (-9) at Kansas City Chiefs (+9) - My pick is New York

The Giants faced a large spread last week and they easily covered. I think it will happen again this weekend. They will shutdown Larry Johnson and force the Chiefs to throw on their secondary. The pass rushers for the Giants will have a field day on Matt Cassel.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+7.5) at Washington Redskins (-7.5) - My pick is Tampa Bay

The Bucs will be forced to rely on Carnell Williams and Derrick Ward in this game. Albert Haynesworth is hurting, so the Bucs will be able to run all over Washington. I don't care who Tampa Bay has at quarterback, it won't matter much in this game.

Seattle Seahawks (+10.5) at Indianapolis Colts (-10.5) - My pick is Seattle

The Colts will win this game, but they don't normally beat opponents by much. Seattle will be without Matt Hasselbeck, but Seneca Wallace is a good back-up. Julius Jones will have a good game, but the Colts will make defensive stops when it counts.

Cincinnati Bengals (-6) at Cleveland Browns (+6) - My pick is Cincinnati

The Bengals looked great against the Steelers last week and the Browns were their usual horrible Browns. The Bengals defense has improved a lot from last season and I see them winning this game by a lot. The Browns can't score on any NFL team this year, Derek Anderson won't change anything for them.

Detroit Lions (+10) at Chicago Bears (-10) - My pick is Chicago

Could the Lions possibly win two weeks in a row? I doubt it, the Bears looks to finally have things starting to mold. Matt Forte must have a big game, the Bears need him to get going this season or their hopes of making the playoffs could end soon. The Bears win this game easily, by two touchdowns.

New York Jets (+7) at New Orleans Saints (-7) - My pick is New York

The Saints always start off looking unbeatable, but when they face a good defense, they don't seem so powerful. Bart Scott and the rest of the Jets defense will make Drew Brees work for their yards. I'm not sure if the Jets wins this game, but they will keep it within seven points.

Buffalo Bills (-1) at Miami Dolphins (+1) - My pick is Buffalo

Miami will have to rely on Chad Henne and their running game to put points on the board, but the Bills have more weapons on offense than the Dolphins. I look for Terrell Owens to finally get going and Fred Jackson to dominate in this game. The Bills will win this game, in a close one.

St. Louis Rams (+9.5) at San Francisco 49ers (-9.5) - My pick is San Francisco

The Rams could be the worst team in the league. Kyle Boller adds a better passing option than Marc Bulger, but the 49ers came into their own against the Vikings last weekend. Vernon Davis finally has his head screwed on straight and is a physical beast. Shaun Hill will keep targeting him against the Rams and win this game and cover the spread.

Dallas Cowboys (-3) at Denver Broncos (+3) - My pick is Dallas

Denver has not played any team that did not make the playoffs last year and Dallas has played three games against teams that finished over .500 last season. I know what kind of team the Cowboys are after three games, I have no clue if Denver is any good yet. This game will prove it and Denver is a hoax, the Cowboys will run all over them and win this game and cover.

San Diego Chargers (+6.5) at Pittsburgh Steelers (-6.5) - My pick is San Diego

I am not sure if many people saw the Bengals/Steelers game last week, because this line has moved a lot in the Steelers favor since it has opened. Troy Polamalu isn't going to play and Antonio Gates will be free to catch everything win sight. The Chargers will go into Pittsburgh and win this game. This is my upset of the week.

Green Pay Packers (+3.5) at Minnesota Vikings (-3.5) - My pick is Minnesota

Brett Favre will be pumped up to play his old team on Monday Night Football. Green Bay's new 3-4 defense will cause Farve some trouble, so look for Adrian Peterson to run amok. Ryan Grant will have a good game and Aaron Rodgers will have a lot on his shoulders if the Packers plan on keeping this one close. Give me the Vikings ATS in this game.

I hope you enjoy our picks. They are for entertainment purposes and please bet responsibly.

2009 Off-Season - AFC Team Needs

2008 was a great season for the NFL. The entire season was filled with drama and stayed competitive until the final week of the season. Some teams came from obscurity (Dolphins) and and some teams took a step back (Patriots). Here are the needs of all 16 AFC teams for the 2009 Off-Season. Let's hope it's very active and teams get what they need in the draft and free agency.

Pittsburgh Steelers - Offensive Line - "The Steel Curtain" was back on the defensive side of the ball, but the offensive line looked like tin foil. Big Ben needs to stay upright to stay healthy and lead this team.

Cleveland Browns - Defensive End - The Browns couldn't get any pressure on the quarterback this season. They were decent on short yardage situations, but they gave up too many 3rd and long first downs.

Cincinnati Bengals - Cornerback - Teams lit up the Bengals secondary in 2008. Injuries plagued the team, but Ndukwe can't be your best defender. They need to upgrade with more than one new face covering wideouts.

Baltimore Ravens - Wide Receiver - Baltimore took a step in the right direction last season by drafting Joe Flacco. He has a huge arm and can spread the field with long passes. They don't have any deep threats on the team currently and it would even help their running game by signing an #1 receiver.

Indianapolis Colts - Defensive Tackle - This has been a need for the Colts for a few years. They have been taking their early draft picks on offense and taking fliers in the late rounds with DTs that don't work out. They need to lighten the run-stopping load from Bob Sanders and get a large body to plug up running lanes.

Tennessee Titans - Wide Receiver - Whomever the quaterback is in Nashville next season, they need someone better than Justin Gage catching footballs. Bo Scaife is their best receiver and he's a top-15 TE, at best.

Houston Texans - Defensive End - Mario Williams is a great pass rusher and they are very fortunate to take him over Reggie Bush and Vince Young. He is often double-teamed and they would could be a playoff team if they had a book-end pass rusher on the other side to help him out.

Jacksonville Jaguars - Defensive Tackle - In 2007, the Jaguars had one of the best defenses in the NFL. Marcus Stroud, left via free agency, and they Jaguars couldn't stop the run. If Jacksonville is going to compete, they need a good defense. Their offense isn't built to consistently score 30 points a game.

Miami Dolphins - Wide Receiver - Chad Pennington had a good season for the Dolphins. He deserves all the credit for their success. If you step back and realize Greg Camarillo was his #1 receiver for most of the year, it's even more amazing.

Buffalo Bills - Quarterback - I'm not sold on Trent Edwards. I think he will be a decent quarterback eventually, but he needs more grooming. Dick Jauron has one more season in Buffalo and he needs to win or he's out of there.

New England Patriots - Linebacker - Jerod Mayo will be a great linebacker for many years. Unfortunately for the Patriots, the rest of the linebacking corps has an average age of 38. If they sign a few linebackers and stay healthy, the Patriots will be back on top of the AFC East, if not the entire conference.

New York Jets - Quarterback - Brett Favre has a 10% chance he'll be back and the Jets have to ask themselves if they even want him. Kellen Clemens is their next best option, but Matt Cassel could be a free agent and he could be a nice addition to open the new stadium.

Oakland Raiders - Offensive Line - After drafting many offensive linemen and none of them working out, Oakland has to get better fast. They spent a lot of money on JaMarcus Russell and he can't live up to his potential if he is running for his life.

Kansas City Chiefs - Linebacker - I would have mentioned quarterback for Kansas City, but Tyler Thigpen started looking like Len Dawson the last half of the season. The Chiefs have to get better at linebacker to help their young defensive line out.

San Diego Chargers - Fullback - After letter Lorenzo Neal leave last off-season, the Chargers realized his worth during the 2008 season. L.T. didn't look himself and needs a fullback to clear a path. If they sign a fullback, L.T. should go back to his normal numbers and scoring nearly 20 touchdowns a season.

Denver Broncos - Cornerback - Dre Bly and Champ Bailey looked good on paper, but when they are together on the field, it's quite scary. The Bly/Bailey duo looked old when they faced better-than-average wideouts. If they get younger and faster at this position, it should help them out, but they clearly need much more help in a variety of areas.