Why the Heck Does John Fox Prefer Jimmy Clausen to Tim Tebow?

We’ve already reached the point in the NFL season where a starting quarterback gets hurt and the backup is totally inept. There are maybe 15-20 people on the planet who are physically, emotionally, and intellectually suited to thrive at the position in this league, and this point is hammered home when there are injuries. It continues to be odd to us that coaches would rather go down with someone like Ryan Lindley or Jimmy Clausen, who anybody with eyes knows is ill-fit to succeed as a pocket passer, rather than running the option with somebody like Tim Tebow (or, like, Terrelle Pryor).

In the case of the Bears, Tebow and Clausen are both devils that John Fox knows. As we explain in this video — and Lisk wrote out in his broader NFL recap on Monday — Fox’s offense and overall teams have performed far better with Tebow than Clausen. The only logical rationale here, and this would be supported by yesterday’s trades of Jared Allen and Jon Bostic, is that the Bears are tanking. If that’s the case, and Jay Cutler’s “hamstring injury” lingers on, Clausen is probably the best man for the job.