Tim Tebow Stakes Claim for Clutch Trait in Madden NFL 12
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There has been very little in the way of ‘player trait’ shifts through Madden NFL 12 roster updates. That should be expected as it takes a while for a player to establish widely-held perceptions centered on their skills and once they do they tend to get the benefit of the doubt or struggle to alter them. There have been only five changes made to ‘traits’ this year, a new addition to the Madden series that is meant to better define players beyond just their ratings.
•Eli Manning lost his ‘clutch’ trait after week one and re-captured it after week eight.
•Calvin Johnson gained the ‘clutch’ trait after week four.
•Greg Salas and Lance Kendricks got the ‘drops open passes’ trait after week two.
The most heralded trait is that of being ‘clutch’ which Madden initially introduced as a group of 36. It is intended to provide a general ratings boost to players when in high pressure situations. Philip Rivers would seem to be on the edge of losing his designation after four consecutive late game failures. Entering the picture now for consideration is Tim Tebow.
While ‘clutch’ is generally thought as something available only to those players who could be considered in an elite class the case could easily be made that Tebow belongs. His ratings are going to be low regardless given that he’s not a good passer at the QB position. What matters in this case though is that he turns it on in the fourth quarter and has been getting the job done. In eight starts he has completed three late game comeback victories and consistently performed better in the final quarter than those before it.
Looking at stats this year Tebow has been a 56% passer in the fourth quarter with 7 TDs and 29 team first downs. Compare that to how he is a 37% passer with 3 TDs and 19 first downs in the first three quarters combined. Total yardage in the fourth quarter is 571 vs 526 in the first three combined. There is no way to reflect performance like that with basic ratings – the only avenue to take is boosting him in particular situations which the ‘clutch’ trait would do to an extent.
Based on quick social media reaction it seems that most believe Tebow has done enough now to at least warrant consideration for the ‘clutch’ trait. Do you agree that Tebow has earned the designation or does he have more to prove? Leave your thoughts in the comments!