The Steelers may be the one team in the NFL that does not need to be convinced Tim Tebow can actually throw a football.
The last time the Steelers saw him, Tebow led the Broncos to a stunning 29-23 overtime victory over them in the playoffs. In that game, Tebow threw for a career-high 316 yards, including an 80-yard, game-winning touchdown.
Eight months later, Tebow is now a Jet and the most secretive part of any offense in the NFL. The Jets used him for nine plays in Sunday’s opener against the Bills, but he did not attempt a pass. Considering his success throwing the ball last year against Pittsburgh, could the Jets let him throw a few Sunday against the Steelers?
“Whatever’s going to work and whatever I’m asked to do,” Tebow said.
The Jets did not show much of the Tebow-cat against the Bills, mainly because they didn’t have to. With the offense generating 34 points and the score getting out of hand early, the Jets dialed back the Tebow package.
“I don’t think it was a great percentage,” Tebow said about how much the Jets showed people of the offensive plan. “I think it was what we were trying to execute at the time. Then after I think we had quite a bit of a lead, then I think it was a little bit more vanilla from there.”
The Steelers used a lot of “zero coverage” in the playoff game, meaning they did not keep a safety back in pass coverage, instead choosing to bring the safeties up to stop the run. That opened things up for Tebow to have his best passing day as a pro.
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said preparing for Tebow, the Wildcat quarterback, is much different than preparing for Tebow, the starting quarterback.
“There are a million different things between being the starting quarterback for an outfit and a package guy, like he is right now,” Tomlin said. “What we did in that game was to address an issue of a guy that was taking a snap from center on every play. Obviously, our approach is probably going to be a little bit different in regards to how we deal with him this time around.”
The Jets have talked about Tebow’s throwing ability as the added dimension he brings to the Wildcat that others don’t. It would make sense for them to try to hit a big play with Tebow against the Steelers defense when yards will be hard to come by.
Sunday’s game was the first one Tebow appeared in without throwing a pass since last October, before he became the Broncos starter. Tebow has not attempted a pass in five of his 24 career games. He also had five games as a freshman at Florida that he did not throw the ball in.
That is why Tebow said it has been easy for him to transition into this role as an offensive novelty rather than the main man under center.
“It’s something that I’ve had to do before,” Tebow said. “My first year in Denver and the first four games of last year and also my freshman year at Florida I had a role similar to this. It’s something I’ve had to do before and I just try to do it to the best of my ability.”
As Tebow studied the Steelers this week, he watched their game Sunday night against the Broncos, his former team. During that game, Broncos linebacker Von Miller even took a knee and “Tebowed” after a sack of Ben Roethlisberger.
Tebow was asked if it felt strange watching his former team.
“I try not to watch it like that,” he said. “I just watch it as I’m viewing the defense and the Steelers and view it like I’m watching any other game.”
brian.costello@nypost.com