#1, these are professionals, after all...and knowing when to throw & when to hand-off tends to come both in practice, the exhibition games & all preceding other games.
#2...re: "figuring out the defense" & "figuring out their weaknesses..." well, if you have to be an "in-the-game" QB to do that, then why bother EVER -- at ANY level (college, high school, pros) have either some offensive play coordinator or sideline coach call a play?
You make it sound like nobody on a sideline or in a pressbox seat could possibly "figure out" a defense or its weaknesses?
That's gotta be one of the more pathethic, unthought thru comments to float around.
...gets on the same page with all of his receivers as to which routes to run...
Uh, yeah. Each QB does that pre each play. (It's called a "huddle"). And that "huddle" is based upon extensive practices further fleshed out via those exhibition games & previous games I mentioned above!
I would just LOVE to have you as coach on an opposition team!!! Oh, and I would VERY much hope Tebow was either your starting quarterback or “finishing” quarterback, preferably both!
Soccer, basketball, and hockey (and tons of other) players are expected to read dynamically-changing offenses and defenses and change their game accordingly, I don’t see why it would be such a stretch for a football player to do it. The entire sport is admitting that their players are morons that can’t walk and chew gum.