The chanting for Tim Tebow to come off the bench finally came to a halt for the Denver Broncos yesterday when head coach John Fox made the call to pull the plug on starter Kyle Orton at halftime after another dreadful performance.
Tebow’s first two drives went three plays and out, but we have to cut the kid some slack–he was coming in cold, after all. The Broncos’ defense stiffened up a bit, leaving Tebow and the offense with a 16 point deficit and the fourth quarter to make it happen.
A Denver drive that started close to mid-field resulted in a quarterback draw by Tebow that went for six points, and after a converted two-point conversion, the Broncos–led by Tebow and running back Willis McGahee–moved the ball down the field once again on their next drive, one that was capped off by a perfectly executed screen pass to running back Knowshon Moreno who sprinted to the end zone.
Brandon Lloyd dropped the two-point conversion, and the Broncos had blown coverage on 3rd and 10 of the Chargers’ next drive, otherwise they would have had ample time to get into field goal range for the victory. They still had a chance at the end with about 24 seconds and about 80 yards to go, and after a great one-handed catch by Brandon Lloyd for 20 yards and a 30 yard play to tight end Daniel Fells, the Broncos clocked the ball with a mere 29 yards to go.
It wasn’t exactly a “Hail Mary” of a pass, but the Broncos wound up having to throw up a prayer because of good coverage by San Diego, and the ball fell to the ground as the comeback fell short.
The Broncos wound up turning a 23-10 first half deficit into a 29-24 near comeback thanks to some big stops by the defense and a rejuvenated offensive attack, led by McGahee and Tebow.
There is absolutely no question that as of the Broncos’ last 10 games, the quarterback playing better football is Tim Tebow. It doesn’t matter that he hasn’t come in off the bench and been an elite passer right out of the gates–the guy already knows how to move the ball against defenses and put points on the board under intense pressure.
Now, Tebow has two weeks with which to work on the first team offense and build chemistry with his guys. I realize the locker room has Kyle Orton’s back to the end, and he is a good friend and teammate of most of them, but he just has not been playing well, and no one can deny that.
Tebow might bring a load of attention with him, but he also brings excitement and playmaking ability.
The Mile High Magic was once again in the air for Denver.
Tebow was not making accurate throws when he first game in, but he wasn’t making dumb mistakes either. His throws were falling near the feet of receivers, so he will have to work on that timing and chemistry over the next 11 games, but it will come.
The biggest thing with Tebow is that so many analysts believe that because of the insane amount of attention he receives that he needs to make an immediate impact as a passer. Let’s not forget that he’s only started three games and has only seen action as the primary quarterback in 14 quarters.
He’s still very raw, but if you read any of my stuff leading up to the 2010 NFL Draft, you know that I believe Tebow projects as a top five talent and he should have been a top five pick in my opinion. I am not going to complain that the Broncos got him late, but everything he has you can’t coach, and what he lacked coming out of Florida can be coached. He is an elite athlete with great arm strength and intangibles that you rarely see in professional sports.
This is a guy you want to bet your team’s future on, and Josh McDaniels did. Unfortunately for him, he won’t get to see the fruits of the selection as anything but an observer.
I will gladly admit I was wrong about Tebow if he winds up failing, but that is something that I do not see happening. I believe Tebow is a superstar in the making, and it would be great for the Broncos as a franchise if they can move forward with him as the quarterback of the future.