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The Greatest In-Season NFL Turnaround For All 32 Teams

By Erik Lambert

HOUSTON, TX - DECEMBER 02: Whitney Mercilus #59 of the Houston Texans congratulates J.J. Watt #99 of the Houston Texans after a tackle in the third quarter at NRG Stadium on December 2, 2018 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TX - DECEMBER 02: Whitney Mercilus #59 of the Houston Texans congratulates J.J. Watt #99 of the Houston Texans after a tackle in the third quarter at NRG Stadium on December 2, 2018 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) /
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DENVER, CO – JANUARY 08: Tim Tebow #15 of the Denver Broncos scrambles to pass the ball to Demaryius Thomas #88 of the Denver Broncos to score an 80 yard touchdown in overtime of the AFC Wild Card Playoff game at Sports Authority Field against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Mile High on January 8, 2012 in Denver, Colorado. The Denver Broncos defeated the the Pittsburgh Steelers in overtime 23 – 29. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO – JANUARY 08: Tim Tebow #15 of the Denver Broncos scrambles to pass the ball to Demaryius Thomas #88 of the Denver Broncos to score an 80 yard touchdown in overtime of the AFC Wild Card Playoff game at Sports Authority Field against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Mile High on January 8, 2012 in Denver, Colorado. The Denver Broncos defeated the the Pittsburgh Steelers in overtime 23 – 29. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images) /

Denver Broncos: 2011

The Denver Broncos’ 2011 season is one of the most fondly remembered in team history by the entire fan base.

After a dismal start to the season with Josh McDaniels fired and John Fox now the head coach of the team, the Broncos faced a critical juncture as a franchise. They could either go down with Kyle Orton as the captain of the ship or they could put in Tim Tebow and lose with some entertainment value.

Whether it came from John Elway (who was in his first season as an executive in the NFL at the time) or the coaching staff is irrelevant now, but facing their fifth loss of the season against the San Diego Chargers, the Broncos turned to Tebow who ignited a spark and nearly brought the team back from a huge deficit to get a victory.

The very next week, Tebow’s first start of the season, the Broncos got a win against the Miami Dolphins in dramatic comeback fashion. That would really set the tone for the rest of the year.

Denver won seven of Tebow’s first eight starts that season and lost three straight to end the year, still somehow finishing division champions in the AFC West at 8-8.

They faced the reigning Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card round of the playoffs that year, and came up with one of the most memorable and epic walk-off touchdowns in the history of the game.

Tim Tebow hit Demaryius Thomas for an 80-yard score with the NFL’s overtime rules changing from sudden death to sudden death only if you score a touchdown.

This was one of the craziest seasons in Broncos history and one fans will never forget.

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