Last Sunday, the Broncos were on there way to another blowout loss just 5 games into the 2011-2012 NFL season. They looked flat, unmotivated, and most importantly their quarterback, Kyle Orton, was unable to move the offense consistently.
You probably wouldn’t have known this if all you had done was check the final score of the Denver-San Diego game on Sunday as you flipped through your ESPN app. That final score line read: Chargers 29 – Broncos 24.
Not really a blowout-type score is it? So what changed then?
The answer equates to one change that was made – bringing in Tim Tebow for Orton.
The Spark
The second Tebow came into the game, you could tell even on TV, that the atmosphere in Sports Authority/Mile High Stadium had completely changed. The fans got a whole lot louder and rowdier, and more importantly, the Bronco players seemed to hit another gear that hadn’t been seen all year.
To make a long story short, the first few drives with Tebow at the helm didn’t produce many results. But as the game wore on, Tebow was able to engineer a few scoring drives and almost completed a hail-mary pass on the last play of the game that would have given Denver the victory.
Alas, Denver dropped to 1-4, but they found their QB for the time being in Tim Tebow. And oh, was it the right move for John Fox to make at this point in time.
Tebow Named Starter
As of today, Tebow was named the starter for the Bronco’s week 7 matchup against the Dolphins (they have a bye this week). As is customary, the news spread like wildfire across sports talk shows and radio.
That’s because, just earlier this year, Tebow was sitting as the 3rd-string quarterback for the Broncos behind Orton and Brady Quinn. He couldn’t throw a pass accurately, his mechanics were still suspect, and he still had a hard time reading coverages and defenses.
Well guess what? He still has troubles doing all the above.
So why do some people believe that he needs to be starting for Denver? Granted, there are plenty of anti-Tim Tebow pundits out there who never think he’ll succeed in the NFL.
But I’m not one of them. No, I agree with those who think Tebow needs to start. You see, he has something that very few quarterbacks possess – charisma, leadership skills, and the fire to motivate a team….oh and he can run the ball pretty nicely as well, which doesn’t hurt.
You could tell from the Chargers game on Sunday that the team responded differently to Tebow in comparison to Orton. There was no “fire under their bellies” while Orton was under center. But with the change, the wideouts ran their routes harder, the running backs hit the gap just a little quicker, and the offensive line made a fuller commitment to pancaking the opposition to the ground.
And not only did the offense rise to the occasion, but the defense and crowd (as mentioned above) rose to the occasion too. Heck, even the coaching staff was pumped up.
This is precisely what the Broncos need. They need a leader over the better arm right now. They need a winner over the better quarterback right now.
And that man is Tim Tebow.
He Won’t be Perfect, But He’ll Win Games
I’m going to go out on a limb and predict that Tebow will lead the Broncos to a .500 record this season. That means that they’ll have to win 7 of their last 11 games. No easy task for a team that hasn’t looked very good, but I think it will be done – because of Tebow.
Now, Tebow will not be perfect. Along those lines, it may get downright ugly at times when he plays. Drives will stall like they did on Sunday. His throwing motion and slow release will lead to interceptions. He may fumble the ball a few times after deciding to pummel a defender instead of sliding at the end of a run.
But even then, he’ll still find a way to win games. It’s what the guy has been doing his whole football career dating back to his days as a Gator and probably even back to high school, junior high, and kindergarten.
Somehow, Tebow has that uncanny ability to find ways to win. It’s an ability that can’t be taught, which is why its so special when a QB has it. This doesn’t mean that he’s a superhuman…the Broncos are still going to lose games with him at the helm. They don’t have the talent to be a playoff team.
But they’ll win more than they will lose through the rest of the season. Mark my words.