I don’t think anyone could argue that the magic that carried the Denver Broncos surprising and impressive run would last forever. The games were wild and an absolute blast to watch —unless your team was the one getting upended by Tim Tebow and company. However, we all know that a team can’t rely on the miracle comeback as the common road to victory. It just doesn’t pan out. We have seen that happen to the Denver Broncos the last three weeks. This isn’t a critique on Tebow’s style of play, just the observation that the league is beginning to adjust and figure out how to stop what he’s doing. It’s not a condemnation of how Tebow plays, just an instance where we can look at him (and the Broncos) and say “your move.”

The issue at hand isn’t that Tebow can’t make that adjustment, it’s that he has to make it right now. Additionally, he has to make it against the defense of the Pittsburgh Steelers. As the Broncos improbable run continued on, Tebow was actually showing improvement —outside of his standard fourth quarter comebacks. It appears that he’s been figured out. After getting blown out by the New England Patriots and the Buffalo Bills, and then a tight loss to the Kansas City Chiefs (with a playoff berth on the line), adjustments need to be made. He and the suddenly vulnerable Broncos defense need to raise their level of play across the board to have a chance. The mystifying start to Tebow’s career as a starter has ended, it’s time for him to start learning the game and improving, not as a gimmicky apparition, but as a quarterback.

Throughout this season, I’ve compared Tebow’s unorthodox success with what happened with the Miami Dolphins and their Wildcat offense. I remember when the Wildcat appeared and the Dolphins found success with it by winning a few games, many thought the game had changed. We heard the same talk when the Broncos and Tebow started running their option offense and found Tebow making wild comebacks. The game was changing. The quarterback position was changing. While the game itself is constantly undergoing change, Tebow’s style is fresh, but that doesn’t mean it will remain effective. With three straight losses to end the season, it would appear the “freshness” has run out. The league is figuring out how to stop it.

I think Tebow and the Broncos are capable, but Tebow has to make an adjustment of his own in response to the ones the league has made. All players have to do this to be successful. Tebow’s chance is now.

Brian is a lifelong football fan, specifically of the Chicago Bears, having lived in Illinois his entire life and having followed the NFL throughout.

Sources

For Broncos Success, Tebow Needs to Own Fourth Quarter

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