Tim Tebow doesn't win pretty. Correction: Tim Tebow wins really, really ugly. He can't make the deep out throw and he doesn’t throw a tight spiral. He doesn't have a proper throwing motion and he doesn't orchestrate the perfect 13-play, 82-yard drive. And, he definitely doesn't have the gaudy numbers we all love from our modern day quarterbacking gems.
But, one thing Tim Tebow does do ... is win.
He inspires confidence within his team. People either love him or hate him, but it seems like they all respect him. Now 5-4 as a starter in the NFL, Tebow is coming off perhaps his most puzzling victory yet. In a crucial Week 10 road game at Arrowhead against the Kansas City Chiefs, he completed two -- yes, two -- passes for the entire game. He attempted eight throws all game. He threw for a grand total of 69 yards ... 69 yards! But, in what is becoming an increasingly odd phenomenon, it was once again enough to get the win.
Denver is now 3-1 this season with Tebow as its starter. In comparison, between last year and the start of this year, the Broncos are 4-14 with Kyle Orton. During times of Sunday's game, they looked uncomfortable and even unsure on offense. As always, Tebow missed on a couple throws that no NFL quarterback should miss on.
Despite a 10-0 halftime lead, Tebow failed to complete a single pass in the half, making Denver the first team to lead at intermission without a completion since the Green Bay Packers in 1994, according to STATS LLC. (For what it's worth, Brett Favre was under center in that game.)
As is always the case with Tebow, however, we can expect the unexpected. Just when you thought he would never make a play with his arm, he proceeded to hit Eric Decker perfectly in stride for a 56-yard touchdown strike on a ball thrown so well it still has heads scratching.
But still, a year and a half into his NFL career, Tebow remains an enigma. Analysts continue to chastise him for his elongated delivery and failure to read defenses or anticipate throws. And, to a great extent, they are correct. Far too often, he misses receivers because he leaves sitting ducks in the air for defenses. Clearly, the offense has been oversimplified to fit his playing style. Head coach John Fox employed the read option -- primarily used in the college game and by Cam Newton -- to the tee of 244 yards rushing, even though his top running backs in Knowshon Moreno and Willis McGahee both left with injuries in the first quarter. Yet, with journeyman Lance Ball in the backfield for most of the game, the Broncos ran for a robust 244 yards on 55 -- yes -- 55 carries, much because of the Tebow threat.
In his four starts this season, Tebow has yet to throw for 175 yards. After an embarrassing 45-10 loss to Detroit in Week 8 in which he went 18-39, several Lions' players mocked him, which is considered taboo, even at this level. When he struggled as he did, people looked for any hint of him slipping on his faith. Of course, he didn't even give a centimeter.
He is arguably the greatest college football player of all time and perhaps the most polarizing figure in pro sports. Just as he did at Florida, Tim Tebow is doing two things really well; praising God and winning. He's likely never going to make a Pro Bowl or eclipse any of John Elway's passing records and in the pro game, he will have to win some games with his arm ... but at this point, saying he's not a starting quarterback at this level would be insane. And in a league where we celebrate the quarterback position more so than ever before, the always unconventional Tebow -- love him or hate him -- should at least garner our respect. Think about this: More than halfway through the season, the once heinous Broncos sit just one game out of first place in the AFC West.
After all, this game is about winning right?
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