Sunday, November 27, 2011

Denver Broncos and Tim Tebow Win Another Game They Shouldn't

Being a Denver Broncos fan right now is the most frustrating and also the most exhilarating fan experience that's been had in these parts for quite some time.

On one hand, the Denver Broncos offense is just so unbalanced it's almost laughable.  Coach John Fox has gone to a run-first, -second, and -third approach because his quarterback has a hard time completing a ten-yard pass.  The running game, once Denver committed fully to it, has blossomed.  Right now they're ranked fourth in the NFL.  The passing game is ranked 31st.


On the other hand, the defense has been getting better and better every game.  Injuries in the first half of the season limited the ability of the defense to reach its full potential.  Once Champ Bailey came back, and Elvis Dumervil and Von Miller have started working as a two-man wrecking crew for quarterbacks, the defense gelled into a solid unit.  This defense could eventually be even better than the legendary Orange Crush defense of the 1970's in Denver.

Honestly, the only thing that prevents the casual fan from giving the Broncos more credit for what they're doing is that Tebow is the quarterback and he's not at all good at throwing the ball.  Lemme tell you, if the Colts were winning with this approach with Curtis Painter at quarterback, the NFL community would be falling all over themselves talking about how amazing the Colts were doing without Peyton Manning.

The Broncos have no great quarterback.  Their old quarterback, Kyle Orton, was so ineffective and uninspiring as quarterback that he was benched.  The Broncos had honestly all but given up on the season by putting in Tebow at quarterback, but they needed to see what he could do if given a lengthy chance.  Why? To quiet those fans who demanded him at starter for the past year and to justify in their minds why they would be able to trade/cut him when he failed.  

However, under Tebow, the team has reached its maximum potential and is winning games that no one thought they could before.  Would they have won them with Orton? I don't know, but I don't believe so.  Orton doesn't seem to inspire his teammates the way Tebow does.

This will be a season long-remembered in Denver.  They won't make the playoffs, but the way they're winning games hasn't happened since Elway was starting.  This is also the beginning of the John Fox Era in Denver.  He's building a top-notch defense, and his focus on the running game will serve the team well in the future.  The key will be in drafting the next great quarterback for the team.  If the right one is found, the foundation has already been laid for multiple years of success.

That is, unless Tebow somehow improves his passing ability in the off-season.  I'm not going to count him out completely.


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