Denver Broncos Fans Over-Reacting To Tim Tebow

For Denver Broncos fans, this 2011-2012 NFL season has been a roller coaster.  They've experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows and yet they still have a chance for their team to make the playoffs.

Low Expectations

Did anyone sane and intelligent truly believe that Tim Tebow would be capable enough at quarterback to lead the Broncos to where they are now after the way the season started at 1-5?

Certainly not me.  I wrote many an article about why Tebow would fail and yet he really hasn't.

Tebow's play against Buffalo was what many expected of him when he was named the starter back in October.  Critics were practically gleeful waiting to see him fall on his face.  Anticipation was huge.

Then a funny thing happened.  Tebow didn't fall on his face thanks to a revamped offensive scheme and a much improved defense.  He won several games in dramatic fashion and the Broncos season was revived.

Turn Into High Expectations

Then an even more remarkable thing happened.  Denver fans, some who were already in love with Tebow's intangibles, grew even more obsessed with the guy.

When he was ineffective throughout much of the first three quarters of games, they screamed and called him names.

When he turns it around at the end of the fourth quarter and leads the Broncos on a game-winning drive, they scream and call him some different names.

It's either one or the other all the time.  There's not much middle ground where people in Denver are openly being patient and saying that Tebow needs a lot of time to grow into the job.  Fans in Denver are starved for a winning football team.  They haven't been to the playoffs since the 2005 season and have only won one playoff game since 1999.  I understand that.

Let's Be Realistic

Tim Tebow is not nearly as bad or as awesome as his critics and fans make him out to be.  He's a young quarterback who suffered greatly from an off-season in which he couldn't work with his new coaches at all.  He went on a book tour instead of hiring a quarterback coach to work on his mechanics.

So when he has a four-interception game like he did against Buffalo last week, fans need to understand that it's part of the growing process.  Whether or not Tebow has the ability to thrive in the NFL will be largely dependent on the work he puts in after this season is over.  Major progress in his mechanics can not be made during the season when most of the work needs to be on the game plan.

So if Tebow goes out there and stinks it up on Sunday, or if he manages to enact the one lone blowout of his season on his former teammate, Kyle Orton, it will not make or break him in the eyes of the Denver Broncos.

His real chance to prove himself is going to come in April, May, June, and July when he's working in the off-season with his coaches.  Fans would do well to remember that going forward.