The Playoffs: One Last Shot at Crazy Tebow Magic

Well, it took a few years but it finally happened. In a season of crazy ups
and downs Kyle Orton finally won a big game at Mile High Stadium. Of
course, in true Orton fashion it happened only after he switched teams.

Yes, suffice to say it's pretty bad when a mediocre QB like Orton can get
his revenge by beating the Broncos in a game Denver needed to win the
AFC West. But in one of the craziest seasons ever, the "bass ackwards"
Broncos inexplicably won the AFC West by losing its last 3 games.
Somewhere, Jake Plummer wants a recount. And the guy that may be
most responsible for this dive is the guy that's one of the biggest reasons
Denver gets to live another day -- Tim Tebow.

Crazy, isn't it?

As bad as the Broncos don't deserve to be AFC West Champions they
somehow were a tad better than the Raiders, Chargers and Chiefs this
season. But if not the Broncos, who else in the West deserves it?

Let's take a closer look. The Raiders started 4-2, then were 7-4 with 5
games to play. They proceeded to lose 4 of their last 5 to finish 8-8 and
on the wrong side of a tie with Denver. Then there's San Diego. When
Denver was 1-4 with Kyle Orton, the Chargers were 4-1 with Philip Rivers.
What happened next? The Bolts lot 6 in a row. Yes, 6 in a row. They
rebounded to win 4 of their last 5 to also go 8-8 but, again, Denver won
the tie-breaker war. Last year's AFC West Champs, KC started 0-3. Then
won 4 in a row. What happened next? They lost 4 in a row. (At least they're
always on a roll whether it's up or down.) They rebounded to finish 7-9
winning 3 of their last 5.

Oh, and let's not forget our own Broncos. They were 1-4 and going nowhere.
Orton was playing as if performing great in practice was different than
playing in actual game situations. The Bronco execs and the media also
seemed shocked by this, considering how much they were all fawning over
Orton during the preseason. Next came fan pressure, billboards and finally
Tebow! The Broncos execs decided to roll the dice on Tebow after he came
within a dropped 2 point conversion by Brandon Lloyd of tying the Chargers
that may have resulted in a crazy comeback win vs the Chargers.

What happened after the bye is already Broncos lore. Tebow guided the
Broncos to a 7-1 record in his first 8 starts in a string of the most jaw-dropping,
beguiling, I-can't-believe-what-I-just-saw performances that have ever been
seen in the NFL. He started with 18 unanswered points in the last 3 minutes to
beat the Dolphins 18-15 in OT. Two week later, he helped rally the Broncos to
a 38-24 win at Oakland. Then he and the Broncos triumvirate of RBs pounded
the Chiefs 17-10 the next week. Then Tebow drove the Broncos 95 yards on the
Denver's final possession to beat the Jets in front of national audience. Breathe.
OK, then he helped guide the Broncos to another comeback victory in a 16-13
OT win at San Diego. Is that it? No. Then a thrilling shootout that result in
another OT win in Minnesota, 35-32, just when critics said Tebow would never
win a shootout. Finally, Tebow rallied the Broncos for the 6th time during this
stretch with a 13-10 win over the Bears. Along the way, the defense and special
teams AND fans were inspired by Tebow's leadership and never-say-die attitude.
Both the defense and special teams played superbly and were a big reason
Denver prevailed in this roll of wins.

Ugh. Then Tom Brady came to town. He of the regal Patriots who seem to make
sport of every team in the first half -- always falling behind and looking anything
like a team quarterbacked by a guy married to a Super Model -- before punching
the other team's lights out in the second half to win going away. Still, Tebow didn't
play all that bad. He even got encouragement from Brady and Belicheat after
the game.

The next week on Christmas Eve, Tebow fell apart in the second half agains the
Bills. After starting out strong, the Broncos and Tebow crumbled like they were
acting out scenes from Super Bowls XXII and XXIV. Personally, I was sick to my
stomach after that game haven't felt that bad after a Broncos game since those
2 Super Bowl debacles over 20 years ago.

The final loss on Denver's 3-game skid against KC was just pathetic. Tebow stunk.
The coaching staff stunk almost as much. But it was Tebow who held the ball too
long, fumbled and took sacks that cost them points. The defense and special teams
who didn't play well against the Pats or Bills, kept the Broncos in the game. In the
end with two opportunities late in the game, Tebow couldn't deliver.

It's evident that this kid with so much competitive fire and never-say-die attitude
has zero confidence right now. The coaching staff is showing even less confidence
in him, making him stand in the pocket and not giving him the green light to run
when things break down. What makes (or made) Tebow so much fun to watch was
that when the game was tight, he wanted the ball in his hands. That meant tucking
it under his arm and running for a key first down. The kind of first down that
involved lowering his shoulder into Jets corner Darrelle Revis or Bears linebacker
Brian Urlacher. It also meant, zipping the ball downfield knowing that the game
was on the line and there was nothing to lose. The kind of plays that ignited
teammates and throngs of Broncos fans.

Well, it's playoff time in Denver whether we deserve it or not. And for Tebow and
the Broncos, the game is already on the line. There's nothing to lose. The Steelers
are already huge favorites. No one expects the Broncos to win. And next season,
Tebow will no doubt have to improve greatly in the offseason to compete for his
starting job.

It's been a crazy year and the Broncos have one more Circus event at the Big Top
at Mile High. Even though the clock has struck 2012, it's still 2011. There's still time
for one more shot at Tebow magic -- if Denver's coaches toss away their
conservative play books and let the kid play his way.

Say what you want about Tebow, he's a big reason why the Broncos are in the
playoffs for the first time since 2006. Let's give him full support in his last crazy
shot at making miracles happen.

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