At some point, those of us who have been skeptical that an NFL team can win consistently while running the Tim Tebow offense are going to have to acknowledge that the Broncos are, in fact, winning consistently while running the Tim Tebow offense.
The Broncos’ 16-13 overtime victory today in San Diego means they’re now 5-1 since handing the starting quarterback job to Tebow, after starting the season 1-4 with Kyle Orton starting and Tebow on the bench.
Obviously, the Broncos’ defense deserves an enormous amount of credit for what Denver has done. In the five wins with Tebow at quarterback, the Broncos’ defense has allowed 15, 24, 10, 13 and 13 points.
But we also need to acknowledge that Tebow deserves some of the credit for the fact that the opposition isn’t scoring many points. Tebow had another turnover-free game today, and the ball-control offense that the Broncos run with Tebow at the helm makes life easier for their defense.
Bottom line, the Broncos’ defense is playing the way it’s supposed to play, Tebow is playing the way he’s supposed to play, and Broncos coach John Fox and his staff have done a fantastic job of formulating game plans that work for the talent he has.
Today in San Diego, Tebow went 9-for-18 for 143 yards: Not exactly stellar passing numbers, but completing half his passes is progress for Tebow, and he had no interceptions to go with his one touchdown pass. More importantly, Tebow ran a whopping 22 times, and while he only picked up 67 yards on the ground, he was efficient and effective when he needed to be.
Can the Broncos really keep winning with a quarterback who goes 9-for-18 and calls it a good passing day? It’s starting to look that way. The Broncos are the Raiders’ biggest threat in the AFC West, and Tebow might just take this team to the playoffs.