If the preseason finale against the Giants was Tim Tebow’s last stand as an NFL quarterback, he went out the only way he knows how -- by leading his team to a come-from-behind win in the fourth quarter.
Tebow entered the game in the third quarter for the Patriots, with consecutive sacks killing consecutive drives. The Giants took the lead on a short touchdown drive, putting Tebow and the Patriots in a 20-14 hole as the final 15 minutes commenced.
And so when the Patriots got the ball at their own 35, Tebow engineered a 65-yard drive with an 11-yard pass to receiver Quentin Sims, followed a few plays later by a 14-yard pass to Sims that he took 52 yards for the go-ahead score.
One snap before the touchdown, Tebow missed badly an ugly, head-scratching overthrow to Aaron Dobson that prompted a smattering of boos.
The next drive for Tebow ended with an interception and the next with a punt. After stopping the Giants on a last-chance drive with 10 seconds left, Tebow’s last snap came with 10 seconds left -- and he threw a nine-yard touchdown pass to Sims.
For the night, Tebow completed six of 11 passes for 91 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. He added 30 yards rushing on six carries.
It’s unclear whether that’s enough to win a spot on the 53-man roster for the man who took the Broncos to the divisional round of the playoffs only two years ago. It’s also unclear whether anyone else will want Tebow, if the Patriots cut him loose.
Regardless, if Thursday was Tebow’s final NFL game, he found a way to walk away with a win.