It's official; Tim Tebow is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Ok, I’m smart enough to not go that far, but I will say that I am a firm believer in both. After witnessing what I did on Sunday, a 29-23 overtime victory by the Denver Broncos over the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tebow making beautiful passes to his wide receives as if he were a real quarterback – none better than the line he threaded to Demaryius Thomas on the first possession of overtime and Thomas taking it to the house for the winning score – Tebow is slowly showing signs that he can play the position of quarterback in the NFL, and play it well. There is no doubt in my mind that we are truly watching something special. Nike had it all wrong, we were NOT all a witness to LeBron; we are to Tim Tebow. I’m still waiting for Nike to erect a billboard in Denver of Tebow “Tebowing” like the iconic billboard they made of LBJ in Cleveland where he was throwing his chalk in the air and his arms are spread out. But unlike LBJ, Tebow is clutch in the 4th quarter, and also a winner, in his game and life. I know, cheap shot.
I understand people see Tebow as a “Jesus Freak,” and that rubs people thewrong way. But what is wrong with an athlete who openly admitted that he is a follower of Jesus Christ and worships him? In this day and age where athletes hype up shoes, sports drinks, hip-hop music, their own clothing line; what’s wrong with Tebow giving a little shout out and love to the man upstairs? I think it’s kind of refreshing. I also think that the media plays up his belief in Jesus Christ, and then turns around and uses it to criticize him. If the media wasn’t constantly asking him about his faith and good deeds, would we even be hearing about it at this time of the season? If you don’t want the man to constantly talk about his religion, than stop asking him about it. So what at the end of games he starts his pressers by giving thanks to God and Jesus Christ, but most athletes do so at some point. It’s not like he was the first athlete to do this.
Now onto the actual game that was played. Tebow was magnificent! It was arguably the best game he’s played in his short career. He completed 10-21 passes for 316 yards and 2 TDs. He also ran for another 51 yards and a TD. It was probably also the best game that Broncos Offensive Coordinator Mike McCoy has called in his entire career. And from what I saw on Sunday, I am not afraid to make this blanket statement: Tim Tebow is a phenomenal QB and will be a top 10 QB in the NFL. Here is why I think that.
For a QB like Tebow, everyone knows that you have to get him into open spaces via rollouts and play-action pass to give him that run-pass option. He is at his best when there is open space and he can survey the field and read coverages. From there, he can either make the easy pass dump off pass to a crossing receiver, or a leaking running back, or scramble for yardage. That is where he is most effective. But what I’m telling you is no secret, everyone knows this about Tebow. What was most impressive about yesterday’s game and Tebow, and what has me knowing that he will be a successful QB in the NFL, the three big plays he made in the game all came from within the pocket. Example: In the beginning of the second quarter, they rolled Tebow out to the left and he throw a nice pass to Eric Decker in which he dropped, but only because he was leveled by Steelers linebacker James Harrison in the knee, injuring him for the rest of the game, maybe the playoffs. But even though the pass was incomplete, it gave Tebow confidence that he could complete passes and make good throws; and on the next two passes, one was a 58 yarder to Demaryius Thomas, and the other a 30 yard touchdown pass to Eddie Royal, made from within the pocket. And the rest is history; literally.
He is gaining the confidence in the pocket, which was something he lacked prior to Sunday’s game. His two touchdown passes were both on three or five step drops, and his running touchdown was a run over the right guard. But in Sunday’s game, it was as if they were using rollout passes to gain his confidence and set up his throws from within the pocket. And more importantly, he made them. He is proving that he is not just a gamer, a winner, a grinder, or any other adjective used to describe Tebow as a QB that is not affiliated with “good”. Tebow has always played with the mindset that he will always make the play and get it done, but recently, he has struggled. I think Phil Simms said it best about Tebow's mindset of late - at the beginning of the first quarter when Tebow misfired on a couple of his early passes – that a little bit of doubt started to creep into his mind. That those plays weren't going to be made. That he wasn't going to be able to make the throws. But then it clicked for him.
Call it luck, call it magical, call it what you want; all I know is this. If you don’t think Tebow is a polarizing figure and that people aren’t paying attention to what he is doing, or if you think his act is getting old and that he will eventually fade away, I’ll just say this; when Tebow completed that beautiful pass to Demaryius Thomas to win the game for the Broncos, Tebow set the sport Tweets per second record with 9,420, surpassing the US Women’s World Cup final. Tebow 3:16, I wish I was writing this movie.
Mr. Armchair Speaking
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