Tim Tebow has done the unthinkable, the unimaginable and the simply astounding.
The Denver Broncos, which basically have a Little League offense supported by an all-pro defense, have defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers, 29-23, in the first-round of the NFL playoffs in overtime.
It would not be Tebow football if it was not amazing. On the first play of overtime, Tebow found Demaryius Thomas for an 80-yard game-winning strike.
It couldn’t have been scripted any more perfect by John Elway himself.
Over the course of the season, the lure and mystery of the powers of Tebow were highly debated and highly controversial. Several people in the national media were adamantly against Tebow being a quarterback.
Former players, former coaches, expert analysts and casual fans everywhere were outraged that Tebow could succeed as an NFL quarterback. The art Tebow perfected of completely dismissing the first three quarters of the game, relying on the defense to keep it close and then began leading a fourth quarter comeback, angered many.
His stat lines angered even more.
Some of his victories include a 2-of-8, 69-yard performance in a win over Kansas City or a 9-of-20, 104-yard performance in a win over the New York Jets. He has a season completion percentage of 46.5 percent, the lowest in the NFL.
For a quarterback underperforming time after time, but narrowly pulling off a victory, he has probably attracted more national attention than any other quarterback in the league. People have the desire to know how Tebow performed, the desire to read about his miraculous comebacks and his unorthodox quarterback play.
But no one can argue with his performance Sunday. His passes were accurate, crisp and plentiful. He finished the day with 316 passing yards, 50 rushing yards, two touchdowns through the air and another on the ground. Probably the best stat, however, was his lack of interceptions. He only completed 10-of-21 of his passes in his first playoff performance, which would have been higher had it not been for numerous drops by Broncos receivers.
His performance on Sunday was also unlike any other this season. Tebow played the entire game. He did not come alive in the fourth quarter, he came out firing from the beginning, silencing doubters and moving on to the next round of the playoffs.
But in overtime. Tebow shined.
But that’s not it. Tebow brings so much more to the Denver offense. He brings excitement, he brings hope and, ultimately, he has restored the Mile High Magic to Denver.
Growing up in a suburb of Denver, I can remember the glory days of Mile High sports, something that has not been there in quite some time. After the Broncos dominated the NFL in the late 90s and the Colorado Avalanche hoisted the Stanley Cup in 2001, there hasn’t been much to cheer about in the Denver area.
Tebow has brought hope to Denver and to fans of Tebow everywhere.
At the fundamental level, people want to see Tebow fail, while the optimist in them wants to see him succeed. He might not lead the Broncos to the Super Bowl, and if past results this season are any indication, Denver will be defeated handily at the hands of quarterback Tom Brady and the Patriots next week.
But that’s kind of the point right? Everything goes out the window when Tebow takes the field. I’m not calling it a higher power dictating results, but there is something going on.
The Patriots defeated the Broncos, 41-23, on Dec. 18, but don’t overlook the magic. Don’t underestimate the undefined and mysterious power of Tebow.
