It was nine weeks ago when Tim Tebow replaced Kyle Orton in the 2nd half of the Chargers-Broncos game in Denver. It was a game Howard David and I were calling for Westwood One and it was one of the more lopsided games we had seen up to that point. At no moment in the first half did you get the feeling the Broncos had any chance of winning that game. Both offensively and defensively, the Chargers were having their way.
Then everything changed: both in that game, and for the Broncos as a whole, when Tim Tebow trotted onto the field as the starter for the second half. Heck, everything in the NFL changed. All of a sudden, there was hope in the stadium, both on the field and in the stands. The results weren’t immediate, as the Broncos continued to struggle in the third quarter, but as the fourth quarter began, the Broncos came alive. TEBOWTIME was born, even though the Chargers held on to win.
I remember writing that next week that I wasn’t sure if Tim was ready to be a franchise QB in the traditional sense, but one thing was not debatable—things are different when he is on the field and people play better. And all he has done since then is lead the Broncos to a 7-1 record and a spot atop the AFC West. The skeptics — the anti-Tebowites — continue to talk about how bad his mechanics are, how inaccurate he is, that he gets too much credit, that they’re winning because of their defense and rushing attack, etc., etc., etc. While some of that may be true, the one thing you can’t deny is that they were 1-4 without him and are 7-1 with him. What else has changed besides who’s under center?
Tim Tebow has the rare ability to make people around him step it up a notch. He injects a confidence into everyone on the team and when people are confident, they play better. You get the sense watching the Broncos that they are a team that never feels like they’re out of it and they can beat anyone. This Sunday will be another great test when Tom Brady and the Patriots come calling. What will they be saying if Tebow and the Broncos find a way to get another W?
– Tony Boselli
Tony Boselli is an analyst for Westwood One’s coverage of the NFL. He and Howard David will be back in Denver on Sunday to call all the action of Broncos-Patriots. Coverage begins at 3:45 PM Eastern.
