By RYAN HORNE
There will be no more “Tebowing” this season in the Mile High City. The biblical Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos were eliminated from playoff contention after a 45-10 thumping against the mighty New England Patriots in Foxborough on Jan. 14.
I guess God can only work so many miracles during a NFL season.
The loss marked an end to the fairy tale ride for Tebow, a second-year quarterback who made up for his lack of football skill this season with miraculous fourth quarter comebacks that some say are inspired from the hand of God since Tebow is such a devoted Christian.
Now that the season is over in Denver, the questions will begin. Is Tebow a legitimate starting quarterback in the NFL or was what we saw this year just a blip on the radar? Is he known more for his “Tebowing” praying gesture – that has become a worldwide pop culture phenomenon – then his ability on the field?
Tebow has done some great things on the field this season, capping it off with a massive upset against the defensive savvy Pittsburgh Steelers in the wild-card round of the playoffs. He had his best game of the season, throwing for 316 yards, including an 80 yarder on the first play in overtime to win the game and send Denver into a state of bedlam. All of this happened while a former Bronco’s great, John Elway, stood on the sidelines watching Tebow’s every move like a concerned father.
People never gave Tebow a chance as soon as his college career came to an end. He slipped to 25th overall in the 2010 NFL Entry Draft as many thought his game wouldn’t be successful in the pros. Yet in his first full season in the NFL, the great statistics may not have been there, but the wins were.
But, there were also many points in the season where he looked dazed and confused. Missing open receivers with shaky and wobbling passes was the other side of Tebow that you never saw in the highlight reel. The Broncos backed into the playoffs by losing the last three games of the season and finishing with a .500 record.
If Tebow happens to be the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos next season, I don’t believe “Tebowing” even from the entire nation will lead them to the promised land. Tebow is an average quarterback who happened to strike a pot of luck this season. Everybody’s luck runs out eventually and I think that time has come for the young straight-edged quarterback from Florida. It’s been a great story, but I don’t think it will end in a Super Bowl championship.
On the other hand, Tebow is great for the game as a role model. In this day and age where it seems so many high-profile football players have allegedly done this or done that, it’s nice to see Tebow having success while living his life in a way that kids can aspire to off the field.
And if nothing else, at least Tebow has given us the latest pop culture trend to Tweet and to put on our Facebook walls.
