All-purpose, running Tim Tebow sucks/is a deity thread!

Brian -- much of what you're pointing out is by design. I haven't double-checked so I might be wrong about this, but I don't believe the Broncos had trailed by two scores at any point in this six-game stretch until they were down 10-0 to the Bears. John Fox has been coaching this way since Tebow was in high school -- keep it close, keep it close, run it, gain field position, punt, keep it close, BAM!

So those early drives, I don't know that Fox and Friends (ha ha! get it!) would consider those to be total failures, as long as they punt instead of turn it over.

 

They were down 8 at half and several times in second half to Vikes. For Tebow, thats a one possession game.

 

I can't think of a bizzaro scenario where a running team accepts 3-and-outs on 33 percent of its possessions. If you get the ball at your 20 and you're running it, you need two first downs (20 yards) to flip the field and give the opponent the ball at the 20 after a 40-yard net punt. If you are failing to get a first down 1/3 of the time, you either have to have a defense that can do even better than 33 percent against the opponent, or you have to have Ray Guy on steroids. Otherwise, you lose yards on the exchange.

And a net loss in field possession is nobody's ball-control strategy.

Also, I can't think of any game plan being successfully followed that includes being down by two scores with five minutes to play.

 

I worked out these numbers a couple of weeks ago, I am not sure if they hold 100 percent true but they're probably pretty close since then, but the Broncos under Tebow are about 10 yards per drive better on opponent's average starting position. Opponents are starting at the 22 instead of the 32. That's huge. HUGE. Mostly attributable to the lack of turnovers, but I'm sure there's also something to the fact that a punt inside the 15 is far less likely to result in a return than a punt at the 30 or so.

I don't think the plan was to be down two scores. The plan, as it is every week, was to keep it within one score and take your chances, hopefully you score but definitely you stay in the game. Sometimes plans don't work. Sometimes, as with the Bears, the other defense is pretty damn good.

When Fox is confronted with the fact that he can't stay in games by punting for three quarters, then he will have to change up. To date he hasn't been confronted by that fact, though.

It makes this weekend's game very interesting, because you have to figure New England is worth 13 to 17 first-half points.

 

The only way to hang around when you are always punting is to have an OUSTANDING defensive effort. Because you can't keep running your defense out there after short offensive possessions and expect it to hold on time and again.

That goes back to my original point. Tebow is being made out to be a hero, but what's winning the game for them is a defense that keeps delivering against the odds (the odds saying that the more times you put your defense on the field, the more likely they are to crack).

The Jets and the Bears games are the two that especially come to mind in this regard. Those are two games where the Broncos offense did absolutely nothing to deserve to win the game until the final drive. Not a thing. They weren't scoring and they weren't sustaining drives to justify saying they were playing ball control. They were just failing, period.

 

I don't know anyone who would say the Broncos aren't playing great defense. That would be crazy. Clearly the whole game plan is based on that central fact.

Saying that, though, does not take away from the fact that Tebow has had a run of late-game contributions that is unprecedented in the NFL. Four straight comebacks when trailing at the two-minute warning is pretty impressive.

 

Yes it is remarkable. But the opportunity to win at the end wouldn't be there without great defensive play and (more importantly and to the point) DESPITE the inept offense and (yes) inept quarterback play up to that point.

Right now, he's sort of a Robert Horry figure. Only that might be rough on Horry because I don't think any of Horry's teams succeeded despite his lack of production. I do think Denver is succeeding despite its lack of production from the QB position.

 

Need more Orton.

 

Maybe he'll levitate against the Cheaties.

 

Freeman didn't get 1/10th the coverage Tebow has gotten.

 

Don't any of you know how news coverage works?

Tebow is the perfect storm of media saturation. Who he was, what he believes, what he's a part of and how he's a part of it. Stop with the nonsensical "But so-and-so didn't get near as much blah, blah, blah" responses.