Which came first, Tim Tebow or the fourth-quarter comeback? The Denver Broncos quarterback/bulldozer/Messiah has orchestrated four of them in a row, a feat that seems to belie any statistical possibility. There are now only three reasonable reactions to the Tim Tebow phenomenon: He’s blessed by God (uh huh); he’s lucky (maybe); or he is a talented athlete on a team with a coaching staff willing to take a risk on an unproven offensive strategy, while playing a weak slate of opponents—and that in this situation he has performed admirably. (Bingo.) After his latest triumph, an overtime win over the Bears, Tebow had this to say: “If you believe, unbelievable things can sometimes be possible.” Well, that too.
At this point, what you feel about Tim Tebow says as much about you as it does about him. Do you believe in the power of individuals, or of a team? Do you believe God allows one man to perform miracles, or is that the devil’s work? The wisdom of crowds, or of outliers? The West Coast offense, or the read option? Several commentators last night expressed relief that Tebow had not credited his success to divine intervention, which seems like a fairly low bar of praise. Others began referring to teams that choke—namely, the Cowboys—as “Anti-Tebows.” There appear to be no limitations on the people and things to which Tim Tebow can be related.
It’s harder, narratively, to congratulate the eleven members, plus reserves, of the Broncos defense, but they’re worth noting. Since Tebow took over as the team’s starter, in Week 7, the Broncos defenders have given up more than twenty points only three times. That’s good, because the Tebow-led offense has scored twenty on only two occasions. The Broncos now have the top-ranked rushing game in professional football, and the second-worst passing attack, a combination that does not typically shine well on the man responsible for the passing attack. (Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher on Tebow: “He’s a good running back.”) But wins are wins, and it’s telling that the one group you don’t hear any complaints from are Broncos fans. They’re having too much fun.
Photograph by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images.
