Denver Broncos' quarterback, Tim Tebow, led his team to a 38-24 win over division rival Oakland yesterday. In the game, Tebow completed 10 of 21 passes (47.6%) for 124 yards (5.91 p/att) and 2 touchdowns. He also rushed for 118 yards.
Yes, the Broncos won and Tebow didn't lose the game for his team, but to say he won it for the team would be quite misleading. Midway in the 3rd quarter, Denver trailed Oakland 24-14, before Matt Prater kicked a 43-yard field goal to close the gap to 7 at 24-17. Tailback Willis McGahee then galloped 60 yards for a score to tie the contest. Receiver Eddie Royal returned a punt 85 yards to put the Broncos ahead for good and McGahee added a 24-yard run to sea the deal the now 3-5 Broncos. McGahee finished with 163 yards on 20 carries (8.2 p/). Quan Crosby added two solid kick returns of 66 yards total (33 p/) and the Broncos were helped by Carson Palmer's 3 interceptions. So, was Tebow somewhat effective, especially in comparison to last week's debacle against the Lions? Yes. But was he the main reason the Broncos won the game? No, not even close.
Rushing wise for the season, Tebow has been pretty solid, running for a total of 277 yards on 38 carries (7.3 p/) and a touchdown. He's also been solid in protecting the football, in throwing 6 touchdown passes and just 1 interception, while coughing the ball up twice. Granted, he's only started 3 games and played for about a half in another.
Passing wise, though, it's another story. In all four games where he attempted 10 or more passes, Tebow hasn't completed 50% or more of his passes in any. He went 4-10 against San Diego (40.0%), 13 for 27 against Miami (48.1%), 18 of 39 against Detroit (46.2%) and 10 of 21 versus Oakland (47.6%). On the season, the quarterback has completed 45 of 97 pass attempts (46.4%) for 536 yards (5.53 avg.) and a quarterback rating of 80.1. Rankings wise, Tebow would rank 21st in rating, 1.3 behind Phillip Rivers (14 interceptions) of the San Diego Chargers and 0.4 ahead of Matt Moore of the Miami Dolphins (won their first game yesterday). As far as completion percentage goes, Tebow would rank 34th, ahead of only Blaine Gabbert of the Jacksonville Jaguars (0.7% ahead). He's also rank 34th in yards per attempt, being 0.29 ahead of Gabbert.
Should Tebow continue being the starting quarterback for the Broncos? Sure, for now. The AFC West is so pathetic right now, so long as the Broncos win 50% of their games from here on out, they'll have a chance at competing for the division title. I don't think they'll do that. I still believe San Diego has the most well-rounded team in the division and if Carson Palmer is able to learn and adjust to the new playbook in Oakland, the Raiders would be my sleeper behind the Chargers. Palmer threw three picks yesterday, but improved significantly from his first outing two weeks before against Kansas City. I believe the Chiefs to be the third best team in the division with Denver looking up from the very bottom.
All of this could change the next three weeks. Denver goes to Arrowhead next week to take on the 4-4 Chiefs. A win would tie the Broncos with Kansas City and with San Diego squaring off against Oakland for the lead in the division this upcoming Thursday, there would be a three-way tie for second place, only a game back of the leader. Denver then plays the Jets at home that next Thursday, before going to San Diego to take on the Chargers. That will be their final division game until the last game of the season when they play host to Kansas City. They'll also need to travel to Minnesota and Buffalo, while playing Chicago and New England at home. If I were to make a prediction at this point, I'd guess that Denver finishes the year, at best, 6-10. The two games against Kansas City are winnable, as is the contest against Minnesota. It'll be difficult for them to beat New York, San Diego or Chicago with their solid defenses. It'll also be tough to go into Buffalo on Christmas Eve and beat the Bills. Finally, while New England is struggling, I have a difficult time seeing Tim Tebow getting the best of Tom Brady in a head-to-head matchup. So, it's likely going to be a rough road from here on out for Tebow and the Broncos, with them likely finishing between 3-13 and 6-10. In my opinion, the Broncos might as well stick to Tebow from here on out to see if he can improve and if the second half of the season goes the way I think it will, draft or trade for a quarterback in the off-season.
Yes, the Broncos won and Tebow didn't lose the game for his team, but to say he won it for the team would be quite misleading. Midway in the 3rd quarter, Denver trailed Oakland 24-14, before Matt Prater kicked a 43-yard field goal to close the gap to 7 at 24-17. Tailback Willis McGahee then galloped 60 yards for a score to tie the contest. Receiver Eddie Royal returned a punt 85 yards to put the Broncos ahead for good and McGahee added a 24-yard run to sea the deal the now 3-5 Broncos. McGahee finished with 163 yards on 20 carries (8.2 p/). Quan Crosby added two solid kick returns of 66 yards total (33 p/) and the Broncos were helped by Carson Palmer's 3 interceptions. So, was Tebow somewhat effective, especially in comparison to last week's debacle against the Lions? Yes. But was he the main reason the Broncos won the game? No, not even close.
Rushing wise for the season, Tebow has been pretty solid, running for a total of 277 yards on 38 carries (7.3 p/) and a touchdown. He's also been solid in protecting the football, in throwing 6 touchdown passes and just 1 interception, while coughing the ball up twice. Granted, he's only started 3 games and played for about a half in another.
Passing wise, though, it's another story. In all four games where he attempted 10 or more passes, Tebow hasn't completed 50% or more of his passes in any. He went 4-10 against San Diego (40.0%), 13 for 27 against Miami (48.1%), 18 of 39 against Detroit (46.2%) and 10 of 21 versus Oakland (47.6%). On the season, the quarterback has completed 45 of 97 pass attempts (46.4%) for 536 yards (5.53 avg.) and a quarterback rating of 80.1. Rankings wise, Tebow would rank 21st in rating, 1.3 behind Phillip Rivers (14 interceptions) of the San Diego Chargers and 0.4 ahead of Matt Moore of the Miami Dolphins (won their first game yesterday). As far as completion percentage goes, Tebow would rank 34th, ahead of only Blaine Gabbert of the Jacksonville Jaguars (0.7% ahead). He's also rank 34th in yards per attempt, being 0.29 ahead of Gabbert.
Should Tebow continue being the starting quarterback for the Broncos? Sure, for now. The AFC West is so pathetic right now, so long as the Broncos win 50% of their games from here on out, they'll have a chance at competing for the division title. I don't think they'll do that. I still believe San Diego has the most well-rounded team in the division and if Carson Palmer is able to learn and adjust to the new playbook in Oakland, the Raiders would be my sleeper behind the Chargers. Palmer threw three picks yesterday, but improved significantly from his first outing two weeks before against Kansas City. I believe the Chiefs to be the third best team in the division with Denver looking up from the very bottom.
All of this could change the next three weeks. Denver goes to Arrowhead next week to take on the 4-4 Chiefs. A win would tie the Broncos with Kansas City and with San Diego squaring off against Oakland for the lead in the division this upcoming Thursday, there would be a three-way tie for second place, only a game back of the leader. Denver then plays the Jets at home that next Thursday, before going to San Diego to take on the Chargers. That will be their final division game until the last game of the season when they play host to Kansas City. They'll also need to travel to Minnesota and Buffalo, while playing Chicago and New England at home. If I were to make a prediction at this point, I'd guess that Denver finishes the year, at best, 6-10. The two games against Kansas City are winnable, as is the contest against Minnesota. It'll be difficult for them to beat New York, San Diego or Chicago with their solid defenses. It'll also be tough to go into Buffalo on Christmas Eve and beat the Bills. Finally, while New England is struggling, I have a difficult time seeing Tim Tebow getting the best of Tom Brady in a head-to-head matchup. So, it's likely going to be a rough road from here on out for Tebow and the Broncos, with them likely finishing between 3-13 and 6-10. In my opinion, the Broncos might as well stick to Tebow from here on out to see if he can improve and if the second half of the season goes the way I think it will, draft or trade for a quarterback in the off-season.
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