Game over, post-game analysis continues, Tebow and Bronco fans rejoice. The Denver Bronco football team traveled to Minneapolis to meet a going-nowhere-fast Viking team that, just this week, jettisoned Donovan McNabb into the scrap heap, signifying even more bad news for Syracuse University fans. And, the Tebow-led Broncos dispatched the Vikings 35-32 when Matt Prater drilled a 23-yard field goal as time ran out in the fourth quarter. The Broncos have now won five consecutive road games for the first time since their Super Bowl years, when the John Elway-led Broncos won eight straight road games from January 4, 1998 to November 29, 1998. That run contributed to their two Super Bowl victories and began in the Divisional Playoff game at Arrowhead Stadium against Kansas City.
"January 4, 1998. Chiefs lose to the Broncos 14-10. That still burns for most folks in Kansas City. The Chiefs were 13-3 that year and would seemingly bring home a playoff victory for the first time since Montana.
The problem?
John freakin' Elway." (From Arrowhead Pride blog, June 21, 2010)
Actually, Denver running back, Terrell Davis rushed for 101 yards and two touchdowns in the closely contested game before nearly 77,000 chilly fans in Arrowhead. KC had a chance to win in the last 20 seconds, but an errant fourth-down pass from Elvis Grbac fell incomplete in the end zone. The Broncos had beaten the Jacksonville Jaguars the week before at Mile High Stadium in the Wild Card game, 42-17.
The next week, Denver traveled to Pittsburgh to battle the Steelers for the AFC Championship in Three Rivers Stadium. Terrell Davis rushed for 139 yards and a touchdown and Denver's defense forced Kordell Stewart into three interceptions and a fumble as the Broncos won 24-21 for the right to face the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XXXII at San Diego's QualComm Stadium. We all know how that ended, as the heavily-favored Packers, defending Super Bowl Champions, were clobbered by the John Elway-Terrell Davis (SB XXII MVP)-Shannon Sharpe Broncos.
The next regular season began with the Broncos winning their first 13 games, including consecutive road victories over Oakland, Washington, Seattle, Cincinnati, Kansas City and San Diego, before losing at the Meadowlands to the New York Giants 20-16 on December 13, 1998 (Sports Illustrated cover jinx). The Broncos lost again the next week in Miami before winning the regular season finale at home over the Seahawks to finish at 14-2. After a bye week, Denver clobbered Miami 38-3 and Bill Parcells' Jets 23-10 to earn their second consecutive AFC Championship and the right to play the Dan Reeves-led Atlanta Falcons in Miami for SB XXXIII. Denver won easily 34-19 as Elway played his last game and took away the SB MVP trophy.
So, that brings us to this edition of the Denver Broncos. What an inconceivable season this has been! With the labor-lockout delaying the start to pre-season organization and workouts, a brand new head coach (John Fox), an inexperienced executive in charge (John Elway), uncertainty and dispute about whom should quarterback the team, the prospects of a successful season seemed dim and dying. And, as expected, the season did begin horribly. Matter of fact, the only thing of redeeming interest was the hopeful tenet that maybe the Broncos were bad enough to dream about getting a chance to draft Andrew Luck to quarterback next year's squad. The growing clamor of Tebow-lovers to give their savior the ball, combined with Kyle Orton's obvious lack of production and leadership, led the Bronco brass to hand the starting job to Timmy Tebow, and now we are seeing an unprecedented assault on the sensibilities of professional football purists everywhere. Even diehard critic Brian Billick muttered during the telecast today, "Okay, I'm a believer." Most of us would agree that perhaps the Tebow Project may not be a long-term solution for the Broncos going into the future, but for now, how fun is this?!
For all those detractors that Tim Tebow should be held accountable for technical faults, that he couldn't hit the ocean from the deck of the Titanic, that he won't be able to hold up under the punishment of running the ball in the NFL, that a collegiate playbook can't win on Sundays...........how about the fact that he just wins? Obviously, it should be noted, that he doesn't do this alone. The re-energized defense has kept them in games, Britt Colquitt's punting has helped Denver consistently win the field position battle, Willis McGahee is running with fierce determination, offensive coordinator Mike McCoy's game-planning and play-calling is keeping opposing defenses confounded and the team as a whole is playing with growing confidence and competence. Today's game showed that the offense can score whilst the defense is giving up 489 yards, 25 first downs and 30 points. And, even though Tebow and the Denver offense had only 50 yards total in the first half, the defense had outscored Minnesota's defense 7-2 to keep the game close. Then, when a two-point conversion was needed to tie the score at 29 in the fourth quarter, and everybody everywhere just knew that Tebow would run up the middle, guess what, can't stop him. Timmy finished 10 of 15 for just 202 yards, but big plays and zero interceptions. To his credit, and the coaches', Tebow is throwing the ball better, on time and on target. But, to be honest, the passing game benefits from the play-action that confounds defenses because they have to account for both flanks and sometimes three options in the run game, on every play. Plus, Tebow rarely goes down at first contact, so he can keep plays alive even when pressed in the pocket, allowing his receivers to find holes downfield in the secondary.
Lastly, the energized spirit that this Denver Bronco team is experiencing isn't necessarily all due to Tim Tebow, but his attitude and comportment surely are stoking the fires of this most recent run. The bubble may yet burst at the hands of the Chicago Bears (backup quarterback and injured Matt Forte), or the hot New England Patriots with Tom Brady and an explosive offense (but maybe with nothing to play for on December 18 if they have a division title and first round bye secured), or the Buffalo Bills against a team that has lost 5 straight through today, or maybe even against the Kansas City Chiefs and Kyle Orton in the regular season finale. I'm through betting against this team and Tim Tebow, until, well, they fall back down to earth. Until then, all you Tebow-haters will have to wait for the bandwagon to run out of gas or get too crowded, because right here, right now, it's fun to be a Bronco fan!
1 Corinthians 9:24-27
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
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