How Far WIll The Tebow-Train Go?

Denver Broncos QB Tim Tebow is easily the most talked-about figure in the world of sports right now hands down. I don't need to waste your time talking about his remarkable 7-2 record as a starting and his incredible string of dramatic come-from-behind victories that have captured the interest of a nation. Tebow is the most polarizing figure in football right now as his unorthodox skill set and limitations as a traditional passer have created so many haters its almost unbelievable. What's more unbelievable however is how he has continued to simply go out and play his best when the game is on the line. His best skill is that he is a winner and that his team believes in him. He is even more intriguing to the public at large because of his devout spirituality and his uniqueness as a player. All of this of course is old news to anyone who has turned on ESPN in the past two months. What I am interested in is asking where will this Tebow-mania go from here?

I've been one of Tebow's biggest biggest fans ever since I saw him play as an All-American in high school in Florida. I loved him at the University of Florida where he won two National Championships and the Heisman Trophy and delivered one of the most passionate speeches I've ever heard from a college player. In fact one of my very first blog posts was about Tebow and his NFL prospects. I bring all of this up because as one of his staunchest supports over the years, I still find myself doubting Tebow in games before he turns on the Tebow-Magic.

I've come to the conclusion that Tebow needs to be doubted in order for him to turn on that "invisible juice" at the end of games and pull out these miraculous victories that have become almost commonplace over the past few months. I feel that Tebow thrives on doubt and crunch time because when you watch the games where he's pulled off an incredible comeback (I'm thinking specifically of the amazing OT comeback win over the Chicago Bears two weeks ago) there is a palpable feeling that everything is going to fall into place once the magic starts to happen. In that Bears game the Broncos had been shut down all game long on offense and when Tebow took over trailing 10-0 with only about 4 minutes left even I thought he couldn't pull it off. Tim then of course lead a 2-minute TD drive and the Denver D was somehow able to get the ball back with about 45 seconds left (thanks to some of that "inexplicable" help from Marion Barber stepping out of bounds). Once Tebow got the ball back with a little time that magic feeling appeared I think everyone watching just simply knew that somehow, someway the Broncos were going to win. Kicker Matt Prater lined up for a 58-yard FG on the last play of regulation and there wasn't a doubt in my mind that he would miss. Then in overtime the Bears were heading in for a game-winning score but just when you thought Barber was going to break free for a game-sealing run he coughed up the football and Denver took over. After that it was a forgone conclusion they would win.

I talk about this because I feel that for Tebow to be at his best he needs to create that feeling that he is about to do something special. I think that when we start expecting him to win that this feeling will go away and he won't be able to find that magic. What this means going forward in my mind is that Tebow will go as far as his detractors will let. He has been aided by the fact that the Denver front office has guaranteed his position as the QB of the future and that he has to prove himself every week.

I'm confident that Denver is going to make the playoffs and that Tebow will have a least one magical moment in the playoff, if only in the first round. We saw last week against the Patriots that Tebow and the Broncos have yet to prove themselves against the best teams in the league and there is still a long way for Tebow's development as a QB to go. My prediction is that Tebow will continue to improve as a passer over the next couple of years and will reach a point where in order to advance his career any further he will have to put his magic on display against the best teams in the League and prove that he can compete for a Super Bowl. For all he has done this year he's not there yet, which is perfect I think because we as fans can enjoy Tebow-mania for a least a few more years to come.