Mr. Tebow Recaptures the Magic
By Gabe Taylor
Tim Tebow knelt on the field, put his elbow on his knee and raised his fist to his forehead. All of the Steelers players simply looked on as they came to the realization that they had just been Tebowed.
But this Tebowing was not like the last 11 weeks. It had one distinct characteristic: Tebow showed up before the fourth quarter. Make that, Tebow came out to play for the entirety of the contest. This performance came against a team that was much better defensively than the teams that Tebow had taken down during the regular season.
It was the perfect time. The spotlight zoned in on him. And Tebow won; not just the game, but also the respect of the doubters who awaited another lackluster performance that mirrored his outing the week before.
Throughout the game, he tore apart Pittsburgh's acclaimed defense, utilizing the play-action time and time again.
Run. No. Throw. It appeared as though these three words in order were all too common in the minds of the Steelers defense. But who wouldn't think that way when facing a quarterback that rushed his way for 660 yards on the season.
After recording a meager 60 yards in the final game of the season against Kansas City, he answered many of his critics. Tebow, a well-publicized devout Christian that paints the bible verse John 3:16 under his eyes before each game, exploded for 316 passing yards with an average of 31.6 yards per completion. 316 and 31.6? Coincidence or not, the young quarterback relied on deep passes to keep the Steelers honest.
When Pittsburgh expected a run, as many teams do when playing the Broncos, Denver threw them a curveball. Sure, Tebow short-armed a handful of passes, and missed the target at times, but when he unloaded and went deep, the ball simply fell into hands of his receivers. The execution was spot on when it needed to be. And there's no better time to deliver than in overtime.
When Tebow fired the ball over the middle of the field to a cutting Demaryius Thomas on the first play of overtime, all any spectator could do was look on amazed. Thomas caught Tebow's pass and dashed into the end zone, all in a span of 11 seconds. The 80-yard touchdown pass was the quickest ending to an overtime period in the history of the National Football League. Even if Tebow has led the team to outstanding finishes on numerous occasions, this was the playoffs. Knocking off a top-tiered team in your first playoff appearance isn't too shabby.
Tebow played a complete game. Combining his late-game heroics with consistent play throughout the game proved to be just what the Broncos needed.
Tebow was not simply a late game miracle-worker. This time, it was different, because he was a winner from start to finish. He finally looked like a starting quarterback in the NFL.
Gabe Taylor is a senior communication major.