What did Tim Tebow prove by beating the Steelers?

Sports Commentary

By Gonzalo Valdes

TheAndrewMeyer.com Contributor

What did Tim Tebow prove today by beating the Steelers? Other than the White knight always beats the Dark Knight, Good always triumphs over evil, and virgins do still stand a chance against big old jerks. Other than that though, what did we learn about Tim Tebow, the quarterback? We already know about the proclamations, his Baby Jesus moniker, his improbable rock-star popularity given his persistence to be an in your face, devout Jesus freak considering today’s day. I mean, come on, the kid’s more Disney than Disney Channel at this point but, all that aside, can we truly appreciate the quarterback performance he delivered on Sunday against one of the toughest groups of defensive athletes in the league. Ol’ Holy Horse wasn’t going against some first timers, he was leading them. And lead them he did.

Sure, you could look at the completion %, less than 50%. Not good granted, but incompletions are much better than interceptions. Given the defense he has supporting him, I’d be completely content with Tebow throwing it high and outside where the opposing defense has no chance to pick it off.

Glossing the box score is a disservice to the game in general, but especially in Tebow’s case, the box score is downright blasphemous. In that 10/21 stat-line was a huge 51 yard pass to Demaryius Thomas to convert a 3 and 12, only to be followed by a beautiful 30 yard touch pass which Eddie Royal finished with an incredible snag.  Unquestionably, the Tim Tebow show was on at this point.

Little did I realize, that was only the beginning of the show. Tebow hit another long 50 yard bomb to Thomas, followed by an 8 yard QB draw.  The Broncos defense soon responded to Tebow’s relentless energy by not letting the Steelers get one first down the entire second quarter. It was obvious the chaos of the option attack was frustrating the Steelers as the Broncos surged to a 20-0 second quarter. The guys were believing in Tebow and damn well they should.

When the Steelers showed their own resolve by tying the game up again, the Tebow skeptics were ready to declare God dead. Richard Dawkins was ready to tweet his victory speech.

When Big Ben lined up with 1:37 left in a tie game and the ball at his own 24, even the believers had to clutch their WWTD? bracelets a little tighter. Many bended knees were not forsaken though as Roethlisberger got sacked later in the drive, virtually guaranteeing the first new-rules overtime in NFL history. A fitting start to 2012, Baby Jesus ushers in a new era of overtime.

In true messianic fashion, Tebow lasers the first pass of overtime to Demaryius Thomas who takes it 80 yards to the promise land. If Tebow was the messiah, then Thomas (204 yards, 1 TD) was definitely his most beloved disciple.

Ok, the messiah stuff is a bit much at times, but that’s the tough thing with Tebow. This is why people either love or hate the kid. His faith is so paramount to his game, it’s impossible to isolate the two when discussing his qualities. Even a strict discussion about Tebow mechanics always reverts to a talk about “moxie” or “it”. The discussion about Tim Tebow always go beyond what we see and can measure and will always extend into belief, his belief in himself, his teammates and his God.

Whatever your thoughts on Tebow’s faith maybe and while savior of mankind might still be too large of a billing for Tim Tebow at this point in his career, Super-bowl winning QB might not.

Brady was a ball control QB before he developed into the air-general we know today. Trent Dilfer and Brad Johnson have already proven with a great defense and respectable running game, anything is possible. While Tebow has his moments of inaccuracy, which might get him in trouble later in the playoffs, his reads, his mechanics, and ball fakes have progressed each week and his leadership has never been questioned. He learns from his mistakes, and rises to the occasion in huge situations. That’s the mark that all great QB’s have. They improve upon themselves. If I’m a Broncos fan, I believe.

I believe, not because of his enduring faith, even in the face of unparalleled hype and criticism. I believe not because of his missionary work or because of his father’s ministry. I believe because Tebow has shown that he is an excellent athlete, and quality QB who is going to get better. I believe because Tim Tebow has shown he has the heart of a champion in clutch situations. I believe because, most importantly, his team has shown that they are going to give everything they have for him just as he does for them. They aren’t going to let the detractors get to them. No, they rally around their guy and feed off of his passion and energy. If you ask me why I believe, I tell you it’s because they believe in him.

——————————————————————————————————-

And yea, Tim Tebow passed for 316 yards.

1 Timothy 3:16, English Standard Version:

“Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.”