Why Tim Tebow, Denver Broncos Could Be Huge Playoff Dark Horse

Though they have stumbled over the past two weeks, the Denver Broncos are still the same team that ripped off six straight wins during the middle of this season. If they win today and clinch the AFC West, the Broncos could be a tough team to beat when the playoffs roll around.

Denver had success this season with Tim Tebow at quarterback by running an unorthodox, run-heavy offense that focused on pounding the football and then opening up occasionally for throws down the field. The Broncos also relied heavily on a defense led by rookie Von Miller to come up with stops and keep the games low-scoring. 

In consecutive weeks, Denver has allowed the New England Patriots (41 points) and Buffalo Bills (40 points) to run up the score, and the big reason for that was self-inflicted mistakes. The Broncos turned the ball over three times against the Patriots and four against the Bills. That is simply unacceptable.

If Tebow and company can cut down on the mistakes and get back to what they were doing during their win streak, they could be a dangerous in the postseason.

By completely controlling the clock with their running game and defense, the Broncos would be able to shorten games and ensure opposing offenses don't have a chance to open things up. If that happens, Denver would be an extremely difficult team to beat. 

The Broncos have averaged an NFL-best 161.1 yards per game on the ground this season. That has helped them cover for some of Tebow's deficiencies under center. If they can get back to doing what was working during their impressive winning streak, the Broncos could be a dark horse this postseason.