4 Denver Broncos Whose Success Has Been Overshadowed by Tim Tebow

To say that Tim Tebow has played a major role in the Denver Broncos' great turnaround after starting 1-4 wouldn't do justice to their season from an all-encompassed perspective.

That being said though, there's absolutely no way Tebow could have done this alone. After all, football is a team game, right? Plus when you look at some of Tebow's numbers this regular season, he is quite fortunate to have a cast of players who've valiantly stepped up.

So, here are four that deserve just as much, if not more recognition for Denver's success in the 2011-12 season.

Von Miller, LB

The No. 2 overall pick in the 2011 NFL draft, Von Miller has been the spark that reignited "The Orange Crush" defense.

One of three Broncos to get selected to the 2012 Pro Bowl and just one of two rookies to make the AFC roster (AJ Green, Bengals), Miller accumulated 11.5 sacks, recorded 64 tackles, deflected four passes and forced two fumbles.

And you knew Miller was the perfect pick, as his first actual NFL hit in a regular season game caused a fumble of Oakland's Jacoby Ford on Monday night in Week 1.

In the playoff game against Pittsburgh, Miller recorded a sack and had three tackles despite seeing a lot of double-teams. However, that opened up the middle of the line as the Broncos sacked Big Ben five times and hit him an additional six times.

Being the opposite complement to Elvis Dumervil, this No. 58 can remind those of another No. 58 from Kansas City in the 1990s, Derrick Thomas.

Sure, it's a stretch to make that comparison, however, there's no denying Von's potential.

Willis McGahee, RB

During the middle of the season Willis McGahee turned 30 years old, which is considered the aging point for NFL running backs.

Well, McGahee's been around the league a bit, starting in Buffalo and then playing for Baltimore. Denver had him pegged to be the complement back to Knowshon Moreno, but it's clear who the better and more reliable ball carrier is.

This past season, McGahee finished with 1,199 rushing yards while averaging 4.8 yards per carry. It's the first season he's compiled over 1,000 rushing yards since 2007 in Baltimore and the second highest per carry average of his career.

Because of McGahee, Tebow has had the luxury of defenses needing to worry about a regular ground game in addition to shutting down the option. It's not hard to prepare for the option, however, when there's a more consistently reliable ground game to prepare for, it makes defending the option that much more difficult.

Plus, McGahee is a solid pass-blocker and has provided Tebow with more time in and out of the pocket when dropping back.

For McGahee's and Denver's sake though, let's hope he continues this production in 2012, as he died off after his first season in Baltimore.

DJ Williams, LB

Another defensive stud who's dominated along with Von Miller is DJ Williams.

This season Williams has recorded 90 tackles (second on team), five sacks, forced three fumbles and has two pass deflects.

He's one of the better, but underrated outside linebackers in pro football and can even play inside backer if needed.

Even before Von Miller came along, DJ was doing work for "The Orange Crush" as he recorded 119 tackles in 2010, 122 in 2009, 93 in 2008 (missed five games) and had a career-high of 141 in 2007.

Williams was also a part of the Broncos playoff teams in 2004 and 2005, so entering this postseason he's had the experience to be a positive influence on the younger players.

Although he's never been selected to the Pro Bowl, Williams has been one of the best and most consistent defenders for Denver since his rookie season in 2004. Keeping him with Miller and Dumervil in the front seven is needed for the Broncos to have any shot at shutting down opposing offenses.

Britton Colquitt, Punter

It'd be easy to mention kicker Matt Prater or receivers Demaryius Thomas or Eric Decker. But what about the man who's responsible for changing the field position?

Punting is arguably the most important play in football as forcing your opponent to drive longer distances only increases the odds for the defense. Well, Denver's Britton Colquitt has been exactly that.

This regular season Colquitt's averaged 47.4 yards per punt, which ranked him No. 7 in the league and No. 3 among the punters who made the postseason.

Perhaps more impressive are his 33 punts that landed inside the opponent's own red zone. That No. 2 ranking coincides well, as his net punting average was 40.2 yards (rank No. 8).

Now, he did also punt the ball 101 times, which was the second most in the league. In turn that is a tribute to Tebow and the offense not turning the ball over.

Then again, it also forced Colquitt to punt well every opportunity, which has significantly assisted the defense. Being able to answer the call with a punt almost half the field every time is remarkable.

And for the Broncos to have any chance of upsetting New England, Colquitt needs to have another great day sailing the rock down field.

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