Broncos vs. Patriots: Tim Tebow's Faith Is Overshadowing Huge Showdown

The 13-3 New England Patriots will host the 8-8 Denver Broncos this weekend in an AFC Divisional round matchup with a trip to the AFC Championship on the line. While all of the hype should be surrounding the game itself, there has been more talk about Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow's religious faith.

Tebow's faith is well-documented, and it has been a point of contention since his time at the University of Florida. Tebow certainly isn't shy about letting people know about his feelings for God, but media outlets are the ones responsible for bringing it to the forefront.

A perfect example is the front page of Friday's Boston Metro. TerezOwens.com posted a photo of the cover with text that says "Say your prayers, Timmy." It then depicts Tebow kneeling in prayer as he often does during games. Above him are Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and head coach Bill Belichick with flames in the background.

Essentially, the front page is suggesting that Tebow is representing something wholesome and angelic while Brady and Belichick are more devilish.

While the comparison is humorous, I feel like all of this talk about religion is overshadowing what should be an extremely entertaining game.

Even celebrities are getting in on the act, as well-known Patriots fan and actor Mark Wahlberg commented on the Tebow situation in a USA Today story by Nate Davis.

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Listen, the guy is incredible. You know I'm a devout Catholic, and I love the Lord more than anything, and I give all credit to God. But there's too many people up there praying for the Patriots for him to go up there and win. And the Patriots are too good.

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We seem to be living in a far less outwardly religious society than we ever have, yet all people can talk about is God's affect on Tebow and the overall success of the Broncos. Whether you believe in a higher power or not, it's ridiculous to think that God would actually take the time to help Tebow win a football game, as I'm sure there are far more pressing issues.

Tebow's victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card Round last week might have seemed miraculous, but it was a result of great game planning and execution, not divine intervention.

The Steelers underestimated Tebow's ability to beat them through the air, so they stacked the box in hopes of stopping running back Willis McGahee and the option running attack. This prompted the Broncos to use the play-action pass, and it allowed Tebow to hit wide receiver Demaryius Thomas for big plays on multiple occasions, including the game-winning 80-yard score in overtime.

If the Broncos succeed or fail against the Patriots, then it will be because they are the better or worse team, not because they got extra help from the Lord. If God cared so much about football and the Patriots were so evil, then I'm quite sure they wouldn't have been allowed to win three Super Bowls under Brady and Belichick.

When it comes down to it, I think the Patriots are the superior team right now and I think they will end the Broncos' run on Saturday. If that happens, then it will be the result of Brady and New England's offense being too much for the Denver defense.

If Denver somehow finds away to pull off another upset, though, then the talk of Tebow's faith certainly won't go away. It has nothing to do with his success on the field, but I suppose some people in the media need to find an outlandish way to explain things in order to be satisfied.