Tim Tebow: 5 Things Denver QB Must Do to Beat New England Patriots

The NFL Divisional round of the playoffs has arrived and it's brought with it a man named Tim Tebow. That man now has the difficult task of knocking off Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.

In the previous matchup between these teams the Broncos' turnovers were a big part of why the Patriots got an 18-point victory. Tebow was able to move the ball on the Patriots but his mistakes and those of his fellow offensive players doomed the Broncos.

Tebow must not turn the ball over, but that alone won't guarantee a victory against New England. Here are the five things Tebow must do to beat Brady.

Take Care of the Ball

Three big fumbles were the difference in the game the last time these two teams played. Tim Tebow must not let that happen to the Broncos again.

Although he did not throw an interception, Tebow did fumble twice and was lucky enough to lose just one of them. The other two fumbles were by running back Lance Ball and wide receiver Quan Cosby.

As the quarterback, all three of the turnovers fall on the shoulders of Tebow. It is his responsibility to make sure the offense as a whole takes care of the ball.

That will be the biggest difference between victory and defeat.

Run!

The Denver Broncos had no trouble moving the ball on this New England Patriots' defense for most of their previous matchup. That was especially true running the ball as the Broncos rushed for over 250 yards as a team.

Tim Tebow must run and run well if the Broncos have any hope of winning. Not only is he their quarterback, he's also their best bet as a running back.

He proved he has the strength as a run to dice through this Pats' defense, especially in the red zone, in the last game. He ran the ball 12 times for 93 yards and two scores.

He'll need an even better performance on the ground to win this game in Foxboro.

Continue to Throw the Long Ball

All week, analysts have been saying that Tim Tebow won't be able to throw the same long balls against the Pats as he did against the Steelers because the Bill Belichick will play zone the entire game. The truth is that it won't matter.

The Patriots have played zone all season and still give up a ton of passing yards. They also have a tough time defending the long pass, despite the zone that they play.

Tebow should take chances on long passes, even against zone coverage. He was the best in the NFL when it came to completing long passes (around 50 percent) and stretching the field will help keep the running game viable.

Stay in the Pocket

It sounds counterproductive to tell a guy who is such a strong runner to stay in the pocket, but against the Patriots it is what Tim Tebow needs to do. I only mean this as far as throwing the ball. If he leaves the pocket it should only be to run the ball.

In his Dec. 18 matchup against New England, Tebow went 9-for-14 for 152 yards from the pocket. He was just 2-for-8 for 42 yards the rest of the time.

Tebow must stand in the pocket, even against pressure, and make this Patriots defense pay. He needs to pick apart the zone and hit open receivers.

The Patriots want to move him out of the pocket and especially get him going to his right. He must avoid that at all costs, stay in the pocket and make the right throw.

Lead

I know that it's been ridiculously overstated in our Tebowmania-saturated media culture, but Tim Tebow has shown leadership. That's what the Broncos need from him this weekend in Foxboro. They need him to lead their team.

Against one of the most vaunted teams of the last decade, that's what they need. But he won't accomplish that by being a nice guy.

He also won't accomplish it by "Tebowing," unless "Tebowing" means making crucial plays at the right times that put his team in the best position to win the game.

That's what leadership on a foootball field is. That's what his team needs from him now.