Broncos vs. Patriots: Why New England's Tebow Blueprint Won't Work in Playoffs

The New England Patriots smacked the Broncos 41-23 in Week 15, ending Denver's six-game winning streak. While the Pats were able to contain Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow in that game, after what we saw from him last Sunday, it may take more than that to hold the second-year signal-caller down this time around. 

In the Wild Card Round of the playoffs, Tebow stunned the Pittsburgh Steelers by unleashing the ball deep and beating them with his arm. Denver's 29-23 overtime win was one of the more shocking playoff results we've seen in years. In that game, Tebow completed four passes of 30 yards or more, and he finished the afternoon with a season-high 316 passing yards.

In Week 15, the Patriots gave up 252 rushing yards to the Broncos but were able to keep Tebow largely in check through the air. They beat Denver because they were able to put up 41 points and the Broncos simply couldn't keep up. Denver also fumbled the ball away three times in that contest.

When you consider that New England's defense finished 31st in the NFL in total yards allowed (411.1 yards per game), it's pretty clear that Tom Brady and the offense will have to outscore the Broncos to win on Saturday. 

The Patriots may want to attack Denver's running game in an attempt to bottle up Tebow and running back Willis McGahee, but they can't simply dare the left-handed quarterback to beat them deep. As we saw against Pittsburgh, he'll do just that if given the chance. 

New England will win on Saturday by putting up a huge day offensively and forcing Tebow to complete a lot of underneath throws. They should prevent big plays and make him rely on his accuracy, something he hasn't shown all season. 

If they keep the Broncos from making big plays, and continue rolling offensively, the Patriots should come away with a win.