NFL Playoffs 2012: Tebow Time Ends in New England

There was no fourth-quarter magic for Tim Tebow this time around.

After coming off of a miracle win over heavy favorite but short-handed Pittsburgh last weekend, the Denver Broncos were riding their young quarterback as far as his clutch playmaking ability could take them.

Unfortunately for Denver fans, that ride was cut short.

Tom Brady absolutely picked apart the Denver defense, setting a new NFL playoff record with six passing touchdowns and scorching them for 363 yards, as the New England Patriots advanced to the AFC Championship Game with a 45-10 rout over the Broncos on Saturday night.

Brady was nearly perfect on the night, only throwing one interception and completing 26 of his 34 pass attempts. His biggest target, Pro Bowl tight end Rob Gronkowski, was the recipient of 10 passes, hauling in 145 yards and three touchdowns.

The Patriots, who are known for having one of the more permeable defenses in the NFL, only allowed a total of 252 yards, the bulk of which came from Willis McGahee and Lance Ball's rushing attack.

For Tebow, his joyride ended here. The Patriot defense sacked him five times and limited him to only 136 yards in the air and 13 yards on the ground. While he didn't throw an interception, he only completed nine of his 26 attempts, and failed to put points on the board through the air.

The Patriots will face off against the winner of the Houston Texans-Baltimore Ravens showdown, which kicks off on Sunday at 1 p.m. EST.

For the Broncos, they've got a long offseason and a lot to work on if they want to return to the playoffs next year. Tebow's got to become a more complete QB, and they've got a lot of personnel changes to make, which includes putting more players around their unorthodox quarterback to suit his style of play and the offense that they run.