Tim Tebow, Though Foolish, Has Earned Respect From Biggest Doubters

I of all people would know.

I have been, amongst the Denver Broncos community, one of his biggest doubters.

What I saw on the field against Cincinnati was a raw, impassioned performance from a stupid rookie. There is no other way to put it.

Breaking off a rush at the end of the game to fight for the goal line showed me that Tim Tebow is the kind of quarterback who is guided by his heart, not his head. In the NFL, that will earn a man serious rib-related problems.

I certainly expect Tebow to make better decisions following such a major life-lesson.

My biggest complaint about the guy has always been that he is a college quarterback. He certainly didn't show the skill set of a guy cut out for the NFL.

In the past, his biggest strength at the quarterback position was his size and his legs. In professional football, where everyone is big and fast, that advantage simply will not be there. Tebow caught a glimpse of that at the goal line and will now recover.

But the fact is, he shocked me in areas where I completely doubted him.

I knew his footwork and mobility would be good (and it still will, he just has to learn to contain it so he doesn't get hurt all the time), but I didn't expect his decision making or his delivery to impress me.

For a raw, rookie quarterback still in the process of developing, Tebow showed me he has some of the key components to make things work. There were flashes of brilliance, and he definitely delivers a stronger ball than Kyle Orton.

His passing still needs some work, but his field vision is far better than I expected. A couple of the passes he delivered were not only very much on target, but also difficult to perceive from his vantage point.

Doubting him as a passer is still acceptable, as the kid has a lot of growth to do, but for now, Tebow is showing signs that he will end up being a very viable weapon in the NFL.

At the position of quarterback.

If I, myself from six months ago caught me writing this, I would be in very big trouble.

I can only hope for the sake of the Denver Broncos that his development continues and his raw tendencies are broken in a bit more.