Tim Tebow: Love Him or Hate Him, He Will Be the Man in Denver in 2011

Throughout this offseason and all through last year, Tim Tebow has been the focus of both supporters and doubters as to his ability to play quarterback in the NFL. But, after a strong showing in the final three games of last season, Tim Tebow is poised to permanently take the helm as the next QB for the Denver Broncos.

Love him or hate him, it’s time for Bronco’s Country to embrace their new leader.

And here’s why…

New Head Coach John Fox is a Run First Guy

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DENVER - JANUARY 02: Quarterback Tim Tebow #15 of the Denver Broncos hands the ball off to running back Knowshon Moreno #27 against the San Diego Chargers at INVESCO Field at Mile High on January 2, 2011 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Get

It is no secret that coach John Fox wants this team to become a dominant run-oriented team this season. With players like Knowshon Moreno set to have a breakout season, (see here) and the addition of players like Lendale White and fresh up-and-comer Lance Ball, Coach Fox should have no trouble achieving this goal.

Imagine, with Tim Tebow behind center, the Broncos potentially have up to three runners in the back field at any given time. This scenario alone will give opposing defensive coordinators fits when attempting to scheme against the Broncos.

We all know that a potent running attack takes pressure off of the quarterback and that is exactly what a new young starter needs.   

That being said, let's take a look at another reason young Tebow will be the man this upcoming season.

Kyle Orton and His Lack of Production

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SAN DIEGO - NOVEMBER 22: Quarterback Kyle Orton #8 of the Denver Broncos is sacked by Larry English #52 of the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium on November 22, 2010 in San Diego, California. Chargers defeated the Broncos 35-14. (Photo by Kevork Dj

Kyle Orton had, what many people would consider, a good year. He, for the first portion of the season, ran with the upper echelon of QB’s and was in the discussion for MVP. At the end of his season, which ended early, he had an impressive 3,653 yards through the air.

Here is where I burst his bubble and point to his lack of production. While he may have averaged 281 yards per game, he also only amassed 20 touchdowns. 16 other QB’s were better than him.

He also had the propensity to lock onto his first option. When it wasn’t there or the blocking broke down, which happened frequently, he simply folded like the proverbial lawn chair and took an astounding 34 sacks. Only four other QB’s in the league stared up at defenses from the carpet more than him.

So while many think he had a great year with inflated yardage stats, I say it was strictly between the 20’s where he was effective and could not make it happen when it counted. In this league the hardest place to score from is inside the 20’s.

It takes leadership, skill, and most importantly the ability to improvise when the play breaks down. Tim Tebow, my faithful fans, has those traits in spades.

This leads me to my final point...

A Better Defense Means We Don't Have to Score as Much to Win

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DENVER - NOVEMBER 14: The Kansas City Chiefs offensive line prepares to snap the ball against the Denver Broncos defense at INVESCO Field at Mile High on November 14, 2010 in Denver, Colorado. The Broncos defeated the Chiefs 49-29. (Photo by Doug Pensin

Last season Denver finished with the league’s worst defense. Let that sink in for a moment.

While we can point the finger at the talent or the injuries, I think we can attribute it to a more basic principle—the scheme.

To combat this glaring problem created by former head coach Josh McDaniels, the Denver brass brought in a champion, John Elway, to help rebuild this team to a championship level. His first order of business was to hire a man renowned for his abilities to resurrect a team from certain doom, new head coach John Fox.

After recognizing both the talent at the position and the need for continuity, he retained offensive coordinator Mike McCoy to ensure the development of our young Mr. Tebow. My point here is that with continuity on the offense and a revamped defense, our young signal caller won’t be asked to go win a shootout week in and week out all season long.

Will we need to score in bunches at times? Sure. With opponents this year to include New England, the Jets, and the Bears at Mile High and away games featuring the likes of Green Bay and Minnesota, high scoring affairs are a definite possibility.

However, with a revamped defense, these games can be far more manageable for a wide eyed kid named Tebow and his high powered, run oriented break your back offense we are sure to see in 2011.