Denver Broncos' Success Doesn't Depend on Tim Tebow, It Depends on the Run Game

Turn the channel to an NFL discussion and what is the first thing you hear when they begin to talk about the Denver Broncos? Tim Tebow vs. Kyle Orton.

While this has been one of the more compelling stories for the Broncos—though Orton's solid play throughout training camp has made it much less compelling—it doesn't even begin to address the biggest need for the Broncos offense.

Kyle Orton put up very good numbers in his 13 games with the Broncos last season: 3,600 yards, 20 touchdowns and only nine interceptions is more than many quarterbacks manage all season.

Yet even with the strong statistical performance of Kyle Orton, the Broncos were unable to find ways to win games.

The reason for that does not lie with Kyle Orton, it lies in the Broncos' absolute inability to run the ball.

Remember the days when the Broncos could plug seemingly any running back into their backfield and manage to have a thousand-yard rusher? Those days are long gone, thanks in part to Josh McDaniels taking the Broncos away from the zone-blocking scheme that was so successful for so many years.

What used to be a foregone conclusion about Denver's offense has dried up almost completely. The Broncos haven't seen a 1,000 yard rusher since Tatum Bell just barely cracked the 1,000 yard mark all the way back in 2006.

Now it is true that the current status of the NFL is far more of a quarterback's game and offenses that pass the ball up and down the field are much more prevalent than they were, but a solid running game is still essential to be a well-rounded team.

So why should the Broncos care about their running game? Simple, because it would benefit both their quarterbacks.

For Orton, a solid running game would help down in the red zone. If a defense simply defends against the pass, a zone defense in a much more condensed part of the field makes it much harder for quarterbacks to find an opening.

If a team has to respect the run, the linebackers stay at home, maybe a safety creeps up and you see man coverage, which Kyle Orton, or any quarterback for that matter, would love to see from the 20-yard line in.

For Tebow, a solid running game would provide the same kind of benefit it provided for Jake Plummer and Jay Cutler. Both of those guys are much more comfortable on the move, much like Tim Tebow—who is at his best when roaming and making plays outside the pocket.

If Tebow has a solid running game, it opens up the play-action and other types of misdirections which allow him to really catch defenders by surprise.

At the end of the day, whether your allegiance is sworn to Kyle Orton or Tim Tebow, the biggest thing that can help the Broncos return to their former greatness is a solid run game.