Tim Tebow: Could Tebow Be the Cure for the Denver Broncos' Rushing Attack?

Not long ago, Tim Tebow stood on Florida Field wearing a Gator uniform and his helmet strapped. It was third down with two yards to go.

As a University of Florida student, I watched the scene so many times from my seat in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium—Tebow faced the wall of defenders before the snap, set in the shotgun like a bull digs into the ground before it charges.

Even all the drunk fans knew what was coming next.

Whether it was Tebow’s determination or God’s work, No. 15 ran through the first down marker, dragging defenders with him like untied shoelaces.

The Gators faithful refer to the play as the "Tebow Smash." During his Gators career, it was a known certainty in short-yardage situations. Head coach Urban Meyer did not need to be unpredictable; he ran his rhino-like quarterback down teams’ throats.

But in Denver today, talk of a Tebow running game does not get past the conference room.

John Fox has shown he has less faith in the "Tebow Package" than a nun has with the constitution of marriage. The Broncos indicated use of the formation last Sunday against the Packers, but after one play for negative yardage, the package was thrown out faster than a Fed-Ex envelope. "That, and we did it once and we lost yardage," Fox said. "That wasn’t all on him by any stretch, but it didn’t prove to be beneficial, so we went in a different direction."

The Broncos staff insists on a pro-style attack with Kyle Orton at the helm and traditional running backs behind him.

But Knowshon Moreno, the team’s opening day starter, is already in Fox’s doghouse after four games. And new starter Willis McGahee is playing well, but not bolstering the 23rd-ranked running game. 

Also, stat geeks take note: on four occasions last Sunday, the Broncos faced 3rd-and-short in their opponents’ territory. They only converted once.

How can the Broncos stick with that combo when they have a human battering ram wearing a headset?

Tebow can also be a rushing weapon if he is given enough snaps to make defenses respect both his pass and run game. A pistol formation (where the quarterback stands in between a shotgun quarterback and under center) alongside multiple backs would confuse the defensive fronts much like the Miami Dolphins' Wildcat in 2008.

A spread package for two-minute drills and hurry-up offense, similar to what Tebow ran at Florida to unparalleled success, would make defenses watch for the quarterback draw while the pass threat still exists.

In short-yardage scenarios, Orton’s passes to Eric Decker for incompletions no longer suffice. The Broncos organization may not entrust him to throw 40 passes against San Diego, but God made Tim Tebow for 3rd-and-short. 

It will be like all those times at Florida Field.