Chargers vs. Broncos: 4 Reasons Tim Tebow Should See Some Action

It's Week 5 of the NFL season and the question on many Broncos fans' minds is...will Tim Tebow play in this game?

I'm not talking about one snap that results in a carry for -1 yards. I'm not talking about a handful of snaps at the wide-receiver position because of the Broncos' injury woes.

I'm talking about meaningful playing time. Not necessarily at the QB position, but meaningful playing time to the point where Tim Tebow's presence can make an impact on the game.

Whether it's being used as a decoy, whether it's being used as an H-back, whether it's being used to pound the ball in goal-line and red-zone situations for touchdowns, Tebow does have value in a number of situations.

The Broncos enter this game versus San Diego as only four-point underdogs.

Most Broncos fans expect us to lose this game. Phillips Rivers has won eight of his 10 meetings with us, and the Chargers have made the Broncos' lives rather miserable over the past five seasons. So it's not hard to see why fans' spirits aren't high for this game.

Regardless of what the expectations are, fans are still interested in the topic of Tebow potentially playing this Sunday. Here are four reasons why Tebow should be used by John Fox.

The Broncos Need Help in the Red Zone

The Broncos have performed better in the red zone than they did in the dreadful 2010 season, but there are still improvements to be made.

Remember the four consecutive stops inside the two-yard line when the Broncos had a chance to put away the game 21-10 early on in the fourth quarter versus the Titans? Is there any doubt that Tim Tebow could have made a difference in that situation with his 6'3", 245-pound frame?

The Broncos need to stop ignoring Tebow's strengths. If you're not going to use him in passing situations as a quarterback, you might as well utilize him as a quarterback that runs the ball.

Give Tebow four chances to put the ball in the end zone from two yards out, whether it's in a snap-under-center formation or a shotgun formation, and Tebow will find a way to bruise his way into the end zone.

If the Broncos are to get into short-yardage situations verus the Chargers, the Broncos cannot hesitate to use Tebow against a high-powered Chargers team. The Broncos cannot leave any points or possessions off of the board.

For the Sake of Being Unpredictable

John Fox does run a conservative game plan. That much is certain.

If the Broncos are to catch the Chargers by surprise, they have to spice it up a bit. Is it any shock that on the flea flicker Brandon Lloyd was wide open? That is the reason why you take chances occasionally. It sometimes results in high reward.

On that play it did, as Lloyd caught the ball inside the 5-yard line.

If Denver is to keep up with a Chargers offense that ranks seventh in the NFL in total yards per game and first in average time of possession, the Broncos should use Tebow in a variety of formations.

Hell, bring back the Wild Horses package from last season. Any way to get Tebow involved to have plays result in positive yardage. It's a common occurrence to see the Broncos run the ball well with McGahee on one play and then on the next, carry rush for zero or negative yardage. That is usually indicative of the offensive line's inability to block consistently from play to play.

Recognizing this trend would lead to more productive plays from the Broncos. Denver currently ranks 22nd in net yards per passing attempt and 24th in yards per rushing attempt. Maximizing each play with the utilization of Tebow would make things easier for Orton and the Broncos offense.

To Gain Tebow More Experience

He was Denver's first-round draft pick in 2010. He may not have been the first-round draft choice of this new regime, but he's still one of the Broncos' top overall picks.

It does not hurt to put him in for a few meaningful snaps in the game. If the Broncos are to get blown out by San Diego, which has been a common occurrence over the last several years, Fox should not hesitate to give Tebow some playing time at the quarterback position.

Denver was killed by Green Bay last week. It was not Kyle Orton's fault that the Broncos lost, so it would not have been indicative of Orton's play had Kyle been pulled for Tebow in the fourth quarter with the Broncos down by several scores.

Instead, Fox stubbornly kept Orton in the game. Why? Denver's defense couldn't stop anything all day long. Denver had no chance to win.

The purpose of having Orton in the game is because he presents Denver with the best chance to win, right? Why is he in the game if the Broncos have no chance to win? What happens if he gets injured in meaningless playing time?

I understand Fox is a hard-nosed coach. He's trying to spread the mentality throughout this squad to play until the last whistle. Hence the reason why he even burned the remainder of his timeouts on one of Green Bay's last drives with Denver down by nearly 30 points.

But seriously, give Tebow some reps. Let him go through some situations that can help him evolve as a player. Give him some playing time so we can see what he brings to the table.

I'm not saying put him in at quarterback when the Broncos are within striking distance. I'm saying let him play if the Broncos are getting blown out.

What good does it do having your starting quarterback in the game down 49-17?

Tebow Might Actually Help the Broncos, You Know, Win

I'll be honest. I don't expect the Broncos to beat the Chargers this week. Denver has too many flaws on defense that Phillip Rivers will exploit.

Even if Tebow were to play as many situations as possible in the red zone, I still don't think it would be enough to beat the Chargers. Hell, in one of Tebow's three starts last year against San Diego, Denver still lost although they were competitive throughout the game.

However, Tebow does have many talents. He can play a variety of positions, as mentioned before. Maybe Tebow can be that X factor. Maybe he can be that one piece that lifts the Broncos to victory in this game.

The point is you won't know unless you play him. You won't know unless you give him snaps.

By having him run one time for -1 yard in the "Tebow Package" and then defending your decision not to utilize it more often by responding "it didn't gain us any positive yardage" is being stubborn. Period. It's as if Fox used Tebow for that one play that was doomed to fail just to argue afterwards, "this is the reason he's not on the playing field very often."

Give the kid a fair chance on the field, instead of an opportunity to fail.