Tim Tebow: Why John Fox Will Regret Switching to Tim Terrific

NFL head coaches are usually adamant in saying fans have no influence on their decisions. However, after Denver Broncos head coach John Fox inserted Tim Tebow at quarterback against the San Diego Chargers, it's clear that isn't always the truth.

Camp observers consistently said Brady Quinn, not Tebow, was the second-best quarterback during preseason practices. Following a brutal start to the team's Week 5 game against San Diego, though, it was Tebow who relieved ineffective incumbent Kyle Orton.

Tebow instantly produced a spark, leading a fourth-quarter comeback that eventually fell short. Looking at the big picture, Fox will regret giving Tim Terrific the first chance over Quinn.

Quinn is only under team control until the end of the season and if the Tebow era begins as expected during the bye week, he'll likely leave town without being given a chance. Tebow, on the other hand, is signed through the 2014 season.

Tebow supporters, of which there is seemingly an endless amount, will argue that Quinn got his chance in Cleveland and failed. While the Notre Dame product did struggle with the Browns, it was more due to a lack of talent around him than anything else.

The Broncos have more weapons for Quinn to utilize than he could have dreamed of with Cleveland. It would have seemed like a smarter move to give him the first crack and, if he failed to impress, then move on to Tebow.

Tebow is never going to be an elite pocket passer. His only touchdown pass against San Diego was a screen play with Knowshon Moreno doing all the work. During the final drive of the game, down by five, an inaccurate pass was turned into a circus catch by Brandon Lloyd. It's those things that don't show up in the box score.

During his rookie season, Tebow's best start was his first one. He got progressively worse as teams became more prepared to defend his unorthodox style. It will likely be more of the same this season after the Chargers clearly weren't prepared for him.

He's still a raw talent, so you can't blame the Broncos if they start him moving forward in order to gain experience. The fans clearly want to see it too, chanting “Tebow! Tebow!” after the game. But it's easy to get caught up in one quarter. Let's see it for multiple weeks in a row before he's called the savior.

If Quinn ends up having success elsewhere and the Tebow experiment doesn't work out, Fox will kick himself for never giving the former a chance to prove himself.