Denver Broncos: Winners and Losers from Broncos' Loss vs. Chargers

Sunday’s matchup at Sports Authority Field at Mile High featured two teams that just flat out don’t like each other, the Denver Broncos and the San Diego Chargers. San Diego was sneaking by through four weeks, using their 3-1 record to mask the fact that there three wins came against Minnesota, Kansas City and Miami (three teams with a combined 3-11 record). Not the most convincing 3-1 I’ve ever seen.

Their opposition and host, Denver, was sitting at 1-3 having lost close games to formidable opponents, Oakland (23-20 at home) and Tennessee (17-14 on the road). They did however get shellacked by Green Bay, in Green Bay (49-23). I might write that loss off though, considering everyone gets shellacked by Green Bay in Green Bay.

Denver had San Diego a mile high and they had a perfect shot at knocking off a division opponent while climbing within one-game of the division lead. Unfortunately for the Denver Broncos, and their fans, they had Kyle Orton starting behind center.

Here are the Denver Broncos’ winners and losers from Week 5 against the San Diego Chargers.

Winner: Tim Tebow

After a strong finish to the 2010-2011 campaign, Tim Tebow found himself back where he started the season; in the position of uncertainty. He was on a team with a new head coach, new general manager, was the center of a quarterback controversy and was stuck home due to the NFL lockout. Tebow started training camp with a shot at the starting job and then found himself on an up and down roller coaster known more commonly as the “depth chart.”

During the first half this week he sat on the bench, as his team fell behind 23-10. Then, by some remarkable twist of fate and to the delight of every Denver Broncos’ fan across the nation (and the majority of casual NFL fans), he put his helmet on and started the second half.

His numbers were not ground breaking but as usual, he delivered. Tebow went 4-of-10 in the air for 79 yards and a touchdown, giving him a quarterback rating of 101.7. He also carried the ball six times for a total of 38 yards and another score.

More than anything though, as has always been said in his defense, are the intangibles. He brought his team back from a 16-point deficit and came within one play of winning the game. He had several successful drives, made a few key plays and turned a potential blowout into a game with a must-see finish.

The Broncos are off this week, but when they come back October 23^rd at Miami, Tebow will be the guy.

Winner: Willis McGahee

Through the first four weeks of the season, there was a pattern to McGahee’s offensive output. He would have a bad game, then a good game, then a bad game, then a good game. This week he put together back-to-back good games.

He followed up his 103 yards on 15 carries performance at Green Bay with a stellar performance for the fans at home. He took his 16 carries for 125 yards (7.8 per) and he came up big when Orton (more so Tebow) needed it.

Part of the aforementioned Tebow intangibles, is his will to win and the charisma he exudes on the field. Nothing against Kyle Orton, but Tim Tebow was born a winner and that becomes contagious. McGahee, in the second half, started a Bronco scoring drive with a 28 yard rush and capped off the same drive running in a successful two point conversion.

Winner: Broncos’ Fans

The Denver Broncos are a franchise with a colorful history full of success and pride. They are a franchise built around winning and have a fan base that expects the endearing traditions and winning ways to continue, no matter the situation.

Kyle Orton started the 2008-2009 season for the Broncos and led the team to a 6-0 start. Since then, as a starter, Orton is 6-27 (counting today’s loss). Since the end of the 6-0 run the team has been in flux at every position. For a franchise with such a rich history like Denver, this won’t be accepted for long.

Today, John Fox realized that, and threw Tim Tebow into the game. The team may have lost the game today, but Broncos' fans everywhere must feel like they came away with a big moral victory.

They rode home from the game tonight singing, “The sun will come out tomorrow.”

Loser: Kyle Orton

Not much can be said about Orton other than mentioning how his season has been mired in mediocrity. His body language has been that of a defeated man at times, not that of someone willing to fight from behind. He has just as many interceptions and fumbles as he does touchdowns, eight. His completion percentage is under 60, and his quarterback rating is a hair above 80.

In the four losses this season he has six touchdowns and seven interceptions with an average quarterback rating of 61.75. The recipe for success in the NFL is usually a simple one, “don’t turn the ball over.” Good teams can live with the occasional turnover, but not even a great team could win when their leader and the focal point of their offense gives it up more than he scores it.

Orton’s first half stat line today was 6-of-13 for 34 yards, and an interception. When the second half started, he couldn’t be happy. The real question though, is whether he stands on the sideline hoping for a big Tebow rally and a come from behind win or does he hope Tebow doesn’t perform and he gets another shot at it?

Regardless of what he was thinking, I know he heard the “Tebow-Tebow-Tebow” chants at the end of the game just as loud as everyone else on his team.

Loser: John Fox

John Fox wasn’t officially fired by the Carolina Panthers, he simply got the full “Terry Francona Package.” Panthers’ owner Jerry Richardson announced at the end of last season that he would not be renewing Fox’s contract. Fox ended up in Denver with John Elway calling the shots, a good young defense, a solid run game and a few quarterbacks.

It would be unfair to say John Fox solely mishandled the quarterback controversy of this offseason, because it wasn’t only his to mishandle. Elway is just as guilty, if not guiltier; that being said, John Fox had many options to end the drama, quell the media and prepare his team for the season and he chose not to exercise any of these options.

Fox picked Orton over Tebow a couple months ago, and like most NFL coaches do, he stuck to his guns for as long as he could. He saw his team down double-digits at the half, at home, approaching 1-4 and decided it was time for a change. He also didn’t want to be fired before the Miami Dolphins’ head coach Tony Sporano.

He may have saved the day by throwing Tebow into a double-digit fire but he is now going to be faced with quite a few questions about why it took him so long to make the change and if the change is going to be permanent. He is going to have to explain where Brady Quinn (the third wheel) fits in to all of this. And most importantly, he is going to be asked if he feels like the halftime switch saved his job.