Tim Tebow, Cam Newton and 3 Other Players Proving They Are the Answer

After today's second-half performance by Tim Tebow, despite the Bronco's loss, you can add him to the list of players, along with Cam Newton, of guys who are the answer for their teams right now.  Not only are Tebow and Newton hot for their teams right now, but so are a number of other guys, some of which are highlighted ahead.

Tim Tebow, Quarterback: Denver Broncos

After starting the second half for Denver on Sunday, Tim Tebow may be done making "debuts" for the Broncos, seemingly have earned the team's starting quarterback job.

Leading a valiant second-half charge, falling short of a 16-point comeback by five points, Tebow put on a rather impressive performance against the San Diego Charger in Week 5.

With his team taking a loss, Tebow was definitely not perfect, but throwing for 79 yards and one touchdown while rushing for another touchdown, he provided a long-awaited spark for the Broncos.

Going into Week 6 the Broncos face a bye week, where a quarterback battle between Tebow and Kyle Orton will surely take place, but head coach John Fox will be hard-pressed not to start Tebow in Week 7 against the Miami Dolphins.

Cam Newton, Quarterback: Carolina Panthers

It's safe to say Cam Newton has far exceeded many people's expectations, even those who had very high ones.  The Panthers are 1-4 and still a work in progress, but the rookie quarterback has done more than enough to prove that he is Carolina's answer to its quarterback problems.

In five games for the Panthers, Newton has thrown for 1,610 yards and seven touchdowns, including two games of 400-plus yards in his first two weeks, which made him the first player in NFL history to post two consecutive 400-yard passing games in a team’s first two games of a season.

Along with his outstanding passing statistics Newton has also rushed for 160 yards and five touchdowns.

Not only is Newton the answer for the Carolina Panthers, but after he gets a couple of years in his belt don't be surprised if we see him redefine what it means to be a quarterback.

Ryan Torain, Running Back: Washington Redskins

Before heading into a Week 5 bye week, Washington Redskins running back Ryan Torain made his season debut in Week 4 against the St. Louis Rams, and oh what a debut it was.  Having missed the beginning of the season due to a broken hand, Torain rushed for 135 yards and one touchdown in his first game of the year.

Not only did Torain outshine starter Tim Hightower and backup Roy Helu in that game, but he put up the best performance for a Redskins running back this season.  Neither Hightower nor Helu have rushed for more than 100 yards in a game this season, and combined they have one rushing touchdown on the year.

The Washington Redskins would be stupid not to go with Torain as their starter, at least until he gives them reason not to.

Andy Dalton, Quarterback: Cincinnati Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals are 3-2, led by a pretty decent quarterback-wide receiver tandem, neither of which are named Carson Palmer or Chad Ochocinco.  Nope, the most commonly heard connection over the loudspeaker at Paul Brown Stadium this season is rookie quarterback Andy Dalton to rookie wide receiver A.J. Green. 

Considering nobody gave the kid a shot coming into the season, it's safe to say Dalton's doing a pretty swell job for Cincinnati.  After all, most people wouldn't have projected the Bengals to be 3-2 right now with Palmer.

Dalton has had his up and down games as a rookie, being thrown into the heat, but slowly but surely he is starting to get things figured out.  Having garnered two wins in his past two games, Dalton threw for 477 yards and three touchdowns in both combined. Given some time, this kid may be the answer for this tumultuous organization.

Darren McFadden, Running Back: Oakland Raiders

In his fourth year with the Oakland Raiders, Darren McFadden is currently the NFL's leading rusher.  Overcoming the struggles and inconsistencies that impacted him early on in his adolescent career, McFadden is on the verge of solidifying himself as one of the best running backs in the league right now. 

The young running back has been showing glimpses of his ability to break off big games since the second game of his 2008 rookie season in with Oakland when he rushed for 164 yards against the Kansas City Chiefs.  Unfortunately, that was McFadden's only 100-plus-yard game of his rookie season as an injury to his toe limited him for much of the season.  

In his second season with the Raiders, McFadden was once again plagued with injury and saw very little carries while failing to rush for a single 100-plus-yard game.

In 2010, McFadden finally had what was considered his breakout season. However, despite notching six huge games of 100-plus yards rushing, highlighted by a 195-yard, four-touchdown game in Week 7 against the Denver Broncos, his year was still low lighted by back-to-back games of 14 yards and two yards during Week 11 and 12.  In spite of the inconsistencies, though, McFadden still managed to rush for a solid 1,157 yards and seven touchdowns.

Entering 2011 with high expectations, McFadden has so far exceeded them.  Through five weeks, he is maintaining his position as the league's leading rusher, with 519 total yards, while proving to the Raiders that he is in fact their answer.

Following a 51-yard rushing performance this week, we will keep an eye on McFadden and see if he can bounce back and maintain the level he has been playing at for the duration of the season.