Tim Tebow: Who Will Denver Broncos Fans Cheer for If Tim Tebow Fails?

Be careful what you wish for, Broncos fans. After four-and-a-half mediocre performances from Kyle Orton, John Fox finally abides the vocal Denver faithful and put Tim Tebow under center against the San Diego Chargers. Tebow delivered, not with a win, but with two fourth-quarter touchdown drives and a third that would've won the game for the Broncos had Matt Willis hung on in the end zone.

Now, Tebow will put his experience as a missionary to good use on the football field, attempting to convert naysayers like Merril Hoge into believers and, more importantly, games into wins.

But what will happen if Timmy Terrific can't turn water into wine in the Mile High City? What if the "Tebow Experiment" goes awry and the laboratory explodes?

Who will Broncos fans chant for then?

Kyle Orton

I can't quite imagine folks in Denver welcoming Captain Neckbeard back with open arms. They've burned that bridge one time too many, what with all the "TE-BOW" cheers they shouted with such jubilant fervor while Orton was on the field!

That being said, they won't have much choice if Tebow blows his golden opportunity and things really turn sour in the Rockies.

Yes, Orton sucks—he's completed less than 60 percent of his passes with seven interceptions and his 75.7 QB rating ranks 29th in the league—but, unlike Tebow, he's actually won games in the NFL.

Not that the Broncos at all resemble a winning team at this point.

Brady Quinn

It's entirely possible that Orton, upset with his benching, will request a trade and that Denver will gladly oblige, sending him off to Miami to shore up a Dolphins team reeling from Chad Henne's season-ending shoulder injury.

In that case, the responsibility will fall to Brady Quinn to take the starting snaps if Tebow falters.

That is, if Quinn is in town when the coaches need him. Quinn ducked out of Denver to be with his girlfriend, world-class gymnast Alicia Sacramone, while she underwent surgery on her ruptured Achilles.

Quinn has been anything but "mighty" in his NFL career, posting an abysmal QB rating of 66.8 across three seasons with the Cleveland Browns between 2007 and 2009.

Quin hasn't played a single regular-season down since, so as far as relevant and recent experience is concerned, Tebow has him beat.

Andrew Luck

IF Tebow stinks it up and IF the Broncos' other quarterbacks can't hold their own, THEN Broncos fans can turn their attention to Andrew Luck.

At 1-4, Denver isn't that far behind the Colts and the Dolphins for the lead in the "Suck for Luck" campaign. Assuming Fox hands the reins of the Broncos offense off to Tebow, the second-year quarterback and former Heisman Trophy winner will essentially be auditioning to be the face of the franchise for the foreseeable future.

And if Tebow doesn't turn out to be the second coming of John Elway, then Denver may well be in position to get the guy who is, from Elway's alma mater (Stanford), nearly 30 years after the Broncos made Elway the first-overall pick in the 1983 NFL Draft.

Too good to be true? Perhaps, but don't expect that to stop Broncos fans from chanting their hearts out to sway the fates in their favor.