Tim Tebow: 10 Reasons He Loses His 1st Start of 2011

Now starting at quarterback for the Denver Broncos: Tim Tebow !

You can tell that Tebow is one of the NFL's rising stars when there are paparazzi skulking around trying to figure out who his girlfriend is.  Is it Amanda?  Or is it Lucy?

Tebow had a stellar college career at the University of Florida where he passed for 88 touchdowns and ran for another 57.  He became the first player to win the Heisman trophy as a sophomore, and was selected by the Broncos in the first round of the 2010 draft.

But the question has not been yet resolved: is Tebow the Broncos' starting quarterback for the next five to ten years?  This year the starting job for the first five games went to Kyle Orton, but the resulting 1-4 record has convinced the Broncos' staff that now is the time for Tebow's shot.

Tebow will make his first start of the 2011 season this season when the Broncos visit the Miami Dolphins, who are ironically having a Gator Day promotion to honor the Florida football team.

Here are ten reasons why his homecoming to Florida will not have a happy ending this week.

Brandon Lloyd Is Gone

The Broncos just traded away their best wide receiver, Brandon Lloyd, to the St. Louis Rams.

Daniel Thomas

Rookie running back Daniel Thomas will score a rushing touchdown.

The Broncos gave up 190 rushing yards to the Oakland Raiders and 206 yards to the San Diego Chargers.  Look for the Dolphins to take advantage of Denver's poor run defense.

Demaryius Thomas

Demaryius Thomas was the first wide receiver selected in the 2010 draft. He was even selected before Tebow was. But injuries have plagued Thomas and he hasn't been able to play with any regularity.

His most recent injury was a broken pinky finger. He is scheduled to play this weekend, but will drop a key pass to stop a Bronco drive at a critical point in the game.

Reggie Bush

Reggie Bush will score a touchdown on a screen pass.

Brian Dawkins Might Not Play

Brian Dawkins is a force on the defensive side of the ball.  He can stuff the run, blitz the quarterback, and crunch the slot receiver or tight end coming across the middle. The Philadelphia Eagles' defense has never been its old dominating force since he left.

However his recent injury might keep him out of this game and allow the Dolphins to have the upper hand in the middle of the field when they have the ball.

Brandon Marshall

Brandon Marshall will score a touchdown on a long pass on the first Miami possession.

Opponents have already completed ten passes over 30 yards against the Broncos. Look for Marshall to add two to this total.

Tony Sparano

Tony Sparano wants to keep his job. If the Dolphins were to lose to the Broncos, he might lose it.

Vontae Davis

Vontae Davis will jump a slant route and intercept Tebow on the Broncos' first possession.

Cameron Wake

Cameron Wake will strip the ball from Tebow while sacking him.

Tebow Needs More Help

Tim Tebow's record in the NFL is pretty good for a young quarterback.  He has twice as many touchdown passes (six) as he has interceptions (three) and he has run for seven touchdowns.

But it is highly unusual for a young quarterback to shine on a bad team. 

Tebow might eventually become a good, maybe even superstar player.  But for now, he doesn't have the supporting cast he needs, so his homecoming in Florida will not have a happy ending for him this week.