John Fox's Genius on Display with Handling of Tim Tebow

Conventional NFL wisdom suggests that you're not going to win any game in which your quarterback throws just eight passes.

Furthermore, conventional wisdom also suggests that letting your quarterback throw just eight passes isn't exactly a sign of trust.

That's a question you'll have to ask Denver Broncos coach John Fox if you get the chance. His team is winning, but he's made it pretty clear in the last two weeks that he doesn't trust Tim Tebow with a typical NFL offense.

And why is that, exactly?

"If we were trying to run a regular offense, he'd be screwed."

Fox actually said that in an interview with NFL.com's Jeff Darlington. Sounds like fighting words, am I right?

Actually, not really.

Fox's words may sound like a jab at Tebow, but he was actually being rather complimentary. In his mind, the system he has installed for Tebow is exactly what he and the team need right now.

"Do whatever the hell it takes," he said. "I mean, what the hell? You don't get points for style in this league. Let me tell you something: My man is really good in this offense. You know what I mean?"

In an effort to explain exactly what it meant, Fox proceeded to break it all down for Darlington, apparently showing him every single offensive play from Denver's last two wins over the Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs.

In explaining the option offense Denver has turned to, Fox pointed out that teams and players aren't sure what to do with it. He used Chiefs linebacker Tamba Hali as a specific example.

"What he does against conventional teams is rush the passer," said Fox of Hali. "Well, we don't have a passer. We have a runner. Not to say he can't pass at all, but we're recognizing his strengths."

The obvious counterpoint here is that teams will figure out how to stop this version of Denver's offense sooner or later. That's another conventional wisdom thing, as option offenses don't exist in the NFL because they don't work.

As far as Fox is concerned, though, the point is that it's working now. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

"Hey, as long as you're moving the ball, possessing the ball, giving your defense some rest, it's all good," Fox said. "Run, pass, if they let you kick it down the field, I wouldn't mind doing that either. As long as you're moving the ball, that's the key."

And for the record, Tebow himself is very much on board.

"Hey, Tim thinks he deserves to have these plays in this offense," Fox said. "And you know what? After watching our games the last two weeks, it's hard to argue with him."

Okay, let's discuss this.

If we're being perfectly honest with one another, my first reaction upon reading all of this was to write it off as a bunch of mularky.

It may sound like Fox is sticking up for Tebow, but the first thought I had was that he is merely trying to justify the changes he's made in order to accommodate Tebow, who he is pretty much stuck with.

The other thing that came to mind was to question whether or not Fox is doing Tebow any favors by installing a more college-style offense that he can be comfortable in. Instead of turning the clock back for Tebow, wouldn't it be better for Fox to adapt him to the way things are done in the NFL?

Maybe so. But at the end of the day, it's not all about Tebow, is it?

Nope, it's not. It's about the team, and what you're seeing in Denver right now is a very unique, very special commitment to the idea.

Instead of dedicating the rest of the season to developing Tebow, Fox is essentially using what skills Tebow has to develop the rest of the team as a whole.

If this means denying Tebow an NFL education, well, so be it. Besides, who said all quarterbacks had to be cut from the same mold, right?

Fox has evidently decided that they don't need to be. The results of this decision speak for themselves: two straight wins and a quarterback who is efficient in a way that no other quarterbacks are efficient.

At the end of the day, however, the question remains: Will this work in the long-term?

Honestly, I'm skeptical.

We are going to see teams key in on the option, meaning that Tebow will have to produce wins with his arm sooner or later.

Given what we've seen, he may not be able to do this on a consistent basis. And as long as the Broncos deny him consistent throws, he's not going to get any better.

In other words, I'm just as skeptical about Tebow's long-term future now as I was before.

But that doesn't mean this isn't an applause-worthy experiment. Fox has taken a bad situation and turned it into a good situation. 

You honestly have to wonder how many other coaches would have had the brains to do the same. Not to mention the guts.