Tim Tebow: 10 Reasons Denver Broncos QB Is Not an Insult to the Modern NFL

Tim Tebow's unorthodox ways have yielded a 4-1 record as a starter this season for John Fox's Denver Broncos. Despite the wins, there are several critics who think his style of play doesn't belong in the NFL.

Dallas Cowboys Defensive Coordinator Rob Ryan suggested that there's no place for Tebow's unconventional brand of football in the NFL. He told ProFootballTalk.com exactly how he felt: 

"I don’t like it because it’s college football," Ryan said, via the Star-Telegram. "We’re getting a lot of two tight ends blocking for empty sets. Who would have ever thought that? This is the NFL. Those teams don’t win."

Tony Dungy and many others question the long-term viability of Tebow's run-heavy option offense. Chat rooms and discussion boards are filled with critics who think Tebow's gimmicks are a joke.

There's no question that Tebow is a project—he needs to smooth out his throwing motion, improve his footwork and make better decisions. He must become a more efficient pocket-passer in order to become a premier quarterback.

But he is not an insult to the modern NFL—he's actually a promising young star who's a refreshing presence in the league.

Here's why.

Excellence in Fourth Quarter and Crunch Time

By now we all know that Tebow has been able to push the right buttons in the fourth quarter to lead Denver to wins.

But let's take a look at exactly how great he is during crunch time.

In the passing game, Tebow has five of his seven touchdowns and an impressive 107.0 passer rating in the fourth quarter. 399 of his 709 passing yards have come in the fourth.

Part of this is due to a change in play-calling, but the bottom line is that he gets the job done.

On the ground, Tebow has been nearly unstoppable late in games. Check out his fourth-quarter stat line—he's rushed 23 times for 172 yards (7.5 yards per carry), and two of his three rushing touchdowns have come in the final quarter.

Spreads the Ball to All Areas of the Field

Tebow's vision and decision-making skills need plenty of improvement, but his willingness to survey the whole field and spread the ball around is encouraging.

His attempts and completions are evenly spread throughout the right side (7-of-11), left side (8-of-14) and middle of the field (10-of-16).

He needs to improve his tosses to the sidelines, but it's a good sign that he sees the whole field and his passing habits aren't predictable for the defense.

His Team Believes in Him and Plays for Him

A huge factor in Tebow going 4-1 in his first five starts this season is his teammates raising their level of play.

The offense has struggled but executed in crunch time, and the defense has improved dramatically since he took over as quarterback.

Bleacher Report's Kelly Scaletta highlighted how much better the defense has played since Tebow started: 

"Before Tebow, they were giving up 28 points and 386 yards per game with 1.75 takeaways. After Tebow, they are giving up 21.4 points and 326 yards per game and averaging 2.0 turnovers. What accounts for a difference of nearly a TD, 60 yards and nearly a quarter of a turnover? Belief, and that's according to the Broncos defense!"

The Broncos believe in Tebow and are willing to step up their game for him.

Great Instincts and Skills as a Playmaker

Tebow has been quite inefficient and inept as a pocket-passer throughout most of his time at Denver.

Anything more than a three-step drop dooms him, and his accuracy and release need major improvement.

But his instincts as a playmaking quarterback are great. He utilizes the option well and has a good feel for what will keep defenses off-balance.

When the team needs a game-winning drive, Tebow seems to know exactly when to pass and when to run.

He knows when to take off and find the holes in the defense. And when the pressure's on, he somehow manages to fit the ball into tight spaces (see Dolphins game).

Look no further than last week's drive against the Jets to see his creative skills.

His agility and physicality running the ball makes him difficult to defend when the Denver offense gets rolling.

Doesn't Turn the Ball over

Tim Tebow has taken great care of the ball during his time as a Broncos starter.

In his two-year career, he has 21 touchdowns and five turnovers.

Of course, the lack of giveaways is due in part to the extremely conservative play-calling, but think about how advantageous his protection of the ball has been.

He rarely turns the ball over (only once so far this season), so he rarely puts his own defense in a bad situation.

This allows them to minimize damage and keep the score close, giving themselves a chance to win.

Produces Well Against Divisional Opponents

The way the NFL schedule is set up, it is crucial for teams to play well against divisional opponents if they want to make the playoffs.

Fortunately for the Broncos, Tebow has played some of his best football against AFC West opponents.

His highest passer-rating games this season have been against Kansas City, Oakland and San Diego.

Against those three teams, he has an average rating of 100.8. Although Tebow doesn't throw a ton of passes, he throws enough to win.

He also has had success running the ball against AFC West foes, as he had particularly effective rushing performances against Oakland and San Diego.

The Denver organization must love the fact that Tebow gets up for divisional games.

He Has Fought to Be a Successful Quarterback at Every Level

This isn't the first time Tebow has faced adversity in his football career.

At every level, from Pop Warner all the way through high school and college, he had to fight the stigma that he couldn't be a successful quarterback.

He had to work his tail off to prove himself and convince his coaches he had what it took to lead the offense.

The NFL is his toughest test yet, but as sure as the sun rises, he will put in the work to be a better quarterback every day.

Remember, He's Still Young

Tim Tebow has started a whopping eight games in the NFL. That's half a season's worth of games.

Keep in mind that those eight games have been split up between a couple different coaching staffs.

It is way too early to make conclusions about Tebow's game, or say that his style of play isn't true pro football.

Let's let him play out the rest of this season and see how he progresses.

He's definitely no lock to become a premier quarterback, but we should give him a chance and see how he develops and blends his style with an effective pro style.

Coachable

Tebow is the epitome of a team player, and he will do whatever it takes to improve and help his team win.

His unselfish character makes him one of the most coachable professional athletes you'll ever see.

A big deal has been made about the Denver Broncos adapting their playbook to fit Tebow's limited repertoire, but it should be noted that Tebow will continue to do everything in his power to progress and develop as a quarterback.

John Fox and the Broncos brass aren't totally sold on Tebow as their future leader, but they dumped Kyle Orton in favor of him because they see the potential in him.

He's only going to get better, and once he polishes his passing and learns to read defenses, he could be one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the NFL.

The Ultimate Leader

In a day and age where college and professional sports are mired in scandal and desperately seeking leaders with character, Tebow provides Denver with rock-solid leadership.

He's a young man who pushes himself and his teammates to succeed every time they step on the field.

At 23, he's already been in the limelight for years, beginning in Florida and now in Denver.

He knows how to handle the big stage and be the face of a franchise.

His teammates respond well to his leadership, and he knows how to rally the troops to victory.

Football is not the most important thing in Tebow's life—faith and family is. Having his priorities straight actually makes him a better football player from a leadership standpoint.

Tebow's throwing motion might be ugly, but the way he leads his team is beautiful.