4 Things Tim Tebow Must Do to Win over John Elway

Tebow-mania has officially taken over Denver and the entire NFL.

It doesn't seem like that long ago where preseason reports were saying Tim Tebow was at the bottom of the depth chart and possibly on the verge of getting cut. After a poor start as a team and subpar play from Kyle Orton, the Broncos made the switch to Tebow.

The Broncos are 6-1 with Tebow as their starting quarterback, including several come-from-behind thrillers. Tebow has proven he can run this unorthodox offense well enough to not only win, but come up big in clutch situations.

Still, the criticism has been there from Denver Broncos president John Elway.

Elway is one of the many critics of Tebow and his style. Regardless of what their record says, Elway is under the impression it just won't last. 

However, with each win, Tebow gains a little more respect.

Here are four things Tim Tebow could do to win over John Elway. 

Keep Winning

Simple as that.

If Tebow keeps winning games for the Denver Broncos, it is going to be very difficult for anyone to criticize him. As I pointed out already, Tebow is 6-1 as a starter this season and has led the Broncos all the way to the top of the AFC West.

Of course, he has received quite a bit of help from a Broncos defense that has played very well over his stretch as their starter and some excellent play from running back Willis McGahee. 

Denver is the best rushing team in the league and uses a ball-control offense to tire out opposing defenses and keep the other squad's offense on the sidelines. This formula has worked well, with the one exception against the Detroit Lions.

Tebow has a couple tough tests ahead against the Chicago Bears and New England Patriots. If he can pull off wins against these teams, he will certainly earn some respect from Elway.

The task will be tough, but there are winnable games left on the Broncos' schedule.

Improve as a Passer

From his throwing motion to his accuracy, Tebow has been criticized as a passer since day one. 

His numbers certainly aren't staggering. His completion percentage is 47.5 percent and he has only thrown for 1,054 yards so far this season. However, Tebow has impressed many by only throwing one interception this year, compared to 10 touchdowns.

Tebow had his best passing game of the year last week against the Minnesota Vikings. While many quarterbacks have torn up that defense this year, it is still a good sign to see his numbers improving. 

He even showed signs of improvement the week before against the San Diego Chargers.

It is clear that he thrives when able to run the option. This is and will most likely always be his bread and butter as a quarterback. However, any improvement as a passer will only legitimize him as a NFL quarterback to his critics. 

More touchdowns through the air are certain to open Elway's eyes a bit.

Win the AFC West

The AFC West is one of the weakest divisions in football.

Coming into the season, most were expecting the San Diego Chargers to reclaim the throne on top of the division. However, a poor season from quarterback Philip Rivers has derailed any hope of that happening. 

The Kansas City Chiefs are just an absolute mess at this point. They lost starting running back Jamaal Charles early on this season and starting quarterback Matt Cassel just a few weeks ago. It was clear they weren't the playoff team we saw in 2010.

The Broncos' only real competitor for the division crown is the Oakland Raiders. After acquiring Carson Palmer from the Bengals, the Raiders appeared to be on their way to becoming top dog in the AFC West.

What they weren't expecting was the emergence of Tim Tebow. 

The Raiders have been incredibly inconsistent this year and Denver now has a chance to run away with the division. 

If Tebow can lead the Broncos to the AFC division title and a playoff berth, it is sure to be a media frenzy that Elway and the rest of the organization cannot ignore.

Win the Super Bowl

I know this one is a long shot.

OK, it may be near impossible. However, we know for sure that winning a Super Bowl title would not only win over John Elway, but the rest of the NFL fans and pundits. 

Tebow's biggest test remaining this season will be Week 15 against the New England Patriots. He will have a chance to put up some solid statistics against that poor defense. The real challenge will be keeping up with Tom Brady and company on the scoreboard.

If the Broncos are able to pull off the victory that flips the tables in the AFC. 

The Houston Texans are banged up and I'm not sure there are too many Bengals believers out there. The Patriots are flawed on defense and the Steelers are banged up. The Baltimore Ravens appear to be in the best shape of all the playoff teams, but they have showed inconsistency all year long.

I'm not saying that I am picking Tebow and the Broncos to make the Super Bowl. It is absolutely a long shot and they are probably bound for a first-round exit if they even make the playoffs.

Regardless, the possibility is still there. 

If by some chance Tim Tebow pulls it off, he would instantly go down in NFL lore, which I'm sure would be enough to win the approval of John Elway.