Tim Tebow: Loss to New England Patriots a Mixed Bag for Denver Broncos QB

It wasn't all bad for Tim Tebow on Sunday, even if the result—a 41-23 loss to the New England Patriots—was far from what he and the Denver Broncos had hoped for.

At times, Tebow actually looked like (dare I say it?) a competent pocket passer behind the Broncos' solid offensive line. Granted, the Pats' pass defense isn't exactly on par with the '85 Bears.

But, for once, Tebow took some shots downfield (albeit not many overall) that weren't completely errant or intended for the sound guy on the sidelines or a fan sitting in the fifth row. In fact, Tebow actually hit one of his receivers, Demaryius Thomas, for a 39-yard strike in the fourth quarter on a drive that ended in a touchdown to narrow the gap to 34-23.

Of course, Tebow spent most of the game throwing short, dink-and-dunk-type passes to Denver's stone-handed pass catcher, many of which came on Tebow-esque scrambles outside the pocket. He finished the afternoon with 194 yards on 11-of-22 passing, good for an average of 8.82 yards per attempt—his second-best mark of the season and third-best of his young career.

Nobody, though, could begrudge Tebow for what he accomplished with his legs. Tebow was the leading rusher in the game, piling up 93 yards and two touchdowns on just 12 carries.

Good for his fantasy value, to be sure, but not quite enough to keep the Broncos afloat against one of the elite teams in the NFL.

Neither was Tebow's occasional lack of sure-handedness under center on Sunday. Tebow fumbled twice during the game, losing one midway through the second quarter in Broncos territory that set up a touchdown for Tom Brady and the Pats.

But before you go jumping off the Tebow bandwagon at the next exit, remember that these are the sorts of mistakes and the sorts of growing pains, that are typically expected of a young quarterback, especially one as physically miscast for the part as Tebow. His early success, combined with the existing specter of Tebowmania, only fueled the rise of expectations to a ridiculously high altitude, the Mile High moniker notwithstanding.

We've known all along that the Broncos have been winning lately not solely because of the boost of confidence Tebow provided, but rather on the strength of their running game, John Fox's defense and the clumsy ineptitude of the seven opponents they've conquered in the last eight weeks. 

Tebow and the Broncos will have plenty of opportunity to bounce back against mediocre competition, with dates against the Buffalo Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs left on the docket.

For now, though, it's okay to lower the bar a bit. Denver has already shot way past preseason expectations, jumping from two wins to eight with two games to play. Tebow will get better, as will the Broncos.

In the meantime, can we tone down the Tebowmania business just a bit? Please?

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