NFL Playoff Scenarios: Tim Tebow's Legacy on the Line Against Kansas City Chiefs

Forget the fourth-quarter comebacks and the kneeling on the ground. You can even forget about the term "Mile High Messiah" if the Chiefs and Kyle Orton get over the Broncos on Sunday. 

The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback may not be playing for the playoffs or to the adulation of millions of adoring fans like Tim Tebow, but he will no doubt do everything in his power to get a win. 

The Broncos threw Kyle Orton out with the trash when he failed to prove he could perform with any consistency. Once Tebow provided fanfare and positive production, the move became a no-brainer. 

What has since happened with Tebow is a fairy tale that could end in a magical turn that Pixar would be proud to have produced. Then again, it could also fizzle out as a forgettable moment in sports lore.

The Broncos seemed destined to run into the playoffs like a Tim Tebow two-yard stance. Instead, the Buffalo Bills delivered the Broncos a loss and Tebow a great amount of humility ahead of the last game of the season. 

Standing between Tebow and the Broncos' first playoff berth since 2005 are the Kansas City Chiefs, a team that no doubt should be bested by the Broncos, who have shown great form in the second half of the season. 

What has to be noted is that success or failure will come down on Tebow's head. For good or bad, Tebow has received nearly all the accolades for the Broncos' rise to the top of the AFC West. 

After a day in which Tebow through 13-for-30 for one touchdown and four interceptions, the thought that he could be roasted by the fans in Denver rather than coddled is a possibility. 

A player that is known as a winner and closer has to do both those things on Sunday. If not, it's time to question the validity of the hype that he has received over the better part of a season. 

Tebow has the future in the Broncos' hands. If he can't deliver, John Elway and the rest of the Broncos front office will find someone who will. 

When they do, there will be no reason for the griping and whining that will follow from Tebow apologists, because he most definitely was given his chance to succeed. 

The Broncos play the Chiefs on Sunday, and nothing short of the playoffs and legacy of Tim Tebow are at stake. 

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