Tebow's Time

Now that the Denver Broncos have been eliminated from playoff contention, it’s time to weigh in with final thoughts on Tim Tebow.

Tebow energized the NFL during the midseason, becoming the starting quarterback for a team that lost four of its first five games and seemed destined for a last-place finish. Tebow, with a large assist from Denver’s defense, managed to guide the Broncos to wins in seven of the next eight games, including five miraculous fourth-quarter rallies and three overtime wins. Despite dropping the final three regular-season contests, Denver won its division with a mediocre 8-8 record.

Yet the miraculous returned in the first round of the playoffs when the Broncos defeated the heavily favored Pittsburgh Steelers — in overtime. Tebow clearly had the best game of his brief NFL career, becoming only the third quarterback in the history of the game to throw for 300 or more yards on 10 or fewer completions. He returned to earth with a thud last weekend against the New England Patriots.

Both Tebow’s defenders and his critics tend to miss the mark in their assessment of him. Both often overlook his football skills — or lack of them — and focus on his faith.

The unconventional quarterback’s detractors have been off base, accusing him of falsities. Tebow’s practice of bending on one knee to pray briefly on the field rubs a lot of people the wrong way. Showboating by Christian players has a long history, but in Tebow’s case his faith is genuine. He’s not a Sunday afternoon believer. Tebow, contrary to what his enemies claim, never has said that God wants him to win. He’s never exhibited a holier-than-thou attitude, on or off the field. He readily accepts criticisms of his sometimes-erratic play. He is kind in hostile interviews with sports reporters. He doesn’t lash out at those who mistreat him. In short, he is behaving as a Christian should behave.

The problem with displaying such a public faith, of course, is that it is open to mockery. When comedians and atheists engage in “Tebowing” for laughs, it becomes blasphemous.

Whether Tebow has staying power remains to be seen. Despite his multiple come-from-behind, last-minute victories in the just-concluded season, the fact remains that Tebow’s regular season statistics in quarters one through three are consistently dreadful. I hope he can improve next season; if not, he’s made 2011 one of the most interesting NFL seasons to watch.