The Philadelphia Eagles won today making their record a fantastically mediocre 5-8. Not bad for a team that spent a small country's budget on free agent signings this past summer. Since Eagles games are no longer of any competitive importance, I thought I'd watch Tim Tebow and the Broncos attempt to continue their improbable winning ways. What follows are my thoughts while watching the 4th quarter between the Denver Broncos and the Chicago Bears (I had an NBA post I was going to write but David Stern vetoed that).
14:55 - It's 10-0 for the Bears at the start of the fourth quarter, Tebow is 3/16 for 46 yards and a pick. So it's basically playing out like every other Broncos game this season.
13:30 - Broncos offense can't do anything against the Bears D. 4th straight 3 and out. Devin Hester awaiting the punt, I know it's been said but why kick to him? They do, it's a good punt though and Hester is forced to call for a fair catch.
12:41 - Jay Cutler isn't playing this game. Official story is that he's injured but I think we all know what's going on here. Fake an injury or play Tebow on the Lord's day? Not really a tough decision.. (Completely joking btw)
11:29 - Bears go 3 and out and punt due to a horrible pass by Caleb Hanie. He missed a wide open Marion Barber by 10 yards. Just terrible.
11:03 - Tebow takes a hit from the weakside but stays in there and completes a pass. First completion since the first quarter. Talk about playing dead! What a strategy.
9:58 - Three straight completions for Tebow! The Broncos are driving! I can't stop typing exclamation marks!
9:22 - Tebow takes a sack off a strange play call by John Fox.
8:53 - Oh and Tebow gets sacked and he fumbles the ball. Da Bears recover. Faith in Tebow will be tested this game. I don't see Denver scoring twice on this Bears defense but still plenty of time to go.
8:53 - One thing I don't understand about this whole Tebow thing is why so many people hate him. Is it because he doesn't play the position the way it "should be played"? This makes no sense and is simply an excuse given by those who do hate him. If this was the way athletes should be judged then Shawn Marion would be the most hated NBA player of all time.
7:40 - Big 3rd down and 7 for the Bears right here. They hand the ball off to Barber who gets nothing so Chicago will punt to the Broncos. Strangely conservative play-calling by Lovie Smith there. I'm not saying go for the endzone but if everyone in the stadium and watching at home know that you're going to run the ball then by all likelihood so does the opposing team's defense.
6:50 - Tebow will start with the ball on his own 8 yard line. Will we see another Mile High Miracle?
6:41 - Tebow avoids a safety and throws a pass to Decker up the sideline!
6:18 - Thomas with another dropped pass for Tebow. Those can't happen against this D.
6:12 - 3rd and 10 for Denver and Tebow with nowhere to go throws a short one yard pass. The punting unit comes out, Hester awaits.
5:40 - The Bears attempt another predictable running play and they get nowhere. The Broncos D might need to make a big play this drive for Denver to have a shot at wining this game.
5:23 - Three more running plays for the Bears leads to another three and out.
4:34 - The Broncos will start with it on the 37 with no timeouts. Both teams have no timeouts remaining. Are we sure they're both not being coached by Andy Reid?
3:11 - Four straight short completions for Tebow as the Broncos are now in Bears territory. Chicago is more then willing to let these short yardage plays happen.
2:58 - And Tebow! Up the middle for a pass that takes them to the 17 yard line. Tebow is 10/12 since the start of the fourth quarter.
2:08 - Touchdown Broncos!! Tebow scrambles out of the pocket and finds Demaryius Thomas for a score. The only thing separating these two teams now is a 57 yard field goal from Robbie Gould. I think the Broncos have to try an onside kick here. They have no timeouts and the defensive strategy will be the same whether the Bears receive the ball on the 50 or 20 yard line.
2:08 - A fantastic onside kick by Prater but the Bears somehow recover. Two Broncos players both go for the ball but end up hitting each other. Doesn't look good for Denver fans right about now.
1:59 - Two minute warning in Denver. 2nd and 9 for the Bears when we get back.
1:59 (commercial break) - Whatever your feelings on Tebow and the way he plays may be, the one thing that cannot be questioned is his ability to raise himself and his team in the 4th quarter. Granted his game before the 4th quarter was 3/16 for 46 yards but still.
1:55 - And Marion Barber inexplicably runs out of bounds! If he had stayed in bounds it's game over. 3rd and 5 upcoming for the game. And Lovie Smith refuses to trust Hanie even a little bit as he runs Barber straight up the middle and gets stuffed for no yards. Denver will get a shot.
0:56 - The Broncos will start on their own 19 yard line with no timeouts.
0:47 - 8 yard completion to Decker. Can the Broncos get into field goal range?
0:30 - Tebow spikes the ball at the 40 yard line. The Broncos are taking way too long to get to the line of scrimmage.
0:23 - Tebow takes the hit but delivers a bullet to the Bears 41 yard line!!! We learn that Prater's (the Broncos kicker) career long field goal is a 59 yarder. It would be a 59 yarder from here.
0:18 - Blown pass interfernce call by the refs there. Broncos still at the 41.
0:08 - Tebow runs for a yard. Here comes the field goal kicking unit. 58 yard attempt. AND ITS UP AND ITS GOOD!!!!!!!!!!
0:03 - TEEEEEBOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!! PRATTTEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRR!!!!!
0:03 - That kick would have made it from 70 yards out. Incredible. Tebow in the 4th quarter is 15/20 for 163 yards. The announcers are speechless, the crowd is going insane.
0:00 - Overtime.
0:00 - Why do the referees always sound so uncertain of the rules when explaining them before overtime begins? Makes no sense. Bears win the coin toss and will receive the ball (obviously).
OT 14:21 - Two straight great completions by Caleb Hanie. Makes you think about how stupidly conservative the Bears play calling was during the fourth.
OT 13:27 - Great diving catch by marion barber to the Broncos 41 yard line. This would be a 59 yard attempt by Gould.
OT 13:20 - Barber gains 3 yards to the Broncos 38. 3rd and 7 coming up.
OT 12:53 - Barber busts open from the pile and is on his way for a touchdown but FUMBLE!!! THE BRONCOS RECOVER!!! TEEEEEBOOOOOWWWWWWWWWW!!!!
OT 12:41 - This is unbelievable. Didn't think that this was actually going to happen when I started writing this. Tebow throws his first pass away. 2nd and 10.
OT 12:31 - Tebow avoids a sure sack and shovels the pass to McGahee who gets 2 yards.
OT 12:03 - First Down Broncos!!! Tebow to Thomas for 10 yards.
OT 11:34 - Tebow gets hit behind the line of scrimmage for a loss of 2.
OT 11:05 - Tebow to Thomas again for 16 yards!! (sorry for all of the exclamation marks but it's hard to not be caught up in TebowMania)
OT 10:04 - Tebow takes the ball himself and gains 5 yards, Broncos are now at the Bears 35 yard line.
OT 9:20 - Tebow gains a yard. It is now 4th and 3 and here comes Prater to attempt a 51 yard field goal.
OT 8:40 - Bears use their second timeout to ice the kicker.
OT 8:40 - It's up and IT'S GOOOOOOOODDDD!!!
END - Tebow! Broncos! Prater! Jesus! God! Sundays!
This is incredible. If this Broncos season was a plot of a sports movie it wouldn't be believable at all and yet somehow they keep on winning. Strangely, when Prater was getting ready to kick both the 59 and 51 yard field goals there was no doubt in my mind that they were going in. That's the power of Tebow and belief. I'm glad that not everything in sports makes sense. It's the same feeling I had last June when I watched a so called "soft" and washed up veteran team knock out the undisputed dream team. Based on purely concrete and measurable attributes there should have been no way the Mavericks should have beaten the Heat and yet somehow they did. This is very much like the Broncos. Sure Tebow might not be the best QB in the league but who cares? His team clearly loves playing for him and that type of camaraderie in sports is becoming less and less common. Sports not making any sense is one of the reasons I became such a huge sports fan. We are all hesitant to believe in something that makes no sense for fear that we may be ridiculed for these beliefs. But don't be. Believe in Tebow and the Broncos. It's one of the best sports stories of recent memory. Allow yourself to be swept away by it. I sure am.
Luka Milanovic
Follow me on Twitter @Luka_M91
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