On Sunday, the Denver Broncos will host the Pittsburgh Steelers in a much-hyped wildcard playoff game. Much of the hype surrounding the game revolves around Tim Tebow and the Broncos’ improbable run into the playoffs. It makes for a good story, and there’s no doubt it’ll result in some compelling pre-game coverage, but despite what the Broncos would have you believe, they have no chance against the defending AFC champion Pittsburgh Steelers.
In the entire NFL, there is one and only one quarterback that completes less than 50% of his passes. Guess who. You got it; Tim Tebow. The Broncos have now lost three consecutive games after Tebow has failed to deliver anything of substance throughout each of those games. The Chiefs handed the Broncos a crushing defeat on Sunday that was made worse by the manner in which the Broncos were beat. It wasn’t a blowout loss. No, it was a simple 7-3 loss to a team that had no chance of making it into the playoffs.
The Chiefs have essentially given the rest of the NFL a blueprint for beating the Broncos, and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure it out. The Chiefs forced Tim Tebow to beat them, not with his legs, but with his arm. Tebow just doesn’t have the ability to win with his arm.
While the Chiefs fielded a very respectable defense in 2011, it’s nothing compared to the Steelers’ top ranked unit. It’s important to note that the Steelers will be missing Ryan Clark on Sunday because he suffers from sickle cell anemia, a blood condition that doesn’t allow him to play in high altitudes such as Denver because his blood isn’t efficient enough at carrying oxygen. For the Steelers, it shouldn’t make a difference against the Broncos’ joke of an offense.
Now many people may think I’m being unfair by throwing Tim Tebow under the bus, but he’s the very reason the Broncos are in the playoffs, and ironically, the reason the Broncos won’t win a playoff game. Denver’s defense has played great since he took over as quarterback, and they’ve allowed the Broncos to win games. Yes, Tebow has pulled off some incredible late-game heroics (sometimes with some help from the opposing teams such as their win over Chicago), but the reality is that the Broncos’ defense has kept games close enough to give Tebow enough possessions to score a couple of times.
The Steelers will probably look to jump out to an early lead and protect that lead in the second half. They have a number of quick strike receivers as well as a solid running game despite missing Rashard Mendenhall. Defensively, the Steelers will likely focus on shutting down the Broncos running game. That plan may include blitzing Tebow and strict gap discipline to keep Tebow in the pocket when he does pass. Once the Broncos’ running game is shut down, the Steelers will be primed and ready to begin the interception fest that is likely when Tebow starts being forced to throw. It’s a simple plan, and it’s highly likely that the plan will be very successful. Seriously, I don’t expect the Broncos to reach 9 offensive points.
Tim Tebow’s run to the playoffs has been interesting to say the least, but he’s just not talented enough to be a long-term starter in the NFL. The Steelers are going to show us just how poor of a quarterback Tebow really is on Sunday. Be ready, it could be an ugly game for Denver fans.
