Jeff Gross - Getty Images
4 months ago: DENVER, CO - JANUARY 08: Tim Tebow #15 of the Denver Broncos looks to pass against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the AFC Wild Card Playoff game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on January 8, 2012 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)
Somewhat lost in what was one of the biggest wins in Denver Broncos history was the fact quarterback Tim Tebow was playing in just his first playoff game. Obviously it was a success - the Broncos won - but where did Tebow's performance rank historically?
Tebow completed 10-of-21 passes for 316 yards with two touchdowns and rushed 10 times for 50 yards (5.0 avg.) against Pittsburgh. With his performance, he joined Joe Montana and Jeff Garcia as the only players in NFL postseason history to pass for 300 yards and two scores in addition to rushing for 50 yards and a touchdown.
PLAYERS TO PASS FOR 300 YARDS, 2 TDs & RUSH FOR 50 YARDS AND 1 TD, IN NFL PLAYOFF HISTORY
| PLAYER | OPPONENT(Date) | RESULT | PASS YARDS/TD | RUSH YARDS/ TD |
| Joe Montana | S.F. Vs. Mia. (1/20/85) | 38-16, W | 331 Yards / 3 TD | 59 Yards / 1 TD |
| Jeff Garcia | S.F. Vs. NYG (1/5/03) | 39-38, W | 331 Yards / 3 TD | 60 Yards / 1 TD |
| Tim Tebow | Den. vs. Pit (1/8/12) | 29-23, W | 316 Yards / 2 TD | 50 Yards / 1 TD |
Tebow's 15.1 yards per passing attempt against Pittsburgh also represented the best mark in NFL postseason history (min. 20 att.), and his 316 passing yards were the most ever by a player in his postseason debut with the Broncos.
MOST PASSING YARDS/ATTEMPT, NFL POSTSEASON HISTORY (min. 20 att.)
| PLAYER | OPPONENT | ATT. | COMP. | YARDS | YARDS/ATT |
| Tim Tebow(Den) | Steelers | 21 | 10 | 316 | 15.1 |
| Terry Bradshaw(Pit) | L.A. Rams | 21 | 14 | 309 | 14.7 |
| Peyton Manning(Ind) | Broncos | 26 | 22 | 377 | 14.5 |
| Peyton Manning(Ind) | Broncos | 33 | 27 | 458 | 13.9 |
| Bob Waterfield(LA Rams) | Bears | 21 | 14 | 280 | 13.3 |
MOST 25+YARD PASSES, SINGLE GAME, NFL POSTSEASON HISTORY
| PLAYER | OPPONENT | 25+ Comp. |
| Aaron Rodgers | Cardinals | 7 |
| Pey. Manning | Broncos | 6 |
| Tim Tebow | Steelers | 5 |
| Doug Flutie | Dolphins | 5 |
| Joe Montana | Bengals | 5 |
| Philip Rivers | Titans | 5 |
Tebow also broke the team record for most passing yards in a postseason debut.
MOST PASSING YARDS IN BRONCOS POSTSEASON DEBUT
| PLAYER | OPPONENT(DATE) | ATT. | COMP | YARDS | TD | INT | RAT. |
| Tim Tebow | Steelers(1/8/12) | 21 | 10 | 316 | 2 | 0 | 125.6 |
| Craig Morton | Steelers(12/24/77) | 23 | 11 | 164 | 2 | 0 | 100.6 |
| Steve DeBerg | Seahawks(12/24/83) | 19 | 14 | 131 | 1 | 1 | 87.8 |
| Jake Plummer | Colts(1/4/04) | 30 | 23 | 181 | 1 | 2 | 74.4 |
| John Elway | Steelers(12/30/84) | 37 | 19 | 184 | 2 | 2 | 61.1 |
While I don't like to compare eras, especially because the rules have made it easier for quarterbacks and receivers, the comparisons between John Elway's first playoff start, and Tebow's, are a bit scary. Both faced the Steelers, and both played the game at home. Elway was 24 years, 185 days old. Tebow? He was 24 years, 147 days old.
Am I saying Tebow is Elway? Absolutely not. What I am saying is, even right now, the moment is not bigger than Tebow. That, to me, might be the best intangible of all. While guys like Matt Ryan get all the love and continue to come up small in the playoffs, Tim Tebow continues to win.
8 recs | 85 comments
This really is working out freaky
I was a doubter solely on the point of not knowing and listening to all the talk. Having watched this season unfold it could not have been more unlikely. One thing has come to be true beyond a doubt. Tebow does not give up and his teammates feed off his desire. Now, can someone teach that kid to throw a timing route so we can dominate this league :D
Sean in Pa. - January 10, 2012
he threw a perfect timing route to DT at the 5 yard line.
Maybe someone should teach our receivers to focus a little more and make the catch.
prototype - January 10, 2012
He also threw a nice one to DT that he caught and carried into the red-zone, from which, IIRC, the very next play was a touchdown pass to Eddie Royal in the endzone.
There was also another pass to DT, which would have been a nice gain, had he not dropped it. The game announcers commented something like he might have heard footsteps, thus that drop.
9798 - January 10, 2012
+1
oorange blood - January 10, 2012
I think it will come. He has shown us that he has good "touch" on the ball
and is able to drop the ball in some tight spots. Timing is simply a result of repetition, which he’ll get this off-season with his receivers. Touch and timing I believe will make him into a solid NFL passer to add to his other, unique, skill set.
rubincarterrocks - January 10, 2012
Tebow & Timing routes
I was unconvinced about Tebow becoming a long term success in the NFL as well. The reason for my doubt was timing patterns. I have watched every play of this season very closely and I have watched several of the games play by play in slow motion while taking notes. I had not seen Tebow complete any timing patterns over the middle of the field all year. The only timing patterns I had seen him throw were short passes in the flats. Based on this I concluded that he was not confident that he could do it and in attempt to protect the ball, he held it.
The theme this week with the Broncos was ‘Pull the trigger’. This was directed at the coaching staff as well as to Tebow by Elway. Tim had to get over his fear of making a mistake and throw the ball on rhythm to a predetermined spot on the field and allow the receiver to make a play on the ball. The Steelers made their game plan around the idea that he could not do it. It was a reasonable game plan considering the film. All of the doubters; Myself, the Steelers, and many NFL analyst had seen no signs that he could do it.
Tim, much to my excitement, proved that he could make those throws this week. I said last week that Tim had to prove he could make these throws to become a great QB. He showed the world that he could do it. He controlled the defense with his eyes, he hit spots on the field on rhythm and he even made a back shoulder throw (one of the hardest QB techniques). Now, does this mean Tim is a great QB now? I wouldnt say that because he has to do it consistently. However one thing is for sure. He showed this week that he can make NFL throws against a top defense. It will take time for him to do it consistently, but I was reluctant to buy in until I saw that he could do it at all. He proved he is capable, and he did it on the biggest stage of his life, in an NFL playoff game against the top rated pass defense. I no longer have any doubt that he will be a long term success. Now that teams have to defend the pass, this offense should achieve a balance and efficiency that we have not seen in many year. Go Tebow and Go BRONCOS!.
AttwaterForHOF - January 10, 2012
Agreed. Plus, footwork is where his problem is/was with the timing throws. Look at his footwork in his first start this year and
compare to where it is now…it’s amazing how far he’s come in such a short time. It is really hard to change a mechanical thing like that in the course of a season, usually its a offseason thing. He is such a superior athlete that he is able to do such things. This is why we should all be excited about the prospect of TT next year with a full off-season under his belt with his WRs.
rubincarterrocks - January 10, 2012
Definitely.
I have been watching is footwork improve and it has improved his accuracy through the year. He was just still reluctant to throw the timing pattern. To be fair, Tim has been working on his footwork every day since he entered the draft and he started hearing the criticisms. It takes a long time for muscle memory to take hold in unconscious action. Luckily for us he started the process long before this season and it is taking hold now. I think his mechanics are reaping the rewards of his hard work. This off season will be primarily focused on timing and vision imo. He will definitely be a throwing QB next season. I doubt we even see very much of the option next year.
AttwaterForHOF - January 10, 2012
I hope they keep the "read option" as part of the basic package however. It is more than a gimmick or
a stop-gap thing with TT. We all know how effective the run of the mill play-action play can be, TT is able to do that plus pull the ball back out of the RBs breadbasket. This adds to the Ds difficulty in decision making. We are fortunate to have a QB who has the skill to read the D and making the decision to hand-off, or not, during the hand-off. This should be a bonus for us now and not simply a gimmick.
rubincarterrocks - January 10, 2012
I hope you are wrong on that last statement
Running the Option gives us a HUGE advantage in prep. Other teams have to spend A LOT of time working on it because it is rare in the NFL. Because we CAN run it well, it means they have to be ready for it and sacrifice prep on other areas. Did you see what the Steelers line had to do. The only guys that were attacking full bore were the safeties… and we saw what happened when they did!
Da Bum - January 10, 2012
Yeah Da Bum. The challenge for the coaching staff is developing a permanent
offense that combines the option and a pro-style offense. While TT has to develop his pro-game passing skills and the coaching staff must coach him up on that. The coaches have to put some pressure on themselves to be creative in building the O around TTs unique skills.
rubincarterrocks - January 10, 2012
Good points guys
The only problem I see with that is having a backup QB that can run a system like that. We saw what happened in Indy when they built their offense around the unique skills of a particular QB and then not having him available to play. I dont see it ever going away completely, but I see it becoming less and less of a staple next year. I agree that it does add a dynamic not seen in the league, and I do enjoy that tremendously.
Who in this years draft looks like they are a strong thrower that can also take the hits associated with running the option?
AttwaterForHOF - January 10, 2012
Hey, Bradlee Van Pelt isn't doing anything...
rubincarterrocks - January 10, 2012
Also a good point Attwater (mutual admiration society now meeting!) but I think with the
read-option/pro-style hybrid offense it wouldn’t be that difficult to go to pro-style only w/ traditional play option calls being used for a back-up. After all, in this type of hybrid offense the pro-style is already in place to a strong degree.
rubincarterrocks - January 10, 2012
Yep
All teams suffer some degradation if their starter goes down. They are starters for a reason. When Ben is out, Pitt is not the same team. They rely on his unique abilities. Do you think Tom Brady’s backup will be able to run the same plays that Tom runs? Their offense will be limited too. How about GB? The Ain’ts? Even the Dolts. Same has been true for every team with a successful QB. A few rare teams have a truly capable guy sitting on the bench, but that is rare and usually does not last all that long (although if you are really lucky, you can make believe the guy is awesome and sell him to a desperate team in the desert for players and picks!)
Da Bum - January 10, 2012
Attwater, we all knew all along that time is exactly what this young man needed, and I am a bit surprised that he has improved that much...
Given the hands on teaching and training after vacation, we’ll see a whole different offense next year, not only progression with Timmie, but all of them.
bfree2bronc - January 10, 2012
The Royal Catch
Don’t feel that enough is being said about both Tebow’s throw and Royal’s TD catch. Watch the video shot from the end zone. You can clearly see Tebow throw the ball when Royal is still running full speed away from Tebow, with his back to him. The ball is in the air, on its way to the corner of the end zone—in the only spot where the defender can’t get a touch, and where Royal can make an awesome catch after having to turn around not be distracted by the DB’s arms reaching for it. This was the ultimate timing throw. Anyone watching that objectively would have to say that Tebow’s only remaining issue is having enough time as the No. 1 qb to work with his receivers and consistently put the ball where it needs to be. He has shown he has the ability, and finally silenced all those who said he’s “not an NFL qb.”
showtime01 - January 10, 2012
He's still a rookie. Including Sunday's game, he's only had 15 starts as a NFL starting QB.
You were joking. I get that. Still, I feel that some things still need pointing out:
Making excuses for him? No, I’m simply outlining a few of the extenuating circumstances, is all. I get it, though, you were joking. I’m just saying, he’s bound to get better, just as he’s already shown that he has adapted to playing QB pretty well in this league, already.
9798 - January 10, 2012
You mean like the throw to Royal for the TD?
Watch the tape. He looked off the safety, then turned and threw to a spot without ever picking up Royal. Royal got there and made a heck of a catch, all on timing. I’m still expecting bouts of inconsistency, but there is absolutely no doubt that he can make those throws. He has made those throws.
richj44 - January 11, 2012
Simply one of the best games in Broncos history, period.
And probably the best of the younger generation! It’s all relative!
I’ll never forget the Drive, the back to back superbowls, etc – but this is the best game we’ve probably seen since those superbowls – considering the circumstances.
Broncs55 - January 10, 2012
Yes
That was a BIG game. I was so happy to have the team play well, they held up under pressure and performed very very well!! I think this was HUGE for our team going forward.
Sean in Pa. - January 10, 2012
The playoff win over New England was really exciting, too, if you recall
Champ’s clutch INT, etc. And that one sent us to the AFC title game. It was not an OT thriller, but that was a pretty great game in Broncos history…
neumdaddy - January 10, 2012
How about that . . .
Champ gets another shot to move us no.
GB2
83BroncoFan - January 10, 2012
should read move us ON
83BroncoFan - January 10, 2012
Thats oneof the things I am most proud about. That Champ may yet get his ring. It May yet pay off for him to have re-signed with Denver. No-one deserves it more.
BroncoRick69 - January 10, 2012
I would love to see B Dawk come back next year
even as a back up, so we might yet be able to get him his ring
Calikula - January 10, 2012
I agree, that game was great. Didn't we beat the Pats during regular season that year, too?
Shanahan and the Broncos were flat-out superior to Belichick’s Patriots during the middle Aughts. If not for Payton Mannning’s unique talents, Shanahan and the Broncos would have one an additional one to three Super Bowls. Does anyone agree?
oorange blood - January 10, 2012
er, "won" additional Super Bowls
oorange blood - January 10, 2012
The 2005 team certainly was a SB contender
Plummer in his 2nd/3rd year of the Shanny system, Wilson & Champ leading the DEF… the biggest weaknesses of those teams was the d-line, and we had big problems generating pressure without blitzing. Needless to say, Manning and his deep receiving corp enjoyed that….
Saying any team is a SB champion-caliber is tough, as every playoff game is no better than about a 60-40 win probability, and you have to win 3 in a row (which is why the bye week is huge)… but the mid2000s denver teams were certainly competitive.
cjfarls - January 10, 2012
ya, saying 3 additional SBs is a bit much, when the Steelers beat us fair and square
in 2005. But the team was close. I didn’t understand why he blew up Jake Plummer after three years of steady progress. Same goes for Larry Coyer. His defense really hustled.
oorange blood - January 10, 2012
Coyer was certainly questionable...
but he seemingly felt he needed a scapegoat at the time for the failure to create pressure with the front 4… horrible football move though.
I totally understand benching Plummer…. Plummer pretty much imploded in 2006 with the pressure of the young rookie behind him… he had something like a 65 QBR that year… was just playing terrible, and if you have someone like Cutler as an option, I understand the change.
cjfarls - January 11, 2012
The run up to our first SB victory
Was also pretty amazing. The wins in KC and Pittsburgh had the same quality of drama and victory. Great win! Regardless of where we may end up, this season is already a victory in my book!
Zorando - January 10, 2012
I can never forget that post-season
Wins in January at Arrowhead and Three-Rivers Stadium. Man, you almost can’t write a better script than that.
BroncosBassist - January 10, 2012
It was one of the toughest routes to the SB for sure...
bfree2bronc - January 10, 2012
1977 win over Oakland in the playoffs.
Kronis - January 10, 2012
+1
rubincarterrocks - January 10, 2012
Was too young to remember... but any win over Oakland sounds great!
Da Bum - January 10, 2012
I wasn't alive yet lol
I wasn’t born until 82
Broncs55 - January 10, 2012
We've got...
The DRIVE, The FUMBLE, the HELICOPTER…
Why not call this the OVERTIME PASS..or just simply THE PASS…
though I do like the Stiff-arm Felt Round the World…LOL
The point is…this is as big as The DRIVE and needs a name to commemorate it by in the annals of Bronco legendary playoff plays…
Brazenwood - January 10, 2012
The Flyby.
Kronis - January 10, 2012
I like
The Pass
Sean in Pa. - January 10, 2012
But, it was the stiff arm that made the play what it was
Otherwise, it ends at the 50
frankencrank - January 10, 2012
I heard "THE IMMACULATE DECEPTION" before
as it was the same running play we did before (or it seemed), then HEY! Playaction!
Broncs55 - January 10, 2012
I vote for this one
Because thats exactly what it was. There were few people on this planet that was thinking pass…and none of them were on Pittsburghs sideline…lol
JOEGATOR15 - January 10, 2012
I myself was thinking run
It looked like a run formation, and since Fox is ultra conservative (so is McCoy), I figured they’d play it safe as they have all year and keep the ball in McGahee’s hands.
Broncs55 - January 10, 2012
Keep in mind that Fox is not on the cutting edge
But Ultra-Conservative is as much a factor of our team as it is a factor of our coach. Right now, putting young guys into a place to play well and not have to shoulder too much is ideal. As this team grows, so will the responsibilities given to these young guys (who will not be so young any more).
Da Bum - January 10, 2012
It has my vote.
We did run 21 of 22 times on first down.
Kronis - January 10, 2012
Good choice
It doesn’t give all the credit to Tebow or dmt, or the O coordinator for calling it, so it’s team oriented — and ironic that it’s a change to Pittsburgh’s own Immaculate Reception!
showtime01 - January 10, 2012
how about...
The ARM … (aka Stiff Arm)
BroncoinCA - January 10, 2012
"The Slant"
rubincarterrocks - January 10, 2012
That wasn't a slant! Per sadaraine...
I hear ya though.
bfree2bronc - January 10, 2012
"skinny-post?"
rubincarterrocks - January 10, 2012
A 'post' route is defined as a route to the goal post thus giving it it's name...
Thomas ran straight up 15 yards and “SLANTED” towards the middle of the field where he made the reception, continuing on his route to the right edge and the TD…Simple as that.
bfree2bronc - January 10, 2012
"skinny slant?" (I know, I'm just being annoying now...)
rubincarterrocks - January 10, 2012
How about the "Good Moon Rising"?
bfree2bronc - January 10, 2012
The YAC
Bena said it on MHR Radio, but I forgot who came up with it originally (sorry!)
circasurvive - January 10, 2012
The Strike.
oorange blood - January 10, 2012
"The Play"
BaldMatt - January 10, 2012
Sigh...
All that , and there is still die hard jokers out there in the MSM killing him from he cant throw to he will be figured out . ( EYE ROLL )
broncosfaninphilly - January 10, 2012 via mobile
Oh yeah ! Almost forgot
Now the big news spewing from the mouths of the sewers is that the steelers must have played the wrong defense .
broncosfaninphilly - January 10, 2012 via mobile
Ah, the beautiful irony that is in the lists and stats above...
Timmy listed with, and in some instances, above some “pure passers” in the record books.
rubincarterrocks - January 10, 2012
so this kid probably is a...
NFL Quarterback, right Mr. Hooge? Mr. Carter? Mr. Doug Stewart? Mr. Suggs? Mr. Ulracher? lol!
BroncoinCA - January 10, 2012
Stew
said yesterday he doesn’t think TT will be a starting NFL QB by 12/1/12
haters gonna hate!
NewEraNugg - January 10, 2012
Wow. I agree you cant make comparison with Elway or with QBs of other eras
..but this IS crazy.
Teboner - January 10, 2012
Opinions
are kinda like hemorroids… sooner or later every asshole gets one and they are always annoying.
So here’s my opinion… I like where the Broncos are today… Tebow looked like crap against the bills and chiefs… I mean total crap. He looked great against the Steelers… and I think the Broncos have a legitimate chance to win against the Patriots if they can just win the turnover battle.
Who cares about the opinions of the miscellaneous critics (Hoge, Mike and Mike, Urlacher, etc.) regarding the Broncos or Tebow… if they keep winning… that’s all that matters.
Go Broncos!
tjpmontana - January 10, 2012
Knock on wood
Ive never had one….But thats ok, Hoge has several. Speaking of which, where is Hoge? Cant find any articles with his words of…cough, cough, wisdom…
JOEGATOR15 - January 10, 2012
Plenty of Hoge on TV yesterday, hedging his bets.
Today Merill is out finding ugly shirts with wider collars and ways to tie a triple Windsor to make the knot even thicker.
Seriously is there something wrong with his neck that he’s trying to hide?
Boiler etc - January 10, 2012
The more ridiculous the attire
The less people will remember the stupidity that he is vomiting out.
Da Bum - January 10, 2012
Just needs the clown makeup?
Sean in Pa. - January 10, 2012
I think winning the turnover battle is huge against the Pats
Two turnovers in our favor could possibly swing the game our way. I’m not so sure 1 will be enough!
Broncs55 - January 10, 2012
Absolutely need push up the middle quickly. Brady
is so good at getting rid of the ball quickly and at reading Ds that Doom and Miller are rendered less useful because the ball is gone by the time they get there. Gotta pressure him quickly up the middle!
rubincarterrocks - January 10, 2012
Yep
Most teams have done that lately. They have begun burning us for short gains quickly (sometimes not so short… how is a guy so wide open after 1.5-2 seconds…). We need consistent pressure up the middle. Brady is not likely to run wild on us, so we just need to take away his favorite hidey hole, the step into the pocket. Even if we do not get sacks much from the middle, collapsing that part of the pocket will be huge.
Da Bum - January 10, 2012
TT has what...14 starts as an NFL QB? He is still a rookie, and an underdeveloped one
at that. Look at Flacco, Stafford, Ryan, Cassell,etc…poster boys for the next generation of great QBs (according to the experts) and TT is still playing and they are home warming the Lazy Boy. Give me TT anytime, anyday, good or bad games I believe he’s going to take this team a long ways in the future. Anything this year now is just gravy!
rubincarterrocks - January 10, 2012
Yeah
The good game against the Steelers was a much needed shot in the arm. Winning like we did was fantastic. We match up well against the Pats, much better than Baltimore (haven’t seen much of Houston). Like I said a few weeks ago, I like our chances against the Pats. Here is to hoping it is a GOOD game for us!
Da Bum - January 10, 2012
think of it like this:
we beat Houston last year.
Boiler etc - January 10, 2012
Houston is only the same in the way that we are the same
Basically not at all. They went from a horrid D to a good one, overnight. I doubt they get past Baltimore, but if they do and we take care of the Pats, it will still be nothing like last year. I have not seen much of Houston, so I cannot say how we match up, but we will be on a roll and hot at that point… I like our chances!
Da Bum - January 10, 2012
all we need is kick those NE TE's goodbye :)
Pressure Brady and watch for his fave targets …
BroncoinCA - January 10, 2012
Timmy busted Bama's behind using Arron Hernandez
And Brady is grateful..
But we need to clip his little scampering wings next week.. I say put Bailey on him..
In other news, I used your stats on Garcia and Montana and noticed a peculiarity..that being they both had 331 passing, so I looked up Tim 3:31, and it says, and I quote “Yay, though I slipped under the radar and made Ben look bad, I will fear no Foxboro, my Dt and Champ will be with, my Von Doom will sack the Tom, surely Goodman and the O line will be there too, and I will scream louder than last week forever”. Amazing.
csason - January 10, 2012 via mobile
Cool
I may be wrong but I think he used this Bible verse last year on Twitter and FB the day of the Raiders game.
I thought Tebow had 316 yesterday as opposed to 331.
Boiler etc - January 10, 2012
yeah, I made it up...sry.. I don't think there is a John or Tim 3:31.. lol
csason - January 12, 2012
I bet Tebow makes the cover of madden
Were doomed haha
Calikula - January 10, 2012
I hope he declines the Madden cover
BaldMatt - January 10, 2012
I dont think he will he was on a video game cover already
Calikula - January 10, 2012
yea he was.......don't remember the name of it.
Boiler etc - January 10, 2012
NCAA
If he does accept the Madden cover, I think he’d be the only person to ever be on both.
iBleedorangeandblue - January 10, 2012
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