Another guest writer? I'm not being lazy, folks, I just keep getting submissions. Here's a piece from my boy Kevin McClelland (@K_D_McClelland on Twitter) on the truth about Tim Tebow (Bears fans, stop gnashing your teeth for a few minutes).
He did it again. We saw it happen.
"Unbelievable," they say. "TOTALLY believable," I say.
There were no secrets going into the Bears/Broncos game on Sunday: the Bears defense needed to stop Tim Tebow from running the ball and pressure him in the pocket so if he chose to throw, he would have little time to do so. The Bears offense only needed to not mess up.
On paper, and through a majority of Sunday's game, that's exactly what happened. Tebow was 3 for 16 with one interception at one point, and his passer rating was hovering in the 60s, if that.
But then, in the fourth quarter, he came alive. He suddenly had time to move around and find his receivers. He completed 10 of 12 passes during one stretch.
We can attribute this to a few things. The first is prior performance: over the past few starts, Tebow has been abysmal in the first three quarters, and electric in the fourth. The second is brains. Tebow has the football smarts and acuity to understand what a defense is doing, and after seeing that plan for three quarters, I'd imagine he'd figure it out. Third is his offensive line. They stopped the Bears' defense when they had to, when they saw the Broncos had a chance to make things interesting and possibly win the game down the stretch.
Tebow's Fallibility
Part of what makes Tebow's story so remarkable (understandable) is how well he knows himself. He knows that is not equipped with the fundamentals of Brady, the vision of Rodgers, or the offensive firepower of Brees.
He plays to his own strengths, as does the entire team. The offensive line bought him time in the pocket, and it was up to Tebow to read and see if he should throw, run, buy more time, or get sacked by Brian Urlacher, Julius Peppers and company (okay, maybe that last one wasn't an option, but the point is that credit goes to his offensive line). Credit is also due to the defensive unit that forced several three-and-outs in the fourth quarter when they realized Marion Barber was pretty much the only offensive option the Bears had and stuffed him several times.
That wasn't all Tebow's doing. He certainly inspired some of it, I'm sure, but his play until the last quarter was downright disheartening.
Clawless Bears
Caleb Hanie played arguably his best game as a starter: 12 for 19 for 115 yards, no TDs and no INTs. Definitely a great game considering how sloppy he has been with the ball of late. But with no one in their right mind kicking to Hester, Forte still out, and Hanie's inexperience in making big-time plays, the Bears didn't have the chutzpah to complete a third down conversion in the fourth. Credit the Broncos defense, which has helped keep them in games all year, but you also blame injuries: I can imagine if Cutler and Forte were around, the game would never have come down to the 4th quarter; it would have been an early rout.
For Broncos fans: keep believing in your "unbelievable" quarterback. Your story is an incredible one, but understand that Tebow will falter at some point. You will lose again. Ride this streak, but don't be surprised if it comes to a stop—and soon.
Bears fans, put your elbow on your knee, and start "Tebowing" that you can win next week and keep your playoff chances alive.
KDM
Kevin McClelland currently works Bradley University's admissions department. When not at work, K-Mac campaigns to change the name of the Cleveland Indians' stadium back to Jacobs Field. Donate to the "Remake the Jake" campaign on his site, http://atleastwerenotdetroit.wordpress.com/.
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