Broncos Name Tim Tebow Starter

Added on Oct 11, 2011 by Scott in

NFL

After weeks of speculation and constant clamoring from fans, Broncos head coach John Fox has pulled the plug on Kyle Orton and elevated former first-round pick Tim Tebow to starting quarterback. This comes two days after a struggling Orton was replaced by Tebow, who then led a furious comeback that fell short in a 29-24 loss to the Chargers.

Tebow was hardly crisp on Sunday, completing only 4 of 10 passes for 79 yards. However, he did throw his first touchdown toss of the season and rushed six times for 38 yards and a score. In three starts a season ago, he was 40-81 for 651 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions, and ran for 219 yards and three touchdowns.

As for Orton, he hasn’t been terrible, but with Denver sitting last in the AFC West at 1-4, a change was inevitable. In three years in the Mile High city, Orton is 12-21 as a starter, which more than overshadows the 49 touchdown passes he’s thrown.

John Fox insisted throughout the summer Orton was number one on the depth chart. He ignored the large contingency of fans calling for Tebow and even went so far as to drop the Heisman Trophy winner to third-string. Tebow’s unpolished passing skills, unorthodox style and propensity to take off and run doesn’t mesh with Fox’s conservative, ball control offensive scheme.

How long the leash on Tebow is remains to be seen. The timing of the move comes at an opportune time with Denver entering its bye week. The extra week should be beneficial in terms of preparation, although getting Tebow to stick to the script will likely cause headaches for Fox.

Get ready for a slew of shouting matches between football talking heads regarding Tebow’s questionable quarterbacking abilities. For all the excitement he brings to the position, he lacks the arm strength and passing instincts of elite signal-callers.

The Broncos will face Miami and their 27th ranked pass defense in Week 7.

Source: NFL.com