Tag: Denver Broncos (Page 11 of 56)

      Tim Tebow to make his NFL debut against Raiders

      December 19, 2010 /
      DENVER - OCTOBER 17: Quarterback Tim Tebow of the Denver Broncos runs for a touchdown against the New York Jets at INVESCO Field at Mile High on October 17, 2010 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)

      It’s official: Wonder Boy will make his first career NFL start on Sunday.

      ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting that Tim Tebow wills tart for the Broncos against the Raiders in Week 15. Regular starter Kyle Orton has been dealing with arm and rib issues and wasn’t able to practice all week. It was apparent on Friday that Orton wasn’t going to be available.

      Tebow completed 25-of-39 pass attempts for 344 yards, two touchdowns and three turnovers in preseason. If he does, look for the Broncos to keep it on the ground against the Raiders’ No. 26 run defense and take the pressure off Tebow’s shoulders. That said, if Oakland jumps out to a big lead and forces Denver to throw, it would be interesting to see how Tebow responds.

      Even though expectations should be kept low, this will be a great opportunity for Tebow to show what he can do on film. Josh McDaniels believed he could develop into a starting NFL quarterback, but many others had their doubts. Whoever the next head coach is in Denver will have to be a believer too and if Tebow turns in a good performance on Sunday, he’ll have the film to prove that he can be a starter.

      But again, it’s only his first start. If he has command of the huddle and can move the ball a little, that’s all that can be expected of him.

      External Sports, NFL

      Tim Tebow to make his first start on Sunday?

      December 17, 2010 /
      Oct 24, 2010; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow (15) during the game against the Oakland Raiders at Invesco Field. The Raiders defeated the Broncos 59-14. Photo via Newscom

      The Broncos aren’t confirming anything but it doesn’t take a jigsaw master to assemble the puzzle being laid out in Denver right now. (Jigsaw master? Puzzle? Horrible – my apologizes.)

      Kyle Orton was unable to throw on Friday thanks to arm and rib injuries and the Denver Post is speculating that rookie Tim Tebow will make his first career start against the Raiders on Sunday. Just because Orton didn’t throw all week doesn’t mean he won’t play, but when players don’t practice on Friday it’s usually a good indication that they won’t suit up Sunday.

      Tebow completed 25-of-39 pass attempts for 344 yards, two touchdowns and three turnovers in preseason. If he does, look for the Broncos to keep it on the ground against the Raiders’ No. 26 run defense and take the pressure off Tebow’s shoulders. That said, if Oakland jumps out to a big lead and forces Denver to throw, it would be interesting to see how Tebow responds.

      The uncertainty in Denver is at an all-time high. Josh McDaniels drafted Tebow to be the future starter but who knows whether or not the new head coach will want to work with such a big project at quarterback. Tebow’s throwing motion has been a major topic of concern and who knows where he’s at now. It would be nice to see him play well on Sunday but it wouldn’t be fair to grade his progress off of only one game – especially considering McDaniels is gone and he isn’t used to taking first-team reps in practice.

      Either way, it’ll be good to see him get some actually game action on Sunday.

      External Sports, NFL

      Urban Meyer stepping down at Florida – will he reunite with Tim Tebow in Denver?

      December 8, 2010 /
      NEW ORLEANS - JANUARY 01: Quarterback Tim Tebow #15 hugs head coach Urban Meyer of the Florida Gators after scoring a touchdown against the Cincinnati Bearcats during the Allstate Sugar Bowl at the Louisana Superdome on January 1, 2010 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

      It hasn’t quite been a year since Urban Meyer first said that he was stepping down as head coach of the Florida Gators. Right after Christmas last year, he cited health problems as the reason he would resign but then he changed his mind a day later.

      Apparently he’s changed his mind again.

      According to a report by AOL Fanhouse’s Brett McMurphy, Meyer will step down on Wednesday. McMurphy tweets that there will be a press conference this evening (rumor has it that it’ll be at 6:00PM ET) to announce the decision.

      Considering his short leave of absence in between the ’09 season and the 2010 season (as well as the down year Florida just experienced), I guess this news isn’t all that shocking. He didn’t appear to bring the same excitement and passion to the sidelines as he did in previous years when Tim Tebow was his quarterback. He’ll leave Florida after compiling a 64-15 overall record, which includes two national championships.

      Speaking of Tebow, what are the chances Meyer joins his former pupil in Denver? It’s probably just coincidence that the Broncos fired Josh McDaniels just days before Meyer quit at Florida, but all the pieces fit. He loves Tebow. Tebow loves him. The Broncos need a head coach and oh, what’a know – Meyer needs a job now.

      Another thing to consider is that the Broncos are in a tough spot. Not every coach wants to work with a massive project like Tebow and McDaniels left them as a team without an identity. Meyer could remedy both of those situations but who knows if he’ll even want to coach again in the near future. There’s a strong possibility that he needs time off (for health reasons and otherwise) and hasn’t even considered joining the NFL ranks.

      I’m sure within the next couple of hours the Broncos will deny wanting anything to do with Meyer and Meyer will do the same. “The Broncos? Yuck – I hate that team,” Meyer will say. But how many times has a college head coach lied about his future plans? Bobby Petrino just lied to someone, somewhere two and a half seconds ago.

      A Meyer-Tebow reunion in Denver seems a little to perfect right now but nothing should be ruled out.

      College Football, External Sports, NFL

      Broncos fire Josh McDaniels – too soon or not soon enough?

      December 6, 2010 /
      ENGLEWOOD, CO - SEPTEMBER 21: Denver Broncos head coach Josh McDaniel addresses the media during a press conference to discuss the death of Bronco wide receiver Kenny McKinley at the Denver Broncos Headquarters at Dove Valley on September 21, 2010 in Englewood, Colorado. McKinley, 23, was found dead in his home on September 20, 2010 in Arapahoe County, Colorado. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

      That was quick.

      It hasn’t even been two full years since the Denver Broncos hired Josh McDaniels and now he’s unemployed and they’re searching for a new head coach. Following the team’s 3-9 start, the Broncos fired McDaniels on Monday after he led them to losses in 17 of their last 22 games.

      Looking at his brief track record, it’s hard to argue with the decision. Immediately upon arriving to Denver, McDaniels started a feud with then-starter Jay Cutler, who was eventually traded to Chicago for a first round pick and parts (uh, Kyle Orton). Then McDaniels led the Broncos to a 6-0 start in 2009, only to collapse down the stretch to finish 2-8. In the offseason, he was part of the contingent that sent No. 1 receiver Brandon Marshall to Miami.

      He also had a hand in dealing Peyton Hillis to the Browns in exchange for Brady Quinn, who is now third on the Broncos’ depth chart behind Orton and rookie Tim Tebow. Hillis, meanwhile, hasn’t stopped bowling over defenders since he arrived in Cleveland and has established himself as a feature back.

      McDaniels also had a hand in trading away multiple draft picks in order to select Tebow in the first round of April’s draft despite the warning signs that he was a massive project as a passer. Not lost on anybody was his inability to retain Mike Nolan as defensive coordinator following the ’09 season or how he was recently fined because a member of his video department was caught taping one of the 49ers’ walk-through practices in London earlier this year. Spygate 2, anyone?

      But even considering all of that, was it enough to fire McDaniels right now? You can’t even properly grade his first draft class yet and nobody has the faintest idea what will become of Tebow. The Broncos didn’t have to commit to him through 2011 but what about through the rest of 2010? And who are you going to replace him with right now? “Wink” Martindale?

      McDaniels’ short tenure in Denver was obviously filled with way more misses than hits, but it’s not like the Broncos improved their situation by firing him now. If anything it was a lateral move but then again, sometimes what’s best is to cut your losses and start anew.

      External Sports, NFL

      Is Josh McDaniels better off not playing Tim Tebow?

      December 6, 2010 /
      Oct 24, 2010; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow (15) during the game against the Oakland Raiders at Invesco Field. The Raiders defeated the Broncos 59-14. Photo via Newscom

      For a moment, let’s take a walk in Josh McDaniels’ size 10.5 shoes. (Actually, I have no idea what size shoes he wears, nor should I. That would be creepy.)

      If he benches Kyle Orton and starts Tim Tebow the rest of the year, he would appease fans that mercifully had to watch Orton complete only nine of his 28 pass attempts against the Chiefs on Sunday. They want to see Tebow play because he offers a glimpse of what the future may look like. (And while the future may look grim, the present isn’t anything to write home about so what’s the difference?)

      But McDaniels’ job status might as well be attached to Tebow’s right arm. If he plays the rookie and Tebow is Jimmy Clausen-like bad, management may ultimately decide that he shouldn’t be calling the shots anymore. After all, since arriving in Denver he jettisoned Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall, traded Peyton Hillis for Brady Quinn (yee-ikes) and dealt multiple draft picks in order to select the project that is Tim Tebow.

      Why give the Broncos’ front office any more reason to fire him?

      The downside, of course, is that Orton continues to struggle and McDaniels is fired anyway without having the opportunity to coach Tebow on the field. If you’re McDaniels, why not take a shot with Tebow and hope you catch lighting in a bottle? After all, you can’t get much worse than Orton’s performance on Sunday so why not?

      But the other problem is that Orton is due $8.8 million in 2011 and he’s earned the right to finish the season (his effort on Sunday notwithstanding). Plus, there’s a real good possibility that Tebow isn’t ready to see the field so it would be selfish of McDaniels to start him and risk stunting his career. Akili Smith and Joey Harrington are just two examples of quarterbacks who weren’t ready to take the field when they did and we all know how their careers turned out.

      If I were to make a guess, I would say McDaniels will keep his job for at least another year. It’s hard for a team to invest in a coach only to let him go after only two seasons. I don’t agree with most of McDaniels’ decisions to this point, but two years is hardly enough time to put your stamp on a team. If the Broncos show zero signs of improving next season, then McDaniels should go. But for now, they might as well see what he’s got.

      Should McDaniels see what Tebow’s got in the meantime?

      Update: Well, clearly I’m a moron because Josh McDaniels has been fired. Nice work, Stalter.

      External Sports, NFL

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