Jock Itch Loving the greatest loss in Broncos history 

In what’s being called the “Greatest Loss in Denver Broncos History,” Tim Tebow nearly rallied the Broncos to an improbable win against the San Diego Chargers this past Sunday. After weeks and weeks of hand-wringing, fan infighting, and lame-ass billboards, Tebow finally solidified himself as the quarterback of the team with an exciting performance in relief of Kyle Orton in the second half. It’s about damn time. Now the Broncos enter their bye week before heading out for a road game against the equally woeful and quarterback-deficient Miami Dolphins. Will the energy Tebow injected into a franchise that’s spinning out of control be enough to keep him under center when the team takes its talents to South Beach?

It sure as hell better. If the performance Tebow put on in front of the home fans last weekend isn’t enough for John Fox and John Elway to keep him in there, then they should look for new jobs. The Broncos lost the game, and fans were as elated as they have been in five years. The euphoria coming from Broncos Country could be seen from space, even though the team lost. If Coach Fox in his so-far limited vision can’t see the value Tebow brings, or see that fans would rather lose a thriller with Tebow behind center than suffer through another clunker of a loss with Orton, then he certainly shouldn’t have a job in two weeks.

We all gave Orton a shot when the people who know more about football than the rest of us do decided he provided the best chance to win. Then we saw one mediocre performance after another, and it became clear that if he was the best chance, then the team wasn’t winning much. It wasn’t all Orton’s fault: His offensive line wasn’t very good, and his receivers never seemed to be open. After each loss (and the one win that should have been a loss) we all started asking ourselves what would have happened if Tebow had been in there? Tebow isn’t nearly the passer Orton is, but he’s also not the flat-footed statue Orton is either, and we saw immediately what Tebow’s legs can do toward creating space for receivers. Orton just sat back there like he was playing at half speed, and sticking with him now, after what we all saw in the fourth quarter at Mile High, would be pure madness—or a huge “fuck you” to fans who, surprisingly, knew better all along.

If Orton resurfaces as the starter in two weeks when the team takes the field in Miami, feel free to cash in your fan card. It’s all over. The Denver Post ran a story about a fan who was “protesting” Tebow not playing by staying home from the game and not using his season tickets. No one informed the fan that since he already paid for the seats and Pat Bowlen had his money, his protest was a little lame. If you see Orton trot out onto Jimmy Buffett Field at Tropicana Stadium—or whatever it’s called—that would be your cue to hand in your season tickets, stop going to the games, and not play the two Johns’ game anymore. It’s now painfully obvious that Orton is just ordinary, and handing over your hard-earned money to see that is simply not acceptable.

Carolina quarterback Cam Newton is a similar athlete to Tebow, and he is enjoying wild success with the Panthers, which makes you wonder what Tebow would have done if he had been allowed to start from the beginning. Newton has nearly won several games against some tough teams, while the Broncos have had a chance to win every game save the one where they were throttled against the Packers. Tebow could very well have this team 4-1 and, while that’s a big “what if,” the floodgates are now open, and there’s no stopping him from picking up right where he left off against the Chargers. For John Fox to decide otherwise at this point would be lunacy. Either way, we’ll all be watching a week from this Sunday, because—after a long hiatus—the Mile High Magic is back.