Log in
My Account
Subscribe 99¢ for 3 months
Newsletter

Today's Digital Newspaper

The Gazette

Weather Block Here

Login
My Account
Subscribe
Newsletter

Archive Information

Carrier Portal

Search

Buy Our Photos

Tebow Time is the way to a rare Broncos victory in Miami | Paul Klee

By Paul Klee September 23, 2023 | updated 2 years ago

VGltIFRlYm93LCBNaWtlIFBvdW5jZXk=

Rm9ybWVyIEZsb3JpZGEgdGVhbW1hdGVzLCBEZW52ZXIgQnJvbmNvcyBxdWFydGVyYmFjayBUaW0gVGVib3cgKDE1KSBhbmQgTWlhbWkgRG9scGhpbnMgY2VudGVyIE1pa2UgUG91bmNleSAoNTEpIGdyZWV0IGVhY2ggb3RoZXIgYXQgdGhlIGVuZCBvZiB0aGUgYW4gTkZMIGZvb3RiYWxsIGdhbWUsIFN1bmRheSwgT2N0LiAyMywgMjAxMSBpbiBNaWFtaS4gKEFQIFBob3RvL1dpbGZyZWRvIExlZSk=

V2lsZnJlZG8gTGVl

MIAMI — It’s Tebow Time again, or something like it.

Did you know the Broncos are 1-8 at Miami? True story. The Nuggets won more games in Miami in the NBA Finals (two) than the Broncos have won in six decades of pro football (one).

And Nikola Jokic is inactive on Sunday.

Broncos quarterback John McCormick lost here 24-7 in 1966. Steve Tensi lost here in 1967 (35-21) and 1969 (27-24). Steve Ramsey lost here in 1975 (14-13). On other trips to Miami, the Broncos tried Brian Griese (a 21-10 loss in 2001), Jake Plummer (a 34-10 loss in 2005) and Trevor Siemian (a 35-9 blowout loss in 2017).

The Broncos rarely have fun in the sun. They’re usually baked or blackened like redfish.

The Broncos meet the Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens Sunday (11 a.m., CBS).

Even the Broncos outfit that won the most games in team history lost in Miami. The 1998 Broncos won 17 total games, including Super Bowl XXXIII, but lost the one in Miami, 31-21.

Afterward, Dan Marino told reporters: “John (Elway) is the best quarterback I’ve ever seen.”

Tim Tebow was not the best quarterback Marino, you or I have seen. But he was 1-0 in Miami.

Is this a suggestion the Broncos should lure quarterback Tim Tebow out of retirement for one final game of keep away? Good Lord, no. Tebow appears to be having a delightful time on the television sets at SEC Network, and he’s old friends with Coach Prime of the Colorado Buffs.

“He (Deion Sanders) really, really cares about people, and I think that’s contagious,” Tebow said in a recent interview on behalf of the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team.

It’s past time Tebow joins Wu-Tang Clan, Lil Wayne and The Rock in Boulder. Make it happen.

And the Broncos’ lone victory in Miami came Oct. 23, 2011: 18-15 in OT, Tebow’s first start.

Perhaps it offers clues for the second.

When the 2011 Broncos shifted midstream to Tebow Time, overhauling the operation from a normal playbook to a Tebow playbook, the John Fox coaching staff swallowed its pride. I once asked Adam Gase, who was the quarterbacks coach, to describe the severity of the change.

Gase swept both hands over the table in front of us, as if pushing all the papers onto the floor.

“Completely started over,” Gase said.

These Broncos needn’t start over. The offense has been fine, ranking 10th in points per play. But the 2-0 Dolphins present a unique challenge and the 0-2 Broncos are in desperation mode.

Sign Up For Free: AM Update Newsletter

let pathVariable;
let pathVariable2;

function handleUrlPathSegment() {

const fullPath = window.location.pathname.toLowerCase();
if (fullPath.includes(‘/business/’)) {
pathVariable = ‘business’;
pathVariable2 = ‘Business Newsletter’;
} else if (fullPath.includes(‘/outdoors/’) || fullPath.includes(‘/outdoor/’)) {
pathVariable = ‘outdoors’;
pathVariable2 = ‘Outdoors Newsletter’;
} else if (fullPath.includes(‘/opinion/’)) {
pathVariable = ‘opinion’;
pathVariable2 = ‘Opinion Newsletter’;
} else if (fullPath.includes(‘politics’)) {
pathVariable = ‘politics’;
pathVariable2 = ‘Politics Newsletter’;
} else {
pathVariable = ‘am-update’;
pathVariable2 = ‘AM Update Newsletter’;
}

console.log(`Current path: ${fullPath}`);
console.log(`Path variable set to: ${pathVariable}`);
console.log(`Path variable 2 set to: ${pathVariable2}`);

applyNewsletterName(pathVariable2);

return { pathVariable, pathVariable2 };
}

function applyNewsletterName(newsletterName) {

if (document.readyState === ‘loading’) {
document.addEventListener(‘DOMContentLoaded’, function() {
updateNewsletterElement(newsletterName);
});
} else {

updateNewsletterElement(newsletterName);
}
}

function updateNewsletterElement(newsletterName) {
const newsletterElement = document.getElementById(‘newsletterName’);

if (newsletterElement) {
newsletterElement.textContent = newsletterName;
console.log(`Updated #newsletterName element with: ${newsletterName}`);
} else {
console.warn(‘Element with ID #newsletterName not found in the DOM’);
}
}

function setupFormSubmitListener() {
function getFormattedDate() {
const now = new Date();

const timestamp = now.getTime();

console.log(‘chris: Using Unix timestamp’);
console.log(‘chris: Current time:’, now);
console.log(‘chris: Unix timestamp (ms):’, timestamp);

return timestamp;
}

const formattedDate = getFormattedDate();
var profile = window.blueConicClient.profile.getProfile();
profile.setValues(‘newsletter_category’, pathVariable);
profile.setValue(‘newsletter_signup_date’, formattedDate);
window.blueConicClient.profile.updateProfile(this, function() {
});
}

handleUrlPathSegment();

Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter.

View all of our newsletters.

function subscribeSuccess() {
var nsltrform = document.querySelector(“#nsltr”);
var nsltrSuccess = document.querySelector(“#successnsltr”);

nsltrform.classList.add(“hideblock”);
nsltrSuccess.classList.remove(“hideblock”);
}

function validateEmail(email) {
return String(email)
.toLowerCase()
.match(
/^(([^()[]\.,;:s@”]+(.[^()[]\.,;:s@”]+)*)|(“.+”))@(([[0-9]{1,3}.[0-9]{1,3}.[0-9]{1,3}.[0-9]{1,3}])|(([a-zA-Z-0-9]+.)+[a-zA-Z]{2,}))$/
);
}

function validateEmailAddress() {
const result = document.querySelector(“#result”);
const email = document.querySelector(“#email”).value;

result.innerText = “”;

if(validateEmail(email)) {
newsletterSubscribe(email);
} else {
result.innerText = ‘The email entered: ‘ + email + ‘ is not valid :(‘;
result.style.color = “red”;
}
return false;
}

function newsletterSubscribe(email) {
fetch(“https://services.gazette.com/mg2-newsletters.php?action=subscribe&site=denvergazette.com&emailPreferenceId=59&email=” + email, {
method: “POST”
}).then(res => {
console.log(“SUCCESSFUL POST”);
subscribeSuccess();
});

}

#nsltr {
min-width: 100%;
margin: 10px 0;
padding: 10px 20px;
background-color: #2076b3;

background-image: url(https://static.gazette.com/emails/circ/Audience%20Images/pp5%20signup%203.png);
background-size: cover;

}

#nsltr-header {
color: #fff4f4;
}
#nsltr-body {
text-align: center;
color: #ffffff;
}
#nsltr-button {
margin-top: 5px;
}
#successnsltr {
min-width: 100%;
margin: 10px 0;
padding: 10px 20px;
background-color: green;
text-align: center;
color: white;
}

#successnsltr a {
color: white;
}

.hideblock {
display:none;
}

h6 a {
color: black;
text-decoration: none;
padding: 5px;
background-color: #bbccdd;
font-weight: 600;
}

@media only screen and (min-width: 768px) {
#nsltr {
background-image: url(https://static.gazette.com/emails/circ/Audience%20Images/pp5%20signup%203.png);
background-size: cover;
}
}

Over two games, the Broncos attempted 23 and 22 rushing plays, respectively. They tried 34 and 32 passes, respectively. Reverse those numbers and the Broncos can keep Sunday respectable.

Dare the Dolphins to a track meet, and a return flight to the Front Range can’t come soon enough.

The Dolphins allow 160 rushing yards per game, 28th in the NFL. It’s their lone weakness. The Chargers, of all teams, rushed for 233 yards on the Dolphins. It can be done, and the Broncos must get it done. The Broncos must run and run until they see the lizards at Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park.

Starting running back Javonte Williams has been afforded 20-plus rushing attempts only once in his Broncos career. Not surprising, he also had 100 rushing yards. He’s only done that twice.

“Pookie” is from the South. The native North Carolinian and ACC product is one of the few Broncos who will be undeterred by the “feels like” 100-degree temperatures in Miami Sunday.

Pookie should have no fewer than 20 carries.

It’s early, but Miami’s so far is the No. 1 offense in the NFL. The Dolphins are tops in yards per play and per game. They are the best passing offense. They scored 36 points and 24 points in Weeks 1 and 2, respectively, and both explosive, impressive performances came on the road.

Sunday is Miami’s home opener. This is a terrible matchup for the Broncos. Let’s be honest here.

But stranger things have happened, like Tebow digging from a 15-0 hole with 5:23 left to win.

Sunday, keeping Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill on the sideline with the misters is priority No. 1.

Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph is returning to the scene of his most embarrassing loss as a Bronco. In 2017, the Broncos head coach lost 35-9 to the Dolphins in Hard Rock Stadium.

Gase, the then-Dolphins coach, called an onside kick while up 33-9. The Dolphins recovered it.

And that sums up the Broncos’ trips to Miami.

The Broncos on that forgettable day attempted 41 passes and only 23 rushes. They lost big.

The Broncos on Tebow’s day attempted 40 rushing plays. They passed 27 times. They won.

After the Broncos lost here 35-9 in 2017, I wrote the Broncos were in the conversation for worst team in the NFL. Drop to 0-3 on Sunday, the Broncos will be in the conversation for worst team in the NFL.

Reenact Tebow Time, or something like it.

(Contact Gazette sports columnist Paul Klee at paul.klee@gazette.com or on Twitter at @bypaulklee.)

ad9aa57e-59d6-11ee-b69e-5b38be8c1521

View Original Article | Split View
Tags Premium
Paul Klee

Reporter

PREV

PREVIOUS

Broncos' Kareem Jackson, Nik Bonitto fined, Dolphins rule out Jaylen Waddle

Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Although the NFL didn’t suspend Broncos safety Kareem Jackson for his vicious penalized hit last Sunday, he got a hefty fine. The NFL announced Saturday that Jackson was fined $19,669 for unnecessary roughness for the hit late in the first half on Washington’s Logan Thomas […]

NEXT

NEXT UP

Broncos-Dolphins sports gambling: Best bets for Week 3

Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Denver Gazette digital sports editor Chris Schmaedeke’s best Broncos vs. Commanders prop bets: 1. Tyreek Hill over 88.5 yards receiving (-114) Why it’s a good bet: Besides Patrick Surtain, the Broncos secondary has struggled. Hill could have a big game.  2. Jerry Jeudy touchdown (+190) Why it’s […]