Deja Vu in Denver Again!!!!

Just when you thought that Tim Tebow couldn't top last week, he did it again. This week's victim: The Chicago Bears. Down by 10, with just over two minutes left, Tebow threw a 10 yard touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas to cut the Bears lead to 10-7. The Broncos were out of timeouts, so they needed to convert an onside kick attempt. The Broncos almost got their hands on the kick, but the Bears recovered needing a first down to ice the game. Marion Barber inexplicably ran out of bounds on second down, and that saved over 30 seconds for the Broncos. After a third down run, the Bears punted and Denver took over at their own 20 with 53 seconds left and down by a field goal. If you doubted Tim Tebow before, it will be hard to doubt him after this drive. Tebow hit Eric Decker for 9 yards, Lance Ball for 11, and a huge throw to Matt Willis for 19 yards, and Willis got out of bounds. After two incompletes, and a Tebow scramble out of bounds, Matt Prater drilled (It was good from 69) a 59 yard field to tie the game at 10. In overtime, the Bears got the ball first, and they drove the ball efficiently down the field and into Denver territory. On a 3rd and 7 from the Denver 38, Barber broke free and was seemingly running for a first down when Wesley Woodyard reached out and stripped him (Great defensive play by the way) from behind. Elvis Dumervil recovered the fumble and their own 34. Tebow hit Thomas for a huge 10 yard pass on 3rd and 8. Then, Tebow hit Thomas for 16 yards down to the Chicago 40. A few plays later, Matt Prater nailed a 51 yarder in overtime to win the game 13-10. Words can't simply describe how these finishes keep happening. People can say the Broncos and Tebow are lucky, but the bottom line is that a win is a win. Sometimes you need luck or some breaks in an NFL season, and right now the Broncos are getting those breaks. Tebow has led the Broncos from a 1-4 start, and now they sit at 8-5 and in first place in the AFC West. I will not buy in and start to talk about playoff talk. I am just going to continue to enjoy this ride, and not look too far ahead. The Broncos still have three games left, and there is still a lot of football left. This six game run is one of the most exciting, thrilling, mind-boggling runs I have ever seen as a Denver fan. Once again, Tebow made the plays at the end to win it, and he is making a believer out of some of his doubters. I don't know where this ride is going, but I am going to continue to enjoy it every step of the way.

Here are some of my observations and thoughts from the game.............

1) I know there are three games left, but how in the world is Tim Tebow not the Broncos starting QB in 2012? Tebow started very slow against a very good Bears defense (3-15 and an interception after three quarters), but he got really hot in the fourth quarter and overtime (18-25 for over 200 yards and a touchdown). He made throws from the pocket, and he was able to drive the Broncos on three straight drives with his arm and not his feet. I know he didn't play well early on, but I though the plays he made with his arm showed how much he is improving in the passing game.

2) The Broncos offense is going to have trouble with really good defenses. The Bears defense really shut down the running game and held Willis McGahee to just 34 yards on 17 carries. The spread option was not very effective either. The Broncos have to be able to trust Tebow more in the passing game earlier, but if the running game isn't working, then the Broncos are not going to move the ball efficiently.

3) The Broncos receivers really drop a lot of passes every week. Demaryius Thomas had a couple awful drops including a potential touchdown in the third quarter. Eric Decker dropped another one, and it seems that the Broncos seem to drop a key pass on third down at least twice a game.

4) Forget about the breaks that the Broncos got late in the game, but think about the unlucky breaks the Broncos got against them in the first three quarters. Thomas dropped a sure touchdown pass, Prater gets a field goal blocked, and Chris Harris drops a sure interception late in the first half. Denver had some chances to take a 10-0 or 13-0 lead at the half or early in the third quarter. Also, Marion Barber's catch in overtime that moved the Bears into Denver territory wasn't reviewed by the booth and if it was, the replay certainly showed that it was not a catch.

5) The Broncos defense did their job and buried Caleb Hanie and the Bears offense. Devin Hester's punt return set up the first touchdown, and Robbie Gould hit a 57 yard field goal for the only points of the game for Chicago. Dumervil and Von Miller both got another sack, and they really controlled the game. The problem is that they were on the field for so long because the Bears kept forcing 3 and outs. Denver's Defense gets another A for this week.

6) This is now the most exciting Broncos run since the Super Bowl runs in the late '90s. Tebow has captivated Broncos Country, the NFL, and the entire sports world. It is simply unbelievable. There are no more words to describe what has taken place the last six weeks.

7) I don't think that John Elway should be a cast in a certain villainous role. He is just letting the season play out and evaluate Tim Tebow's progression. It is not a personal thing, he is not jealous of Tebow, and he simply is having an open mind to filling the QB position. I think Elway absolutely should stick with Tebow next year, but I understand that he has to have a plan in addressing the QB situation.

8) The Broncos at 8-5 now host the 10-3 New England Patriots in a huge AFC showdown on Sunday in Denver. Let's hope the magic ride continues.......