It was supposed to be a shootout. Two mega-star quarterbacks facing off in a prime-time matchup that would keep the scoreboard operator busy all night. But only one team showed up.
Tom Brady threw an NFL-record five touchdown passes in the first half and the New England Patriots routed the Denver Broncos 45-10 to advance to the AFC Championship Game next Sunday.
But the question most of America was asking last night was, "Where is Tebow?"
After a week where the Tebow hype machine produced as many as 160 references in a single hour of ESPN programming, even the most casual of football fans had to be interested in how Tebow would fare in his first road playoff start.
The answer? Not good. Tebow's stat line: 9-26 (34.6%) for 136 yards and a QB rating of 52.7. I the annals of NFL postseason history, his completions and completion percentage rank among the ten WORST games played at the quarterback position.
| Lowest Completion Percentage | Single Game (min. 25 attempts) | NFL Postseason History (since merger) |
|---|---|---|
| TAM Doug Williams | 1/9/83 at DAL | 28.6% |
| TAM Trent Dilfer | 1/4/98 at GNB | 30.6% |
| PHI Ron Jaworski | 1/11/81 vs DAL | 31.0% |
| RAM Dieter Brock | 1/12/86 at CHI | 32.3% |
| CLE Brian Sipe | 1/4/81 vs OAK | 32.5% |
| MIN Gary Cuozzo | 12/27/70 vs SF | 33.3% |
| TAM Doug Williams | 1/2/82 at DAL | 34.5% |
| DEN Tim Tebow | 1/14/12 at NE | 34.6% |
| WAS Doug Williams | 1/17/88 vs MIN | 34.6% |
| CHI Doug Flutie | 1/3/87 vs WAS | 35.5% |
What makes Tebow's performance even more embarrassing is the context in which it took place. The 2011 New England Patriots defense will never be confused with the 1985 Chicago Bears (who were featured in the previous list) or the 2000 Baltimore Ravens.
To wit: New England was next-to-last in the NFL in total YPG allowed, next-to-last in passing YPG allowed and dead last in first downs allowed per game. The Broncos totals from Sunday's game?
Total YPG: 252 (lower than any regular season total allowed by the Patriots). Passing YPG: 136 (lower than any regular season total allowed by the Patriots). First downs: 15 (lower than all but one regular season total allowed by the Patriots).
Much of this falls on the shoulder of Tim Tebow. His day was bad enough without being compared to the days of other markedly pedestrian quarterbacks against the Patriots this season. Chad Henne and Vince Young threw for more than 400 yards in a single game against New England. Dan Orlovsky and Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for more than 350 yards versus the Patriots in a single contest.
But Tim Tebow? Quite the opposite. His completions, completion percentage and passing yards were all the fewest allowed by New England all year, and only Tyler Palko (48.3) had a lower QB rating.
It was a sad end to a remarkable run, but it reinforces what has been apparent to all clear-eyed observers of the NFL: the Broncos need a quarterback. Tim Tebow is not the answer.
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