Denver Broncos Thread

neilster wrote: »

he rarely turns over the ball (he is close to the top of the league in this stat) and his yards per attempt is awesomely high .

mikemac1 wrote: »

If you have stories of Orton being lazy I'd be interested to read them

He's an experienced vet by this stage and I've never heard anything like that about him

So you're saying he doesn't work and is a bad locker room guy? That bit of your post just jumped out at me, I'd be very surprised if it were true

I heard a talk-show host who loathes Tebow, and has backed himself into an indefensible corner, say that a lot of players — particularly the wide receivers and tight ends and offensive linemen — don't want to play with Tebow. It's total ... I can't say the word I want to ... let me think ... malarkey (that's not strong enough). The players like Tebow; they are inspired by him; they want to play with him; they've witnessed what he can accomplish.
Let me give you one example: When Demaryius Thomas dropped passes, especially one big throw, in the Bears game, Tebow went over to him on the bench, put an arm around him and told Thomas not to worry, that he would make the game-winning catch and be the hero. It was not the game-winner, but Thomas caught the touchdown pass that allowed the Broncos to be in a position to win.
The offensive linemen like Tebow because they've become the aggressors, not the fortress. Instead of being on their heels all the time pass-blocking, they blast off and hit somebody. The defensive players like Tebow because they're off the field for longer periods of time (look at where the Broncos are among leaders in time of possession since Tebow took over).
Special team players have told me they love Tebow. The younger players especially like him because they've either come into the league with him, practiced with him (as backups) or because they want to be part of a winning team. Champ Bailey wants to be in the playoffs again. You think he and Brian Dawkins aren't loving Tebow for what's happening? The Tebow-haters have to find something new because he's proving he can play, he can win and he can get the Broncos to the playoffs. So they go for the players don't like playing with it. Malarkey.
I've talked to enough players to know, unlike radio fools, that this is a close-knit team now, a team that was in disarray at the beginning of the season. As I've written, they got rid of the only anti-Tebow player — Brandon Lloyd — and how's that working out for Lloyd? Trust me. If he had stayed, he would have caught big passes and gotten just as big a contract as a free agent. People know he can catch whether he was in St. Louis or Denver. It just amazes me how, when you've been proved wrong, you just continue to wallow in mud.
Todd, here's the biggest point of all that nobody, nobody, has talked or written about, and I was close to writing the column a week or so ago, and held off so I could talk to more players. The Broncos are a very strong Christian team. It's not just Tebow. The emphasis is his religious beliefs. But Brian Dawkins is just as faith-based as Tebow. Elvis Dumervil. Britton Colquitt. Willis McGahee. Demaryius Thomas made it clear when he was drafted about his religious commitment.
I would guess that 60 percent to 70 percent of the players, if not more, reflect America's core belief in God. This is not a religious discussion. This is just statement of fact. The players judge Tebow on his play as a quarterback, his leadership qualities, his personality and as a person and, even, his religious beliefs. One player told me that when a player needs help in his charity work, Tebow is his go-to guy, and Tebow always helps in some way.
The players see that every game Tebow hosts a kid who has a devastating disease. You don't think that doesn't affect them? They see how positive he is. He doesn't rip anybody. He's a guy who supports everyone around him. He reminds them all the time of how they can win the game in the fourth quarter. He inspired them in a speech the night before a game. They see how hard he works before, during and after practice.
This is not Kyle Orton laughing at Tebow when he ran wind sprints full out. One of the major reasons Orton was cut was he had turned off the Broncos. He showed up late, wore a stocking cap in practices, was one of the first to leave and didn't really care after he was removed. Josh McDaniels had told me more than a year ago that Orton wasn't, despite what people thought, a leader on or off the field. Sure, he was elected captain from the offense. Who you going to elect? Offensive tackles are not elected captains. People made a big deal out of it.