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The Denver Broncos have won their first AFC West battle of 2012.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports Denver has signed cornerback Drayton Florence to a two-year deal. Florence, who has started 45 games in the past three seasons, was cut by Buffalo last week.

Florence was highly coveted after being released by the Bills. He visited Tennessee on Wednesday. San Diego, where he spent his first five NFL seasons, was also trying to sign Florence. Schefter reports Denver will pay Florence fairly well.

San Diego wanted Florence, 31, as a nickel cornerback, and that is likely the role he will have in Denver. He adds depth to a talented cornerback crew that includes starters Champ Bailey and Tracy Porter.

I could see some situations where Bailey plays nickel in some instances. He played some nickel last season. The Broncos also have Chris Harris, an undrafted player in 2011 who played well, and 2012 fourth-round pick Omar Bolden. He missed last season with a torn ACL, but the Arizona State product was considered a second-round talent before his injury.

Thus, Denver has a deep and talented cornerback group, and the Florence addition strengthens it. Last month, Denver tried to trade for Asante Samuel, but it couldn’t come to an accord with Samuel.

Barring a setback from the neck injury that cost him the entire 2011 season, Peyton Manning has the Denver Broncos’ offense covered. That side of the ball will be fine and will be in playoff form.

But what about the defense?

That side of the ball will be a key to Denver's season. If the 2012 Denver defense can make the strides it did in 2011, the Broncos have a chance to be a serious contender.

Bill Polian, who knows Manning well, has said he thinks the potential of the Broncos' defense is one of the reasons Manning chose to play in Denver. Polian, the Colts’ former general manager who brought Manning to Indianapolis and who is now an ESPN analyst, said last week he thinks the Denver defense could be a spark for the Manning-led offense.

“John Fox is going to coach up that defense and it has a chance to play great defense,” Polian said. “That will only help Peyton.”

However, I believe the Broncos have work to do before they can start playing great defense.

This unit is a work in progress. It went from No. 32 in 2010 prior to Fox’s arrival to No. 20 in 2011 under the guidance of Fox and coordinator Dennis Allen, who is now the head coach in Oakland. The 2011 Denver Broncos will be remembered for the wild days of Tim Tebow, but it was the defense that rose up and solidified the team. With Manning running the offense and former Jacksonville head coach Jack Del Rio running the defense, the team has a chance to go to the next level.

The defense in Denver starts with pass-rushers Elvis Dumervil and Von Miller. The pair combined for 21 sacks last season and they should be one of the most dynamic pass-rush duos in the NFL for years to come. Polian called the pair special and an anchor for the defense.

Denver upgraded at cornerback by signing Tracy Porter of New Orleans. He is a solid No. 2 cornerback and will make a strong pairing with the aging, but still dominant Champ Bailey. Porter, who has had challenges staying healthy, is an upgrade from Andre Goodman. Underrated safety Mike Adams was signed from Cleveland. He will pair with second-year player Quinton Carter, who made strides as the season went on. The team will give 2011 No. 2 pick Rahim Moore a chance to rebound from a rookie season in which he regressed. But Adams and Carter should be a serviceable pairing.

There are some problems, though. Outside linebacker D.J. Williams, one of the better defenders on the team, is facing a six-game NFL suspension for using a banned substance. He is fighting it in the form of a lawsuit. Defensive tackle Brodrick Bunkley signed with New Orleans. Bunkley was a tone-setter, and even though he played only 43 percent of the snaps, he will be missed.

Denver has a major void at defensive tackle and it probably will take advantage of a strong draft class at the position and use the No. 25 pick on a player such as Mississippi State’s Fletcher Cox, Penn State’s Devon Still or LSU’s Michael Brockers. They also want to re-sign Marcus Thomas and hope 2011 free-agent signee Ty Warren is healthy after missing the past two seasons.

There is no doubt this is still a building project and that concerns Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc.

“I was very worried about this defense, but now I feel a little better about it after it signed Porter, who is a very solid No. 2 behind Bailey,” Williamson said. “But I still have my worries about the defense up the middle. Losing Bunkley hurts quite a bit, but maybe Ty Warren can help out this year. The safety position worries me. But they can sure rush the passer. The question is will be they be able to handle a physical offense.”

After being the bright spot of a surprise team in 2011, the Denver defense must take the next step in a year when, suddenly, much is expected from this team.

The man who ruined Peyton Manning’s most recent Super Bowl appearance will join him in a quest for another championship.

According to an NFL source, Denver has signed New Orleans cornerback Tracy Porter to a one-year, $4 million deal.

Porter is best known for intercepting a Manning pass and returning for a touchdown to seal the Saints’ victory over the Colts in Super Bowl XLIV in 2010. Manning signed with Denver on Tuesday.

Porter will start opposite Champ Bailey in Denver. I’ll be back with more thoughts on this story later.

While there has been talk the Denver Broncos may bring in some former Indianapolis Colts teammates to make Peyton Manning comfortable, they also may bring in the man who delivered Manning his greatest professional blow.

The Broncos are set to visit with New Orleans cornerback Tracy Porter on Wednesday, according to an NFL source. He is visiting with the Titans on Tuesday.

Porter is best known for returning an interception for a touchdown against Manning in the Super Bowl in 201o. It sealed an upset win for the Saints over the Colts.

In Denver, Porter would likely replace Andre Goodman at right cornerback and play opposite Champ Bailey. Putting Porter on his side would likely be fine with Manning.

Oakland also had interest in Porter -- Oakland coach Dennis Allen coached Porter in New Orleans -- but those talks have stalled after the Raiders signed Ronald Bartell and Shawntae Spencer.

It is fitting that Brian Dawkins’ final game could be played in Hawaii.


The Denver safety was named to the Pro Bowl on Thursday, replacing Pittsburgh’s Troy Polamalu because of an injury. It is Dawkins’ ninth Pro Bowl — tied with John Lynch for the second-most career Pro Bowl berths by a safety.

Expect Dawkins, 38, to try to play. He missed all but a quarter of Denver’s final five games because of a neck injury, but the injury has been improving steadily in the past few days. Dawkins, a potential Hall of Famer, wouldn’t have accepted the invitation if he wasn’t going to be cleared to play.

Dawkins told a Denver television station last weekend that he will consider retirement. He played the past three seasons with Denver and has been the team’s undisputed leader. Dawkins played well in 2011 when healthy, recording 51 tackles and three sacks.

Dawkins joins a strong Denver contingent — the team's most at the Pro Bowl since 2001 — for the Jan. 29 game in Honolulu. Running back Willis McGahee and tackle Ryan Clady were named to the team as injury replacements. Cornerback Champ Bailey, defensive end Elvis Dumervil and linebacker Von Miller are also representing the AFC West champions.

When the Pro Bowl team was announced, I listed Denver Broncos running back Willis McGahee as the player in the division that had the biggest beef for not being picked to play in Hawaii later this month.

Well, that problem has been solved.

The Broncos announced McGahee, who was a first alternate, will replace an injured Arian Foster on the AFC Pro Bowl team. Denver left tackle Ryan Clady, replacing the Miami Dolphins' Jake Long, will also join him.

Denver now has five players in the Pro Bowl. McGahee and Clady join Champ Bailey, Elvis Dumervil and Von Miller.

McGahee’s selection to the Pro Bowl team puts a bow on a great season for the 30-year-old tailback who was one of the best free-agent signings in the NFL last summer. McGahee had 1,199 yards rushing and he was a key to the No. 1 ranked rushing offense in the NFL. The Broncos set a franchise record for rushing yards in a season with 2,532 yards on the ground.

McGahee was tied with Foster for the NFL lead with seven 100-yard rushing games in 2011. This is McGahee’s second Pro Bowl selection.

According to the Broncos, Clady is the fifth offensive lineman in NFL history to start every game and make at least two Pro Bowls in his first four NFL seasons.

It is going to be extremely cold in Foxborough, Mass., during the Denver Broncos-New England Patriots AFC divisional playoff game Saturday night.

The forecast calls for nearly single-digit temperatures during the game, which kicks off at 8 p.m. ET. The low temperature for Saturday is currently expected to be nine degrees. However, it is supposed to be a clear night.

“It’s cold, but that’s part of the game,” Denver cornerback Champ Bailey said. “You let the elements be what they are, and you just go out and play, try to stay warm as much as possible.”

Added New England coach Bill Belichick: “We’re ready for whatever we get, yeah. [We] had over 100 practices this year, they’ve all been in all different types of conditions, so whatever we get, and I hope we’ll be ready to play in.”

The game will be, by far, the coldest game Denver second-year quarterback Tim Tebow will ever play in. He played in a couple of games in 30-degree weather, but this will be another level of cold for the Florida product to deal with.

DENVER -- The Denver Broncos can thank Josh McDaniels for supplying one of the most improbable playoff wins in team history.

In fact, they can extend their gratitude to their reviled former head coach in person on Saturday night.

In an AFC West season that refuses to stop twisting chaotically, we will be treated to an unexpected storyline when the amusingly perplexing Broncos continue their unlikely postseason journey at New England on Saturday in an 8 p.m. ET kickoff. On a day the top-seeded Patriots confirmed McDaniels has rejoined the team, the Broncos qualified to face them with a thrilling 29-23 overtime victory over the heavily favored Steelers on Sunday in the best of the four wild-card games.

McDaniels, who spent the 2011 season with Rams, will be an offensive assistant for the playoffs and is expected to be the offensive coordinator in New England next season. He was the Patriots’ offensive coordinator prior to being hired as the coach in Denver. He was fired after 28 games in Denver.

A week ago, it seemed far-fetched that the Broncos would beat the Steelers and McDaniels would be actually coaching in the playoffs.

But that’s the 2011 season for you.

The Broncos-McDaniels showdown was made possible by an 80-yard pass play from redeemed quarterback Tim Tebow to receiver Demaryius Thomas on the first offensive play of overtime. According to ESPN Stats & Information, it was the longest overtime touchdown in NFL playoff history.

McDaniels targeted the pass-catch combination as a potentially dangerous postseason pair when he made Thomas the No. 22 overall pick and Tebow the No. 25 overall pick of the 2010 draft. It was McDaniels’ second and final draft in Denver.

McDaniels was widely criticized for drafting Thomas over Dez Bryant, who went No. 24 to Dallas, and for taking Tebow, period. First-year Broncos coach John Fox’s biggest challenge was trying to make something of the departed McDaniels’ criticized draft classes and the elephant in the room, Tebow.

Now, Fox, Tebow and company will take on McDaniels.

The Broncos go to New England with renewed faith in their passing game after improving to 4-0 in overtime games this season.

After struggling horribly in the past two games, Tebow regained his passing success, completing 10 of 21 passes for 316 yards. Thomas had 204 yards receiving on four catches.

From the first quarter of the Buffalo game in Week 16 through the first quarter Sunday, the Broncos had 18 punts and six turnovers in 28 possessions. They scored only 10 points in the stretch.

However, after going 0-for-2 passing in the first quarter, Tebow threw for 185 yards in the second quarter as Denver turned a 6-0 deficit into a 20-6 halftime lead. It was Tebow’s best quarter in his 15-start career.

Tebow had five passes of 30-plus yards Sunday against a Pittsburgh defense that was ranked No. 1 in the NFL against the pass this season.

During the week, Broncos football czar and Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway said that Tebow needed to “pull the trigger” and try to make some plays in the passing game. In the past two games, Tebow -- who was impressive against New England in Week 15 -- was tentative and reluctant to throw.

He appeared to start Sunday’s game that way, but after completing a 51-yard pass to Thomas second play of the second quarter, Tebow settled down and started to look like the improved passer he became earlier in December.

“I think that definitely gave us some momentum,” Tebow said of his early second-quarter success. “We were cooking pretty good from then on out.”

However, Tebow saved his best for last.

The Broncos’ offensive staff was planning to run the play to Thomas on their first play of overtime. Thomas said he thought he had a good chance to score when he saw he was in single coverage with Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor. Taylor had no chance.

Thomas beat Taylor off the line, caught a bullet from Tebow at the Denver 38, raced across the field to the end zone and into a tunnel as the crowd erupted, giving Denver its first playoff win in six years.

The unlikely day ended with Tebow taking a victory lap around the stadium, slapping the hands of fans.

Late in the week, there had been speculation that Tebow would be spelled by Brady Quinn on Sunday and talk about Denver needing to find a new quarterback this offseason got new life.

All that talk is off. It’s Tebow time again.

"He showed he’s an NFL quarterback today,” Broncos running back Willis McGahee said. "Case closed.”

Denver entered the playoffs with no juice at all. It was the eighth team in NFL history to enter the postseason with three straight losses and appeared to have no chance.

After Tebow showed again he can throw the ball, and the Denver defense continued its resurgence -- it pressured Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger all game and had five sacks -- the Broncos feel good about themselves again.

They remember they squandered a 16-7 lead with turnovers in a 41-23 loss to the Patriots three weeks ago. Sunday, the Broncos showed what can happen when they play with ball security.

“Everyone said we backed into the playoffs,” cornerback Champ Bailey said. “But we won a game in the playoffs and we’re moving on. We must be doing something right.”

Bring on McDaniels.

Three things to know about Saturday's AFC divisional playoff game between the Denver Broncos (9-8) and New England Patriots (13-3):

1. Hello, Mr. McDaniels: The Broncos thought it was strange to see Kyle Orton in a Chiefs uniform in Week 17. Well, the unexpected reunion tour takes another twist in the divisional playoff round when the Broncos, who beat the heavily favored Steelers 29-23 in overtime Sunday, face former coach Josh McDaniels. He was hired by the Patriots to be an assistant coach for the rest of the season and he is expected to be the Patriots’ offensive coordinator next season. He had that role in New England before he was hired by Denver in 2009. McDaniels was fired after 28 games.

2. Turnovers are the key: The Broncos were leading the Patriots 16-7 early in the second quarter in Week 15. However, Denver fumbled in its own territory three times in that quarter which New England turned into 13 points. The Broncos never recovered. Sunday, after the win over Pittsburgh, Denver cornerback Champ Bailey said the loss to the Patriots was “almost a reality check” and the Broncos know what they can’t do Saturday night.

3. Keeping running that ball: The Broncos ran for 167 yards in the first quarter against New England (finishing with 252 yards on the ground). But Willis McGahee got hurt and the fumbles forced the Broncos to turn to the passing game. Expect them to try to gash the Patriots early in this game as they attempt to pull off another playoff shocker.

DENVER -- The Denver Broncos should be embarrassed.

The Oakland Raiders should be ashamed of themselves.

A weird AFC West season ended in fitting fashion as the two teams that had everything to play for were both completely flat at home and were outplayed by two divisional foes that had nothing to play for. The result of the AFC West upheaval is the Denver Broncos, and floundering quarterback Tim Tebow, are headed to the playoffs for the first time since 2005. Denver will host the Pittsburgh Steelers in the wild-card round Sunday at 4:30 p.m. ET.

Denver, Oakland and San Diego all finished at 8-8. The Broncos won the division on the virtue of tiebreakers. Kansas City finished a game behind at 7-9. The Chargers and Chiefs were eliminated from playoff contention last week, but they appeared to be the motivated teams Sunday.

Kansas City stymied Denver in a 7-3 bore in Denver, and the Raiders were lapped 38-26 by the Chargers in a game that ended minutes after Denver's loss. In Denver, small pockets of fans stayed after the disappointing loss to watch the Raiders lose on the big screen. In Oakland, some fans were chanting “Denver lost” in a desperate attempt to let their heroes know they still had a chance to make the playoffs for the first time since 2002. It was to no avail. Now, Oakland is tied for the second-longest playoff drought in the NFL.

After the game Sunday, Oakland coach Hue Jackson was furious at his players and vowed to be more involved in all phases of the organization next year. Of course, that is not his call. Mark Davis will decide how the team is run and the Raiders will likely try to add to the front office.

In Denver, the Broncos had to beat the Chiefs to make the playoffs. Instead, they had to wait for help. It was a bad day overall for Oakland, which saw its wild-card window close because the early games didn’t fall the right way.

Denver, which lost standout guard Chris Kuper to a broken leg, will stumble into the playoffs on a three-game losing streak. Denver is the seventh team in NFL history to enter the playoffs on a three-game losing streak.

Oakland would surely trade spots. The Raiders were in control of the division at 7-4, but they lost four of their final five games, causing pundits nationally to wonder if trading two premium picks for quarterback Carson Palmer in October was worth it.

At this point, it would be a shock if interim Kansas City coach Romeo Crennel is not made the permanent coach. The Chiefs -- led by former Denver quarterback Kyle Orton in the final three games -- went 2-1 under Crennel, which included handing the Packers their only loss this season. The Chiefs nearly won the division for a second straight year. Kansas City’s players love Crennel and general manager Scott Pioli is a longtime fan.

Unlike Crennel, San Diego coach Norv Turner probably didn’t save his job with a win Sunday. The Chargers failed to make the playoffs for the second straight year and it has been expected that Turner will be fired, perhaps along with general manager A.J. Smith.

However, San Diego owner Dean Spanos told the San Diego Union Tribune on Sunday that he was impressed with the win over the Raiders and he will make up his mind in a couple of days. Expect a decision to be made by midweek.

With Denver moving on, Tebow has to wonder how much support he has going into the postseason. After being the story of the NFL for several weeks, Tebow has regressed terribly in the past two games. He was dreadful Sunday. Tebow completed 6 of 22 passes for 60 yards. He is no longer making an impact as a runner. He had just 16 yards on six carries.

His passes are sailing high and he is taking way too much time in his decision-making. Tebow is 30-for-73 for with four interceptions during Denver’s losing skid. He has lost a fumble in the past five games and there was no fourth-quarter magic as Denver, which won four straight games this season when it trailed in the fourth quarter, couldn’t do anything in four series in the final quarter.

Tebow lost a fumble at the Kansas City 11-yard line on Sunday in a play that was crucial to the Chiefs’ win. Denver simply can’t win with Tebow making these types of mistakes.

After the game Sunday, Denver running back Willis McGahee -- who had a tremendous game with 145 yards rushing on 28 carries -- said the Broncos must find an offensive balance against Pittsburgh and the passing game must pick it up.

“[The Chiefs were] playing just for pride and for us to go out there and play the way we did and expect to do anything in the playoffs, it’s not going to cut it,” Denver cornerback Champ Bailey said.

If Tebow continues to regress next week, the Broncos will likely have to consider what they want to do at quarterback. But the bottom line is, he has another week to impress the brass.

Backing into the playoffs does take some of the shine off a turnaround season for Denver. The truth is, Denver is the division champion and no one expected that when 2011 began.

» NFC Pro Bowl: East | West | North | South » AFC Pro Bowl: East | West | North | South

Perfect sense: Kansas City may be in last place but linebacker Derrick Johnson and Tamba Hali are top-level players. They both deserve this honor. They are building-block players on a young defense. Johnson is a tackling machine and Hali, who has 12 sacks, is one of the better pass-rushers in the NFL. Oakland kicker Sebastian Janikowski made his first Pro Bowl in his 12-year career. It is past due and it's well deserving. Janikowski, who tied an NFL record with a 63-yard field goal at Denver in Week 1, is a great weapon. Oakland punter Shane Lechler is one of the game’s all-time best punters. He always deserves to go to the Pro Bowl. San Diego safety Eric Weddle is tied for the league lead with seven interceptions. He is earning his $40-million deal he signed this year. Denver linebacker Von Miller deserved being a Pro Bowler. He has 11.5 sacks and he’s been a complete player. The No. 2 overall draft pick has made a bigger impact as a run stopper and he has been a catalyst to a much improved defense. Kudos to Denver cornerback Champ Bailey, who is still playing at a high level. He is one of five players ever to be named to 11 Pro Bowls and he is the only cornerback with 10 or more Pro Bowls. Can you say “first-ballot Hall of Famer?”

Made it on rep: A few AFC West stars made the Pro Bowl in injury-filled years. Oakland defensive tackle Richard Seymour was banged up and he had some games where he didn’t make a big impact. Still, he also had some moments of greatness. He blocked two field goals in an Oakland overtime win at Kansas City on Saturday. San Diego tight end Antonio Gates dealt with a lot of injuries this season and he didn’t take many games over, but he had 59 catches and he is still a premier player despite the injuries. Denver defensive end Elvis Dumervil, the first Denver defensive lineman to make the Pro Bowl in nine years, had a great season, but he didn’t enjoy a full season. He has 9.5 sacks, all in the past eight games. He was slowed by injuries early in the season. San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers had big yardage numbers (he became the third player in history to throw for more than 4,000 yards in four straight years). But he has thrown 19 interceptions and he was out of sync for much of the season.

Get robbed: Denver running back Willis McGahee has been the lynchpin to the NFL’s best running offense. A big reason why the Tim Tebow offense has worked is because McGahee –- one of the best free-agent signings in the NFL this year -- ran so well. He is enjoying resurgence at the age of 30. McGahee, who has 1,054 yards rushing and averaged 4.8 yards per carry, is reportedly a first alternate. San Diego running back Ryan Mathews also had a strong season and he had a case to make the team. He is a second alternate. Kansas City receiver Dwayne Bowe had 75 catches and he had a nice season. Oakland safety Tyvon Branch and fullback Marcel Reece each had big years and could have earned spots on the team. Perhaps each player will get their due next year. By the way, Tebow is reportedly a second alternate. Because quarterbacks often bow out, there is a strong chance Tebow will be eating pineapple in Hawaii next month.

Click here for the complete 2012 Pro Bowl roster.

Kansas City Chiefs’ coach Todd Haley said new quarterback Kyle Orton has arrived and he is expected to practice Friday night. Kansas City claimed him off waivers from Denver on Wednesday. Family issues prevented him from arriving in Kansas City on Thursday.

Haley told reporters Orton might not even be active Sunday night against Pittsburgh. That makes sense, because he is coming in cold. He is expected to start Dec. 4 at Chicago and finish the season as the Chiefs’ starter.

Denver cornerback Champ Bailey had this to say Friday, when asked if he is looking forward to facing Orton and the Chiefs on Jan. 1 in Denver in the regular-season finale: “I’m looking forward to it. I know a lot of guys in here are, too, but we’ll take that as it comes.”

In other AFC West nuggets:

NFL.com is reporting that Oakland running back Darren McFadden is not expected back until Dec. 11 when the Raiders play at Green Bay. He was hurt in Week 7. That is not a surprise, and it is a feasible estimation. He has done very little since being injured.

The injury has spoiled a special season for McFadden. He has rushed for 614 yards and is averaging 5.4yards per carry this season. Injuries have bothered McFadden in his four-year NFL career. He has missed 13 games in his career. Backup Michael Bush has played very well in McFadden’s absence.

Yet another video debate on Denver quarterback Tim Tebow.

In an Insider piece, Mel Kiper thinks the Broncos and the Chiefs have two of the five worst quarterback situations in the league. There are certainly questions about both situations, that’s for sure.

It looks like Oakland defensive lineman Richard Seymour might be able to contribute some Sunday against Chicago.

DENVER -- Eric Decker searched his brain, trying to come up with an explanation for what we all just witnessed.

Finally, the Denver Broncos receiver gave up, laughed and shrugged his shoulders.

“A miracle,” Decker said. “Greatness.”

What else can you say?

This Tim Tebow thing is officially out of control.

On Thursday night, a national audience got to see the Dilemma of Tebow. He looked awful for much of the game. Even the NFL rarity -- the option offense, which was installed for Tebow three weeks ago as a life preserver -- wasn’t working in Tebow’s favor.


Then, Tebow took over in the fourth quarter, engineering a brilliant final drive to give Denver a stunning 17-13 victory over the visiting New York Jets. The Broncos are now 4-1 since Tebow was inserted as the starting QB, 5-5 overall, and a half-game behind first-place Oakland (5-4) in the AFC West.

Denver, which is 4-14 since the start of last season without Tebow as the starter, wouldn’t be in the playoff mix without Tebow. But there’s also no doubting Tebow struggles to move the ball for much of the game.

That part, though, is starting not to matter. There’s one thing I can’t do -- and that’s argue against winning. I won’t even try.

“Would you rather us look good and lose?” asked Denver's future Hall of Fame cornerback, Champ Bailey. “I’ll take the win, and if people say we look bad doing it, I’m OK with that.”

Denver is not going to change anything now. The Broncos are going to ride Tebow and his unconventional ways as long as he wins. What about next year? That doesn’t matter right now. This hapless franchise, which hasn’t been to the playoffs since the 2005 season, is as high as it has been since it started the 2009 season 6-0 before falling out of the playoff mix. Denver has already surpassed its win total of last season.

It was looking like this game was going to be a missed opportunity for Denver. It had four drives that started in Jets’ territory that did not result in points. Until the Broncos’ last drive, they punted eight times and had six completions. At one point, Denver had a 17-play stretch in which it gained 29 yards.

Then, it became Tebow Time.

“I don’t know what it is, but he has the 'It Factor,'” Decker said of his quarterback. “He just gets better later in the game. He really does.”

With the Jets leading 13-10 and the Broncos taking over at their own 5 with 5 minutes, 54 seconds remaining, Tebow was a changed man, Decker said.

“He said that it was our time,” Decker said. “It was our time to stay in this race and make something of the season.”

Suddenly, the dreadful Denver offense we saw for much of the game -- the Broncos scored on a first-quarter field goal and a defensive touchdown in the third quarter -- was gone. Tebow was in win mode.


The first 11 plays of the drive, Tebow ran for 31 yards. He threw for 35 yards. Then, on third-and-4 from the Jets' 20, Tebow wasn’t interested in playing for overtime.

He made a beautiful run, darting upfield, breaking a leg tackle and bullying his way into the end zone, which sent the home crowd into a tizzy. Bailey said he hasn’t seen anything like it since he entered the NFL 12 years ago.

“It’s amazing,” Bailey said of watching Tebow take the team down the field late in the game. “You just watch it happen.”

For those interested in statistics (again, they don’t seem to matter in Tebow Metrics), Tebow was 9-of-20 for 104 yards passing. He had 68 yards rushing on eight carries.

“Tim is going to be Tim,” said first-year Denver coach John Fox. “You don’t want to change too much about a guy that makes plays and makes plays in pressure situations.”

While Denver strayed from the option at times Thursday night, this is the offense we’re going to see Tebow run. After a home debacle against Detroit three weeks ago, Fox scrapped the idea of forcing Tebow to be a traditional passer, at least for this season.

The Broncos changed the offense simply to survive the season. Tebow is surely a survivor and the team is thriving.

In addition to Tebow’s spark, Fox has brought stability to the team. And the defense -- the worst in the NFL last season -- is much-improved. It is led by a ferocious pass-rusher, rookie Von Miller, who had a monster game Thursday. Miller is a Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate.

The Broncos may not look pretty, but they have a good thing going.

“I know people are still going to talk bad about us,” Bailey said. “But I don’t care. ... We always have a chance with 15 as our quarterback.”

DENVER -- It is not John Elway’s fault the Tim Tebow experiment is failing, but it will be on his hands if he doesn’t find a solution.

It is clear the Denver Broncos' quarterback of the future is not on the current roster. It must be Elway's primary job to start making plans to fix the problem in Denver. The first step is to realize Tebow probably is not going to be the answer.

Whether it’s figuring a way to land Stanford star quarterback Andrew Luck via a trade (Denver looks like it’s on its way to a top-five pick, but it may have difficultly stinking enough to get the No. 1 pick), zoning in on USC’s Matt Barkley or Oklahoma’s Landry Jones, or even considering pursuing injured Raiders veteran Jason Campbell as a short-term answer in free agency, Elway must start his post-Tebow game plan.

I hate to jump to early conclusions, but it is safe to say Tebow is currently far from being a competent NFL quarterback and that the Broncos arguably have the worst quarterback situation in the NFL.

It was all there to see in blue and orange for the home folks Sunday during the Broncos’ 45-10 loss to the Detroit Lions. Tebow was terribly ineffective all game and the Broncos were overmatched. The patented Tim Tebow spark? Nowhere to be found. Denver was lethargic on both sides of the ball all game.

There was no wild comeback for Tebow after a mostly bad performance like last week against the inept Dolphins. Instead of playing poorly for 55 minutes before turning on the jets, Tebow was consistently bad for an entire game Sunday.

There was no playmaking. All we saw were badly overthrown passes, late decision-making and wild scrambles that netted little. Need statistical proof? Tebow was 18-of-39 passing for 172 yards. The Broncos had seven straight three-and-out drives and Tebow had an interception and a fumble that were brought back for Detroit touchdowns.

“We are embarrassed,” Denver tight end Daniel Fells said.

Added the always-earnest Tebow: “I’m just going to get up early [Monday] and go to work and try to get better tomorrow and consistently improve and be the best person and quarterback for this organization and continue to improve.”

Broncos coach John Fox was asked after game who his quarterback will be in Oakland next week. He said he needs to look at the film. Clearly, some of the shine on Tebow has been lost.

I don’t necessarily think Tebow should be pulled now. Is Brady Quinn really the answer? We know Kyle Orton isn’t. Tebow deserves more time, but there is no way the 2-5 Broncos can sit through nine more of these type of games with no offensive rhythm at all. Fox will lose his veteran players if he continues to start Tebow if he can’t quickly become a capable player.

“It’s only been two games,” Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey said. “But we only got 16 games.”

The problem with Tebow is he isn’t showing any signs of improvement as a traditional quarterback and that’s what the Denver brass wants to see. There is something technically wrong with every snap he takes. The Broncos want Tebow to show them he can be an effective pocket passer in the NFL. Rookie quarterbacks such as Cam Newton, Andy Dalton and Christian Ponder already have shown they have the makings of being a quality NFL passer. Tebow, the No. 25 pick of the 2010 draft (a pick made by the previous Denver regime), is light years behind those players.

I know the Broncos aren't interested in just rolling out the ball every week and letting Tebow wing it and try to make something happen.

They worked during the week on his delivery, they altered their game plan to spread out of the offense and speed up the tempo to help Tebow. But strides were not made. In Tebow’s past three starts (including Week 17 last season), the Broncos are 0-14 on third-down conversions in the first half of games.

Tebow looks a lot more like a quarterback who is close to losing his job than a quarterback who is ascending.

In the end, I believe, working for Elway will shorten Tebow’s window of opportunity. Elway -- in his first year as the Broncos’ top football decision-maker -- was a Hall of Fame player. Watching that amateurish display on his home field had to worry him. He won’t let this go on forever.

One veteran Broncos player I spoke to Sunday said he understands why Denver’s brass turned to Tebow and why he must be given a chance. But he also wondered when Elway and Fox will lose patience. There is also a feeling in Denver that once fans -- who clamored for Tebow to be made the starter -- see that he is so far from being an NFL-ready quarterback that perhaps the Broncos will be able to move on.

Remember, the Broncos didn’t turn to Tebow because they suddenly felt he was ready to be a star. They turned to him because they were ready to give him a chance. Performances like Sunday’s must show Elway & Co. that now is the time to start thinking about the future at quarterback in Denver -- and it’s difficult to believe Tebow will be part of it in 2012.

Receiver Calvin Johnson heads to Denver this weekend having scored 10 touchdowns over the Detroit Lions' first seven games, tied for the NFL's best seven-game start by a receiver since the 1970 merger. As the chart shows, Randy Moss produced the same seven-game total during his record-breaking 2007 performance.

Over the past two weeks, however, opponents are working harder to take away the outside of the field and funnel Johnson toward the middle.

According to ESPN Stats & Information, only one of Johnson's 12 receptions over the past two weeks have come on outside passes, defined as being outside of the numbers on the field. In the Lions' first five games, Johnson caught 12 outside passes (on 24 throws), including five of his touchdowns.

It's fair to blame quarterback Matthew Stafford for overthrowing a few of those recent passes to the outside. But the shift also reflects one way that defenses have adjusted to the Lions' hot start. Be it through brackets or other double teams, opponents would be foolish to give Johnson many opportunities to run down the sideline against single coverage after seeing what Stafford and Johnson combined to do early this season.

As my AFC West colleague Bill Williamson notes, not even the Denver Broncos will risk it too often -- and they have the option of matching Johnson against All-Pro Champ Bailey. Speaking to reporters in Detroit this week, Bailey said: "I think one guy could be successful, but it does take a team effort to defend him all day. You can't just match up on him and think it's going to work all day, if he has a good quarterback throwing him the ball."