Denver Broncos 18 @ Miami Dolphins 15
YOU HAVE TO give credit where it’s due.
Not many people thought the Broncos could come back from 15-0 down when they took possession of the football with just over five minutes remaining in Sunday’s game.
But two touchdowns, an onside recovery and a two point conversation in the last few minutes is remarkable by any standard.
Indeed, it’s even more impressive when you consider that Tim Tebow hadn’t converted a third down until late in the fourth quarter and had completed just four of 14 passes for 40 yards.
It’s not nice to rain on anyone’s parade but it’s those statistics that Tebow should be remembered for in this game and not the win. Had the Broncos played any other team in the National Football League they would have lost this game by half time.
Luck-ily for them the Dolphins are keen on a certain Stanford quarterback and this loss doesn’t hurt their chances at all.
But what does this game mean for the future of Tim Tebow and the Broncos? Well, those of us who watched Tebow in college can’t be surprised by the hustle he showed dragging his team back from the brink of defeat.
However, he’s not an NFL standard quarterback and he showed that in the first 55 minutes of this game. Bring him in on the wildcat offence, sure, but if this man represents the best the Broncos have to offer they’re in serious trouble.
View the ‘highlights’ here. (Warning, you might need to watch this through your fingers or from behind a couch.)
Performance of the week
While there was much to admire in New Orleans demolition of the Colts, the league might as well give Aaron Rodgers the MVP award now. He was virtually flawless on Sunday, completing 80% of his passes for 335 yards and three touchdowns.
Perfect with his first 13 pass attempts, the quarterback ensured his team remained the last unbeaten in the NFL with an overall passer rating of 146.5 (158.3 is perfect).
This was far from the cakewalk that many predicted and, without Rodgers, the result could easily have been different.
Watch highlights here.
Play of the week
There aren’t many running backs that could evade seven tacklers and run for 25 yards, let alone quarterbacks, but Cam Newton is proving week after week that he may well be the real deal.
This type of scramble is just one of the reasons why.
Results
- Washington Redskins 20 @ Carolina Panthers 33
- Seattle Seahawks 3 @ Cleveland Browns 6
- Atlanta Falcons 23 @ Detroit Lions 16
- Denver Broncos 18 @ Miami Dolphins 15
- San Diego Chargers 21 @ New York Jets 27
- Chicago Bears 24 @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers 18
- Houston Texans 41 @ Tennessee Titans 7
- Pittsburgh Steelers 32 @ Arizona Cardinals 20
- Kansas City Chiefs 28 @ Oakland Raiders 0
- St. Louis Rams 7 @ Dallas Cowboys 34
- Green Bay Packers 33 @ Minnesota Vikings 27
- Indianapolis Colts 7 @ New Orleans Saints 62
- Baltimore Ravens 7 @ Jacksonville Jaguars 12
Steven O’Rourke is the Offensive Co-ordinator of Tullamore Phoenix American Football Club, winners of the IAFL DV8s national title in 2010 and 2011. Tullamore are always recruiting new players so, if you’d like to play football and not just read about it, Steven would love to hear from you.
