Milestone No. 2: Tebow Mania becomes the biggest story in sports
Apr 10, 2025, 6:33 AM
The Fan is turning 30! For three decades, the station has been covering Denver sports, serving as a media outlet of record for the biggest events over the past 30 years.
There have been a lot of them. From championships to MVPs, from historic seasons to improbable victories, The Fan has been there for all of them.
What were the best of the best? During a six week span, Denver Sports will chronicle the moments that stood out the most. It’s a countdown from No. 30 to No. 1, in a series called “Mile High Milestones.”
Enjoy the trip down memory lane!
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The Broncos were 1-4 heading into their bye week and the season was going nowhere. It was John Fox’s first year on the job, but it was a continuation of the freefall the franchise had been on during the past two campaigns.
Josh McDaniels started 6-0 in 2009. Since that point, Denver had gone 7-24, a dismal display. No matter the head coach, the Broncos were abysmal.
Throughout that stretch, the team kept insisting on playing Kyle Orton. The quarterback was acquired by McDaniels in the Jay Cutler trade, but had proven to be nothing more than a journeyman throughout his career. The argument that he gave the Broncos the “best chance to win” was getting weaker with each passing week.
To make matters worse, Denver had a QB on the roster that the fans were clamoring to see. Tim Tebow as a first-round pick in 2010. The Heisman Trophy winner showed flashes late in his rookie season, only intensifying the desire to see what he could do if given the chance to play. So by ’11, especially after the Broncos struggled out of the gate, the fan base had run out of patience.
It was Tebow time. They wanted to see what the ultra-competitive signal caller could do.
What transpired was something no one could’ve predicted. It was a run of wins, good fortune and football miracles unlike anything the NFL had ever seen.
In his first start, Tebow led the Broncos to a comeback win at Miami. Trailing 15-0 late in the game, Denver rallied to victory, triumphing 18-15 in overtime.
The next week, however, things came crashing down to earth. Fox and the coaching staff tried to force a square peg into a round hole; they asked Tebow to run the same offense that Orton had orchestrated. The results were disastrous.
The Broncos lost 45-10 to the Lions, one of the worst home defeats in franchise history. The quarterback was just 18-of-39 for 172 yards and was sacked seven times.
It was clear that a conventional NFL offense wasn’t going to work with Tebow. It didn’t fit his skill set. So Fox and company pivoted, reverting to a lot of what the QB did during his prolific run at the University of Florida.
The results were immediate. And they were a whole lot of fun.
The 2-5 Broncos went from being totally irrelevant to the biggest story in pro sports. They rattled off six consecutive wins, vaulting into the playoff mix. Along the way, they defied the odds and made incredible memories.
A run-heavy offense pulled an upset at Oakland. Tebow completed just two passes at Kansas City, yet Denver won 17-10. He led a last-minute comeback to beat the Jets on a Thursday night in front of a national TV audience. They beat the Chargers in overtime, scored 35 at Minnesota to defeat the Vikings and overcame a 10-0 deficit in the final minutes against the Bears to win in OT.
But it wasn’t just the wins that made Tebow a story. It was the way he pulled off the victories that became a story.
For the most part, the quarterback played poorly. The Broncos offense was anemic for large stretches. But when the game was on the line, when plays had to be made, Tebow delivered. Time after time, he seemed to flip a switch and become a totally different player.
As a result, Denver made an improbable playoff run. They finished the season just 8-8, but that was good enough to win the AFC West. And it set up a postseason matchup with the Steelers.
That Wild Card Playoff became one of the most-memorable games in franchise history. Tebow was at his best on the biggest stage.
Against the league’s top defense, the quarterback completed just 10 passes. But he made them count, throwing for 316 yards and two touchdowns. Tebow also rushed for 50 yards and a score.
But it was the game’s final play that served as a microcosm of the Tebow era. After running the ball on first-and-10 throughout the game, offensive coordinator Mike McCoy rolled the dice on the first play of overtime; he called a play-action pass that would become the stuff of lore.
Tebow hit Demaryius Thomas in the middle of the field. The wide receiver stiff-armed a defender and was off to the races. Eighty yards later, the Broncos were in the end zone and advancing to the Divisional Round.
Empower Field went crazy. The building shook. It was the loudest the stadium had been since opening in 2001. And it was the pinnacle of Tebow Mania.
It was the ultimate improbable, crazy win. It was the signature moment of the Tebow era in Denver.
The wild ride didn’t have staying power. General manager John Elway was smart enough to realize that the Broncos needed a better long-term option, which is why he pursued free agent Peyton Manning during the subsequent offseason. But it was fun while it lasted.
For three months, Tim Tebow as the biggest story in sports. As a result, the Broncos were front and center on the national stage.
Crazy wins make headlines. When they come because of a charismatic leader, the games become legendary. Such was the case in the Mile High City during the 2011 season.
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THE COUNTDOWN
30: Ubaldo Jimenez has a magical season
29: Todd Helton get enshrined in Cooperstown
28: Valeri Nichushkin goes missing in the postseason – twice!
27: The Avalanche win their second Stanley Cup
26: The Nuggets come back from two 3-1 deficits in the bubble
25: The seemingly never-ending Broncos ownership saga
24: Hurricane Josh hits the Mile High City
23: The Rockies trade Nolan Arenado to the Cardinals
22: The Nuggets reach the Western Conference Finals in 2009
21: John Elway gets enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame
20: The Avalanche hoist third Stanley Cup in franchise history
19: The Avalanche acquire Patrick Roy from the Canadiens
18: The Broncos produce the greatest offensive season in NFL history
17: John Elway joins the Broncos front office to right the ship
16: The Avalanche win the Stanley Cup in 1996
15: The Broncos nearly decade-long quarterback carousel
14: The Avs-Red Wings rivalry turns into a bloodbath
13: The Broncos win back-to-back titles during historic season
12: The Broncos suffer one of the worst losses in franchise history
11: The Broncos part ways with head coach Mike Shanahan
10: The Nuggets trade away Carmelo Anthony in a blockbuster deal
9: Nikola Jokic finally wins a much-deserved MVP award
8: Coach Prime arrives in Boulder and resuscitates the Buffaloes
7: The Broncos make a blockbuster trade for Russell Wilson
6: The Broncos win Super Bowl 50 thanks to an all-time great defense
5: The Nuggets win the first NBA title in franchise history
4: Rocktober was a three-week run of near perfection
3: The Broncos win the Peyton Manning sweepstakes
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Wanna hear more about this Mile High Milestone? Tune into “The Rundown” at noon or check out the show on YouTube to hear Richie Carni and a special guest take a walk down memory lane.
