Steelers, playoffs, OT can't stop Tebow

Tim Tebow (15) of the Denver Broncos celebrates after defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers in overtime of the AFC Wild Card Playoff game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on Jan. 8, 2012, in Denver, Colo. / Getty Images/Doug Pensinger

DENVER - One of the most storied NFL playoff teams ran into a rejuvenated Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos.

Sorry, Pittsburgh Steelers.

The magic is back.

Tebow connected with Demaryius Thomas on an electrifying 80-yard touchdown pass on the first play of overtime and the Broncos defeated the stunned Steelers 29-23 in the AFC wild-card game on Sunday. Wild doesn't begin to describe it. The play took 11 seconds and was the quickest ending to an overtime in NFL history.

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2011 NFL wild card playoffs

Thomas hauled in a high play-action pass at the Denver 38, stiff-armed Ike Taylor and then outraced Ryan Mundy to the end zone. Tebow, who looked as startled as everyone else, headed for his own end zone and knelt on one knee — a gesture known far and wide these days as Tebowing. Then he pounded a fist in triumph and took a victory lap.

Behind Tebow's 316 yards passing, the Broncos (9-8) are heading to New England for a second-round game against the top-seeded Patriots on Saturday night.

The Steelers (12-5) lost despite Ben Roethlisberger rallying injury-depleted Pittsburgh from a two-touchdown halftime deficit with 10 points in the final 10 minutes.

Pittsburgh called tails for the overtime coin toss, and it came up heads. Tebow, who engineered five fourth-quarter comebacks and three OT wins in the regular season, wasted no time in finding Thomas to end the game. Mundy was playing in place of Ryan Clark, the Steelers' leading tackler who sat this one out because of a blood condition that's exacerbated at altitude.

Clark was one of several Steelers sidelined or injured. Pro Bowl center Maurkice Pouncey was out, replaced by Doug Legursky, who had a bad snap right before halftime that moved Pittsburgh out of field goal range.

After Thomas raced down the Broncos sideline, sending the crowd, including Broncos executive vice president John Elway, into a frenzy at Sports Authority Field, which was rocking like the old Mile High Stadium back in the 1990s.

And Elway, the architect of so many those magical moments at the old place, jumped for joy in his suite.

The Patriots walloped the Broncos 41-23 last month, sending Tebow into a funk that included seven turnovers and a 40 percent completion clip — and prompting Elway to implore him to "pull the trigger" in the playoffs.

Did he ever.

Tebow completed 10 of 21 passes but Thomas hauled in four of them for 204 yards after his top target, Eric Decker, was lost to a left knee injury on the first play of the second quarter when he was hit by linebacker James Harrison.

Tebow also ran 10 times for 50 yards and capped his best day as a pro with the toss to Thomas.

These two teams had played the first ever regular season overtime game on Sept. 22, 1974, in Denver. Now, they played the first non-sudden death playoff game in history. The new rules called for both teams to get the ball in the extra period providing there wasn't a touchdown by either the offense or defense.

Tebow took care of that in a hurry.

Making his first appearance in the playoffs after going 7-4 as Denver's starter, Tebow outdueled Roethlisberger, a two-time Super Bowl winner, who fell to 10-4 in the playoffs.

The Broncos snapped a three-game losing streak that had many wondering if they were even worthy of their first playoff in six seasons, and it kept the Steelers from their 34th playoff win, which would have broken a tie with the Cowboys for the most ever.

Tebow led Denver to 20 second-quarter points — they had scored just 13 in the quarter in his 11 starts — but a 20-6 halftime lead didn't last long.

Receiver Mike Wallace had a 1-yard TD run, Shaun Suisham kicked a short field goal and Jerricho Cotchery grabbed a 31-yard TD pass with 3:48 left in regulation to tie it.

[God-hates-Nike]

Jesus Christ is God's answer for Victory.
The pagan goddess NIKE is Satan's answer for victory.
Tim Tebow promotes both!

[Don_Garrett]

The Day Before Monday
What would happen if everyday professional people thought they could choose to work for companies or organizations dedicated to a cause that they believed in as much as their favorite sports team?
http://*******.com/748gv9p

[Don_Garrett]

http://www.resumenotrequired.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=86:the-day-before-monday&catid=6:resume-not-required-job-search-blog&Itemid=19

[lloydbest1]

If you are good enough to make it at the highest levels of any professional sport, you are good. Period. Some, perhaps are better at their craft than others; we have our Peytom Mannings and John Elways but also our Ryan Leafs and Rex Grossmans - But if get a look from an NFL coach or front office "suit", you've got talent.

Whether any of that comes from God is not for me to see or say but I can say that I have watched a lot of football and have not observed Mr. Tebow hitting anyone over the head with his faith at all, let alone constantly. The knee dip? C'mon, I've seen much worse following good plays and touchdowns than that. If that's considered hitting anyone over the head, what would the virtual extermination of the entire Latin American Native Indian culture be called? Most Christians are truly christian; meaning such with a small "c" as well as they are with a large "C".

And as for those who whine incessantly about how abused Christians are by others and the so-called "librul" media: Examine an unbiased history of your faith's abuse of those who didn't (and still don't) believe as you do and be dammed thankful that his is the worst you get. There are very good and sound reasons why many are suspicious of the evangelical breast beating that some indulge in and to the whole Christian concept. Defensive posturing and attitudes only exercabate that antipathy.

[erichsh]

Seems to be more than a trace of snotty, elitist condescension in your post, lloyd. Care to explain why you deliberately misspelled "librul"? Or would that only prove my point?

[Thinkerwiz]

It is only a "Christian thing" 'cause Tebow was raised as a Christian and he finds/knows moments of the universal force that is, by the way, available to anyone who will follow the path to discover & truly know it exists. The elation he has while he is in contact with the essence he says is his Christian deity and that is wonderful... it is just the words he has been taught to use. If he had been raised in another spirituality, he would have described it in other terms... the connection is the same. The unfortunate news is that the majority of us have not been properly instructed on it's existence, availability and therefore, far too many do not understand or have been led another way. It is a blessing he is open to it and a blessing he is a public figure... this will show to some others what they could find, if they are intelligent enough to perceive, learn & possibility give the gift to their children.
There is no hurry.

[erichsh]

Since I'm not a Christian, I am under no obligation to "love thy neighbor" or otherwise be constrained by any of those other pesky Christian morals. So I'm free to tell Maher and all of Tebow's other obnoxious liberal atheist critics to shove it up their arses for their unbelievably snotty comments, and congratulate Tebow for putting them in their place and shutting their traps.

"Tim Tebow Dominates Social Media Following Playoff Victory; Bill Maher Remains Silent"

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/tim-tebow-denver-broncos-pittsburgh-steelers-bill-maher-279545

[Rafterman11]

Were they "unput" in their places when Tebow looked like garbage against mediocre teams like Buffalo and KC?

The laughable thing is that people who don't know or give a crud about football suddenly have all these "insightful" comments about Tebow and think they know who should be "put in their place".

By the way, its the "liberal media" that's most responsible for pumping this guy up more than he deserves. So its pretty funny that you think they are obnoxious critics now. And do you also think that all liberals are atheists? Really?

[Watchestomuchtv]

Sorry to be the nitpicky type, and ultimately it isn't of much consequence, but I think Elway was on the field at the end of the game, not in his suite. "And Elway...jumped for joy in his suite."

[canislupus16]

What I saw too

[dantom39]

Heads will be exploding all over the liberal media and at ESPN great news. God bless Tebow.

[temple1962]

I think it is time for Tebow to give a big "one finger salute" to Maher, The Five, and all the mocking distracters who love making fun of the only person in professional sports with moral values. You don't deserve an interview with Tebow you deserve to be called out and put in your place!

[midwest_diva]

I think the media (both pro-Tebow and anti-tebow) is creating this mess. He seems like a nice guy, but he is far from the only person in professional sports with moral values.

[Rafterman11]

The ONLY person? Really?

[baileyccc]

It ain't over till Tebow decides it's over.

[smittyc]

Well pretty clear Tebow and the Broncos did a lot more praying than Rothlisberger and the Steelers. Honestly I thought the Steelers were going to win by a blowout.