— The Broncos ran the ball better than they have all season Sunday.
Tim Tebow had the most carries he’s had in any game this season.
Many have put those two together, done the old A+B = C deal to say Tebow’s presence rattled the run game free. Maybe there is a little something to that, but the Jets had to defend the Tebow plays differently than they defended the Broncos’ 31 other runs in the game.
That’s because the Broncos didn’t line up in the formation Tebow was in on any of those 31 other runs. Strictly in a football sense, Tebow’s effect really was only felt by the New York defense on the plays Tebow was on the field.
Also, wide receiver Eddie Royal had 13 yards on a kind of reverse pivot, pitch play from Kyle Orton and Orton had 22 yards rushing on play-saving scrambles. Those two plays were not impacted in any way by what challenges Tebow offered the defense.
Take those 35 yards out and the Broncos rushed for 110 yards on 35 carries – a 3.1 yards per carry average. Knowshon Moreno had 28 of his 48 yards on two carries, 20 yards on his other 10 rushes combined.
The run game was better because the Broncos were in a position by the tempo, game situation and defense rather than because of Tebow’s six appearances in the offensive formation. Because of the score they could keep trying to run without fear of dropping too far behind.
Tebow’s full effect on a defense won’t be seen until he passes out of the formation. Defenses still are packing the middle of the field, honoring their run gaps and taking their chances he can’t break free.
On Tebow’s touchdown run, Spencer Larsen and guard Russ Hochstein, pulling from the other side of the formation, buried Jets safety James Ihedigbo, who had the outside containment responsibilities, to give Tebow the corner.
But with Orton standing wide in the formation on five of Tebow’s carries, the Broncos are essentially playing 10-on-11, at least until the threat of a Tebow pass is there. The Jets defended Orton on the early carries, but by Tebow’s sixth carry, Orton was standing on the 36-yard line and the closest Jets defender (Darrelle Revis) was 11 yards away, on the 25.
A double pass certainly is an option at some point if defenses continue that trend. Tebow got his first NFL touchdown Sunday, but his real impact on opposing defenses may still be a few passes away.
