Like the little girl with the little curl; I don't know if I've ever seen a greater swing between a QB's good games and his poor ones. Which is the real Tim Tebow - the prior three weeks or this game? What will his NFL future look like? I really don't know. But man the guy is a competitor, and a lot of fun to watch play football.

Having watched D. Thomas in person a time or two in college, that guy is a beast and a great complement to Denver's ground based offense. He's everything Brandon Marshall was physically and then some, without all the drama and team chemistry problems.

Thoughts:

1. Patriots don't underestimate anybody. Belichick won't let them. In fact, he's notoriously complimentary of even awful teams the Pats are about to play. I just read an article about that a few weeks ago. I think, honestly, they are terrified of taking anybody too lightly and for whatever you think of one of the most hated coaches in modern football history, he is not known for being lazy when it comes to prep or motivation.

2. The Broncos were on a roll the last time they met up with the Pats, and after some quick pointage against the worst defense in the league, they got killed. I wonder if the only match for Tebow's will to win in these playoffs is Brady's. The guy does not want to go home again. And given the age difference, his resolve may prove tougher since he knows he won't have the opportunities in the future Tebow will.

3. Totally rooting for the Patriots. But I couldn't think of a better guy/team to lose to than Tebow and his Broncos. And if Broncos win, I'll be pulling for them to go all the way.

4. I will be preaching at our young adult ministry Saturday during the game, so I won't be able to watch it live! Pretty torn up about that. ;-) But I'm gonna DVR it and avoid social media until it's done.

This is false. Over the past two seasons, the Pats have lost to the Bills, the Browns, the Jets in the playoffs (a clear case of going into a game cocky)

Andrew, how do you know this is the reason for their loss? How are these "clear cases"?

You know, maybe they just got beat?

"How is it possible that the statistically worst passer in modern history beats the #1 pass defense?"

God's favor.

[Bill runs for his life as Karl and nhe chase him with pitchfoks and torches]

Andrew, how do you know this is the reason for their loss? How are these "clear cases"?

Well, I only mentioned the Jets game as a "clear case" of being cocky and underestimating an opponent, because all the hype surrounding that game was about how the Patriots were going to roll through them (Wes Welker's foot monologue the week before the game indicates that even some of the players were taking the game lightly). I watched that game with a large group of friends and almost turned it off after the Jets took their first lead, because I just knew the Pats would come back. It didn't happen. I guess it could have been for some reason other than underestimating the Jets that they lost that game, but I don't know what else explains losing to an inferior team under those circumstances.

As for the other losses, if the Pats just got beat straight up by the Bills, then something else is wrong, and it has nothing to do with character.

The point was not that the Patriots are way cockier than anyone else, I just reject the idea that they don't underestimate anybody, because every good team does that occasionally. Every couple of months, they have a game where they under-perform against a lesser team. It's hard to look at those games and conclude that the teams that beat them were simply better.

(As a Cowboys fan, I would love nothing more than to have the luxury to get upset occasionally, but the truth is much less complimentary. The Cowboys lose games because they are not a good team.)

On Facebook, lots of people have brought to my attention today that Tim Tebow's passing total was 316.

These people who point this 316 thing out (I heard it a lot too) need to go back to 3rd grade Sunday school and relearn that God is not a magic 8 ball.

I think most people who point it out are either joking or looking at it as an, "Oh, cool. Weird," thing. I haven't seen anybody pointing it out as a "Praise the Lord," kind of thing.

more specifically......whenever we marvel (and say "oh,cool") to something about Jesus/Bible/God that has nothing to do with the gospel itself or is not something that God Himself would delight in (this 316 thing is a perfect example) I just find it very troubling, and ultimately disrespectful to God.

OK, I'm going to take a slightly contra approach, while still acknowledging that you (nhe) may have a point.

I don't expect you to agree.

I've been weighing out in my thoughts the whole concept of the Daniel/Joseph phenomenon that we find in the Bible. It's the idea that God may show favor to an individual who is faithful to him, for the purposes of furthering God's glory and his Kingdom.

I can't get to the point, where I think you may be, of believing that that never happens. Now, not being omniscient myself, I have no idea if its happening or not. I do think the success Tebow is having is somewhat eerie, though.

But I can dismiss the idea that God has, in some way, a hand in this temporary success on the field only if I choose to believe that God never shows favor or enhances the position of an individual.

I believe you can believe in God's favor in a balanced way (without becoming Joel Osteen, in other words). Yes, it's only football. But for Joseph it was only the proper management of a prison and then later of a household. For Daniel it was the price of tea in Babylon, or whatever.

Perhaps I'm wrong?

Secondly. I am admitting something here: When I first started hearing about the 316 thing, I remember thinking "it's nice that so many people are being reminded of, or perhaps are hearing for the first time, the word and truth of John 3:16"

So it doesn't trouble me at all. And I'm not sure how it is disrespectful to God, unless it's because you find it trivial.

I can only find it trivial, again, if I'm 100% positive that God never shows favor to an individual. Biblically, I can't go there. (and, again, that doesn't make me Joel Osteen :-)

p.s. Not that anyone has said it, but the 316 thing isn't Tebow's fault.

For the record, I know Tony irl. He's a great guy and he was joking.

You all probably know that. That was just a public service announcement. Carry on.

Oh wait, you mean Tony in #10.

I knew he was joking :-) As was I (up until my comment #17)

These are a few Facebook comments I saw:

"Have you heard?...316 is the Word! for my friends who don't watch sports, Tim Tebow was told by the NFL that he could no longer wear John under his right eye and 3:16 under his left. 316 is the exact number of passing yards he had in Denver's stunning overtime win Sunday."

"Wow!!! did not know that!!!! Our God is so AWESOME!"

"plus his average yards per pass was 31.6 and the over night viewers was 31.6 million"

"God can be so funny!"

[and from another friend's page]

"Did you see he threw for 316 yards? That's 3:16"

"wow"

"one time i wish i had cable! They need to do it in split-screen: one camera on Tim and the other on the interviewer as they ROLL THEIR EYES! lol i kno i'm not supposed to gloat... But it's like sure i'll graciously give you an interview after throwing the game winning TD and absolutely out playing the opposing QB but YOU ARE GOING TO HEAR JESUS IS LORD!!!! Gotta lovIT!"


- Please go easy on these folks as some of them are dear to me (one in particular, the first comment above). But it's illustrative of the parts of the Tebow phenomenon that kind of make me wince.

As far as whether God is orchestrating Bronco wins so that people start talking about John 3:16 and Tebow's faith, I still think that is a huge stretch. Can I prove it isn't so? Of course not. But it's not the way I think God usually operates. Not that this is totally on point either, but as another of my friends posted on Facebook:

"Listen, I don't have a problem with Tim Tebow. He seems like a great guy, and I hope he has a successful career. But PLEASE can we stop claiming that God's in the business of winning football games, when 30,000 children died from preventable disease today?! Let's pray for better "miracles.".."

Yes, I'm totally kidding :) I'm having too much fun.

I did here on Air1 a bit ago that Tim is going with Rom 8:28 under his eyes against the Patriots. The Patriots are in trouble!

I hope I'm making you laugh anyway :D

I still haven't quite gotten the hang of this interwebs thing . . .