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The talk leading up to the the matchup between the Broncos and the Patriots is all about Tebow. If you only read the headlines, you'd think the Denver QB is the one with three Super Bowl rings. The Tebow hype has the nation's attention, but it doesnt' seem to be affecting the players.
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Tebowmania grabs headlines from Brady
FOXBOROUGH, MASS. (AP)
For his latest trick, Tim Tebow is making three-time Super Bowl
champion Tom Brady disappear from the headlines.
Now, with Tebowmania in full force, the Denver Broncos hope to make the
New England Patriots vanish from the playoffs when they meet Saturday
night.
Photos of the devout, much doubted Denver sensation kneeling on the
turf in prayer are a weekly occurrence. There are plenty of shots of
him with arms thrust in the air after a scoring play.
But where are those pictures of Brady posing with supermodel wife
Gisele Bundchen or with the Patriots title trophies?
That's what happens when Tebow leads the Broncos to four overtime wins
in one season, capped by last Sunday's wild-card victory over
Pittsburgh. For Brady, coming off one of the best of his 12 seasons,
greatness is expected and not often celebrated.
''I'm never surprised at what gets talked about anymore,'' Patriots
left tackle Matt Light said with a smile. ''I think I saw a
seven-minute (video) piece on a girl that ate M&Ms while doing
a handstand. That was interesting. I mean, I got into it for a while.
''I think it's just any time there's anything new - he's obviously new
(and) he's done some incredible things this season. I think the hype is
justified.''
If Tebow can stun the odds makers who have made the Broncos 13
1-2-point underdogs, the attention will grow heading into the AFC
championship game. Forecasters are predicting the coldest day of the
winter with temperatures in the single digits Saturday night.
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| Denver Broncos fans hold a sign in reference
to quarterback Tim Tebow (15) (not pictured) against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second quarter of the 2011 AFC wild card playoff game
at Sports Authority Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-US PRESSWIRE |
Tebow, who played four seasons at Florida, hasn't been in many games
below 20 degrees.
''I'd say probably a handful,'' he said, ''not as many as Mr. Brady
has, probably.''
The Patriots, winners of eight straight games but losers of their last
three in the playoffs - the last two at home - beat the Broncos on Dec.
18 in Denver, 41-23.
New England (13-3) gave up 167 yards rushing in the first quarter and
trailed 16-7 early in the second. But three Denver turnovers in that
quarter were costly. Defensively, the Broncos controlled receiving
stars Wes Welker and Rob Gronkowski, but were hurt by the Patriots'
other tight end, Aaron Hernandez.
The Patriots gave up the second-most yards in the league this season,
but, with Brady, they scored the third most. So pass rushers Von Miller
and Elvis Dumervil must get to him early and defensive backs must cover
as long as necessary.
Tebow won't have leading receiver Eric Decker, who hurt his left knee
against Pittsburgh. But Willis McGahee ran for 1,199 yards and Tebow
added 660 this season on the NFL's top rushing team.
''We can learn a little bit from our last game against them, but this
is a whole new deal,'' Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. ''They're a
tough team to prepare for. They give you a lot of looks on both sides
of the ball.''
Tebow brought the Broncos (9-8) back from a 1-4 start all the way to
the playoffs despite completing 46.5 percent of his passes with a
flawed motion and losing the last three regular-season games.
But the hype soared after last Sunday's playoff victory.
On the very first play of overtime, Pittsburgh had no deep safety. All
Demaryius Thomas had to do was catch Tebow's 18-yard pass over the
middle and run the rest of the way for an 80-yard touchdown and a 29-23
win.
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Denver
Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow (15) warms up before the start of the
game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Sports Authority Field.
Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-US PRESSWIRE
1/1/2012 |
That cranked up the Tebowmania volume on postgame shows but not among
his teammates.
''For the most part, it's not like it's something that you ask for,''
Tebow said. ''You care about going out there and trying to get better
every day and trying to be a great teammate.''
And his teammates don't focus on the hype.
''It's nowhere in the locker room,'' safety Quinton Carter said.
''Everybody else outside of here can have fun with that. We're here to
work. We're here to win. We don't think about it.''
Tebow also has gotten plenty of attention for displaying his religious
views by Tebowing - the description for his kneeling - and referring to
his faith.
Patriots special teams captain Matthew Slater also is deeply religious.
''I think he's doing the right thing,'' Slater said. ''I think that
he's challenging other believers across the league to maybe be more
open about their beliefs as well.''
Brady rarely discusses his personal feelings. He prefers to focus only
on football. But there are similarities in how he and Tebow began their
careers, both facing doubts about their NFL prospects.
The Patriots didn't draft Brady until the sixth round in 2000 and he
became a starter in the third game of 2001 after Drew Bledsoe was
injured. Tebow won two national championships and the Heisman Trophy at
Florida but wasn't drafted until the 25th pick in 2010 and started just
three games as a rookie amid doubts about his passing skills.
''I think everybody has a story to tell. Every player who has made it
this far has had to overcome some adversity,'' Brady said. ''It could
be injuries or a lack of opportunities or you're stuck behind someone
else. There are very few people that get brought to the NFL ushered in
on a red carpet.
''I think everybody has to fight through some things, which really, you
can see kind of someone's strength of character and what they're made
of when they're faced with adversity.''
Then there's the parallel between each quarterback's first playoff game.
Ten years ago, on Jan. 19, the Patriots beat the Oakland Raiders 16-13
in the ''Tuck Rule Game.'' Brady appeared to lose a fumble with 1:43
left, but officials ruled the replay showed his arm going forward. That
made it an incompletion even though Brady appeared to be trying to tuck
the ball into his body.
Adam Vinatieri then tied the game with a 45-yard field goal in the snow
with 27 seconds to go in regulation and won it with a 23-yarder midway
through overtime.
Unlikely? Definitely.
''That was a long time ago,'' Light said. ''I think that where we are
now is drastically different than where we were then.''
But more unlikely than Tebow's 80-yarder to Thomas?
Another similarity: both quarterbacks strive to be just one of the
guys, unselfish players who blend in.
In 2005, Brady posed for GQ Magazine holding a baby goat. His teammates
razzed him.
And now, Tebow says his teammates tease him about his fame.
''Hopefully, they see you as a friend and as a teammate,'' he said.
''The rest of it is something that we laugh at and, sometimes, they
make fun of you for.''
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