Whether the Broncos win or lose in these next 11 games, much praise or blame will go to John Fox and Tim Tebow. It’s the nature of the NFL and of the sport.
What many people forget is that offensive coordinator Mike McCoy has as much an influence on the offense as Fox and Tebow do. That’s why he’s asked to speak to the media every week. His job may be more behind the scenes, but it’s nonetheless important.
As the Broncos take time off, McCoy is heading down to San Diego with his family. He will bring some work with him, but it’s already well established what the Broncos will do offensively from here on out. While some things will be emphasized more, the offense isn’t going through a complete over haul.
“We’ll put Tim in the shotgun,” McCoy said. “We’ll try to utilize his talents the best we can, and whatever we can do to help the team win. We’re not going to change everything we’re doing just because he’s playing.”
Things will inevitably change though. The linemen will have to keep plays going longer, which could be a catalyst for more penalties.
“The linemen have got to finish their blocks a little bit longer,” McCoy said. “He (Tebow) likes to scramble and run around a little bit. The linemen have got to understand you’ve got to play till the whistle blows because he’s going to bail out the back side of a pocket or step up and move around a little bit.”
Tebow is a unique quarterback in that way.
“He’s going to run around a make some big plays because he’s going to get out of some trouble that most guys can’t get out of,” McCoy said.
The offensive line plays a huge role for a guy like Tebow who scrambles and creates plays outside of the pocket. In fact at this stage, he’s more comfortable in a situation like that. That’s why he has 6 career passing TDs and 7 career rushing TDs. He looks for the other guys first, but if he doesn’t find anything, he can take it himself.
McCoy will get more creative with the play calling and offensive spreads, especially because the team will most likely be getting Eddie Royal, Demaryius Thomas, and Julius Thomas back from injury. Those are essential guys for getting Tebow more comfortable throwing the ball.
The definition of a quarterback is always changing. It’s up to Mike McCoy to work with it rather than to resist it.
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