Hitting the ground was all too common for Tim Tebow last week in Miami. He was sacked 6 times (7 sacks were reported until one was changed to a rushing attempt that went for a loss).
That was against a team that had just 8 total sacks in its previous 5 games. This week, the Broncos face a different beast. The Detroit Lions are 12th in sacks and they have last year’s No. overall draft pick Ndamukong Suh leading the QB hunt.
Suh won all kinds of Rookie of the Year awards last year. He did it all with 66 tackles, 10 sacks, one interception, and one defensive touchdown. He even went on for an extra point attempt when the Lions’ kicker was injured.
Suh has dropped off his pace from last year. Through 7 games, he has 23 tackles and 3 sacks. It’s Kyle Vanden Bosch who is leading the team in sacks (4), but Suh is still the ultimate threat.
He will line up on Zane Beadles’ side of center and his eyes will be dead set on No. 15.
Tebow has faced many great pass rushers in college and in the pros, but he Suh is a different kind of pass rusher because of his size (6’4″, 307 lbs.) and explosiveness.
“He’s obviously a big boy, explosive, very strong, does a lot of great things on the field,” Tebow said. “He’s very impressive physically, and on tape as well.”
To go along with focusing on the Lions’ pass rush, the Broncos also have to be concerned about turning the ball over. The Broncos are -5 in turnover differential. The Lions lead the league at +10.
While this is Tebow’s time, Sunday will also be Suh’s shift. Both youngsters are clocking in for a week 8 win.
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