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The Denver Broncos considered preparing Brady Quinn for potential action against the Pittsburgh Steelers this week, according to Jeff Darlington of NFL.com. They ultimately decided to keep things the same as they've been during practice in recent weeks, though.
It is possible the Broncos still could put Tebow on a short leash after last Sunday's performance, but Quinn said that has not led to any more additional preparation in practice.
Quinn, however, has spent time throwing passes to wide receivers after practice has ended, as he did Friday. He also routinely prepares for games with a very different mindset than Tebow, since the offense would change dramatically if Quinn were to end up in the game.
Switching to Quinn during any point in Sunday's game would be a huge mistake by the Broncos. Even though Tim Tebow hasn't been playing remotely well recently, you can't switch to an ice-cold quarterback in the season's most important game.
The former Cleveland Browns signal caller hasn't thrown a single meaningful pass since the 2009-10 season. His performance back then was less than impressive and it's hard to imagine he's made any significant strides while riding the pine ever since.
When Kyle Orton was removed from the starting spot earlier in the season, I was driving the Quinn bandwagon. It's just not a move you can make at this point, though. And no, it's not so crazy it might just work. It's just crazy, period.
At this point in the season you have to ride with the horses that got you here. Tebow's fourth-quarter heroics, which were aided by a terrific defense that has seemingly disappeared in recent weeks, are the only reason the Broncos qualified for the postseason.
The Steelers are dealing with a lot of nagging injuries and lost star running back Rashard Mendenhall for the season. So this weekend's game is more winnable than most people are making it out to be.
That said, if the Broncos start rotating quarterbacks they will only dig themselves a deeper hole.
Tebow and Quinn are completely different quarterbacks. Tebow is best off in a run-first offense that works in a couple option wrinkles so he can use his legs. Quinn is pocket passer that's going to need a bunch of throws just to get back up to speed.
There's no way a rusty quarterback will be able to find his way against the NFL's best pass defense. So, although fans have quickly soured on Tebow, he remains Denver's best chance of pulling off the upset. It's a long shot to be sure, but at least they have a chance with him. They wouldn't with Quinn.
For the sake of Broncos fans, hopefully the Broncos came to the same conclusion and will ride out the storm with Tebow on Sunday. There will be plenty of time to assess the quarterback situation during the offseason.
The week leading up to a playoff game isn't the time to do it. And it certainly isn't time to be planning a potential switch.
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