Even if you are someone who despises both the Green Bay Packers and Jesus (Tim Tebow), there is no way that you could not have been disappointed seeing two of the most historic streaks in the NFL end abruptly. One of the streaks was ended by probably the greatest QB in the NFl over the last decade, Tom Brady, while the other was ended by a QB who was cut earlier to make way for God to show his power through Tebow (Kyle Orton). Prior to their loss on Sunday to the coach-less Chiefs, the Packers hadn't lost a football game in almost a calendar year; their last loss dated back to December 19, 2010 to the New England Patriots, while playing without their Pro Bowl QB Aaron Rodgers. As a Packers fan, it was truly difficult to watch this game as it not only exposed the well-known flaws of the Packers' 31st ranked defense, but it also showed flaws in Rodger's game, something that most people forgot existed. And although Rodgers was under heavy pressure for most of the game due to his injury prone offensive line and even though his go to guy (with Greg Jennings injured), Jordy Nelson, didn't show up until there were 3 minutes left in the game, it pains me to say that Rodgers had a subpar performance, missing easy throws and relying too much on his receivers to adjust to the ball. After the game, most of the Packers and Packers fans shrugged the loss off, claiming that it's good for the Packers to know that they aren't invincible. I couldn't disagree more with this sentiment. First of all, losing is never a good thing, no matter what your record is. Secondly, this was more than just a loss. This was a lost chance at history. The Packers had the 2nd longest winning streak in NFL history and their last two games were at home against teams that they had beat earlier this season. They would have been favored to go 16-0 and would have also been favored to extend their win streak to 25. Assuming that there aren't any drastic off-season changes to the Packer's roster, the Packers had the possibility to extend their streak to 33 or more, passing the Showtime Lakers for the longest winning streak in professional sports!
Okay fine, maybe I should stop living in a world that could have been, but the point is that any winning streak in professional sports is significant, and the Packers had a chance to engrave themselves in history, arguably as the greatest football team ever. Granted that they can renew this argument by repeating as Superbowl Champions, they still blew a once in a lifetime opportunity. And what makes the loss more disappointing is that came to the Kansas City Chiefs, a team who had just fired their head coach and have a starting QB that Green Bay had already crushed earlier in the year. You don't get a chance to make history every season but when you do, you have to capitalize, and it seems like the Packers just didn't want it.
Meanwhile....
The Patriots versus the Broncos was easily the most hyped up game of this NFL Season and it had every right to be. It featured Tom Brady and the Patriots, who seem to break some sort of record every year, and Tim Tebow's Denver Broncos, who seem to do no wrong after the third quarter. Everyone agreed that something special was going on in Denver and Tebow madness has spread everywhere in the country, ranging from a skit dedicated to him on SNL to multiple high schools around the country where kids have been suspended for "tebowing." Whether you like Tebow or you completely despise him and his virtuous demeanor, no one can deny that it takes something special to have a word named after you.
And special is the only thing that properly describes what Denver was doing.
Everyone knew the story. I don't have to elaborate on Denver's 7-1 record with Tebow as a starter, or Tebow's QB rating's unfathomable jump between the 3rd and 4th quarter, or how everyone on Denver could do things at the end of the game that would have seemed impossible in the first three quarters. I don't have to elaborate on the "Tebow factor" that everyone credited for Denver's success, and in my opinion, rightfully so. This was, at least in ESPN's mind, the greatest story ever told. And that's why ESPN decided to tell it again and again and again.
I also don't have to tell you what happened. Tom Brady's Patriots put the Broncos in their place, removing any chance of another 4th quarter comeback. Tebow played a great game, at least for his standards, throwing the ball for almost 200 yards and rushing for two touchdowns. The funny thing about this game is that no one was surprised when the Patriots beat the Broncos. Yet, everyone was disappointed. It's like a Christmas miracle was taken away from us. Even Tebow haters couldn't say anything. What had Tebow done wrong? Lost to a team led by arguably the best QB to ever play the game? No QB can ever be criticized for being outplayed by Tom Brady. It's something that's normal. The problem is that Tebow showed for once that he was normal.
Both streaks were special but for different reasons. The Packer's streak was built through hard work, incredible team chemistry, and a little luck. Denver's streak was... magical, created through not just a team but an entire country believing in one man's ability to keep doing the impossible. What makes the Packer's streak ending more heartbreaking than the one started by Denver is that if Tebow leads his Broncos to a 4th quarter comeback against the Bills on Saturday, Tebowmania will resume as if it had never stopped to begin with. For the Packers, their win next week will come nowhere near to the attention as Tebow's win would receive, no matter how they win. At best, the Packer's will clinch home-field advantage throughout the playoffs and be just like any other number one seed in the past. Even if they win the Superbowl, it still won't be as special as it could have been, due to the fact that repeating as Superbowl champs has been done before. What makes people so crazy about what Tebow is doing is that it's never been done before. People believe in Tim Tebow and will continue to believe in him and glorify his victories, even after his loss to the Patriots. The same cannot be said for the Packers. They went from being historic to being just another really good team and that's why their streak ending the way that it did has to be devastating for any football fan.
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