Broncos executive John Elway told a local columnist Tuesday that struggling quarterback Tim Tebow needed to "pull the trigger" to find success in Sunday's wild-card matchup against the Steelers.
Elway implored Tebow to leave the indecisiveness behind and play in the aggressive style that helped Denver during a six-game winning streak that gave way to a three-game skid.
Judging by Tebow's comments during a Wednesday media session at Broncos headquarters, Elway's words left an impression.
"The more you get into tighter games, playoff games, you've got to be aggressive," Tebow said, according to The Denver Post. "You also have to be smart, but you have to be aggressive and pull the trigger at times. That's something we'll have to do."
Tebow Time came to an abrupt halt as the quarterback fell into a deep slump in the final three games of the regular season, all Denver losses. Tebow threw only one touchdown pass in the last three games, completing just 41 percent of his passes while turning over the ball seven times.
Those are the numbers of a raw prospect, which the 24-year-old Tebow still very much is. But this also is the playoffs, where the margin for error disappears.
"It's trying to be smart and not put your team in a bad decision, because that's the fastest way to put your team out of a game," Tebow said. "Sometimes I do need to be more aggressive with certain routes and throws."
Trusting your instincts is all well and good, but those same instincts have a habit of betraying you when you face the No. 1 defense in football. Tebow has a huge challenge in front of him, one that could go a long way in determining how his boss views him in the Broncos' future.
