ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) - From armchair quarterbacks to Hall of Famers, everyone has an opinion on how to fix Tim Tebow's recent funk.
Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy has heard it all, even receiving advice from his wife, but insists it's not the time or place to reinvent the offense - again. He wants to build off what has worked so well up until a recent three-game slide: A run-oriented scheme with passes sprinkled in from Tebow.
That strategy was successful during the team's six-game winning streak and McCoy thinks it can be the right formula against the Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4) in a first-round playoff game Sunday.
Provided, of course, the Broncos (8-8) can get Tebow back on track.
The unorthodox quarterback has at times looked flustered as the team floundered down the home stretch, backing into the playoffs. Broncos boss and Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway recently weighed in on the erratic play of Tebow, saying he wanted to see a more aggressive approach in the passing game.
McCoy couldn't agree more.
"Without a doubt. And it's not just Tim," McCoy said. "Tim has made his mistakes, but it's not one guy. We have 11 guys on the field and we're all accountable for that, myself included. I could help him. I wish I knew certain coverage was there at times, and I'd call the game different."
Noticeably absent from the passing attack in recent weeks have been short passes to the running backs and quick, timing routes. Completing a few of those types of throws early against Pittsburgh might bolster Tebow's confidence.
Or so the theory goes.
Tebow completed six of his first eight passes at Buffalo two weeks ago, only to finish 7 of 22 the rest of the way in a 40-14 loss that shook his confidence the following week in a 7-3 loss to Kansas City.
"It's the flow of the game," McCoy said. "We're going to do whatever we think is the best plan against a certain opponent, and sometimes those may not be quick passes. So we put the game plan in what is best for the football team."
These days, everyone around the Mile High City has thoughts on why Tebow has struggled. That's become the hot topic on talk shows.
And many point the finger at McCoy, believing his conservative play calling is the reason for an offense that's gaining yards but not scoring many points. McCoy is quick to point out that Denver had the top running game in the league this season, averaging nearly 165 yards a game. He doesn't want to stray too far from the ground game, which played a big role in getting the Broncos to the postseason for the first time since the 2005 season. They rushed for a franchise-best 2,632 yards this season.
"We're trying to do whatever it takes to win, and we did a great job running the football this year," said McCoy. "When you average 4.8 yards per carry - we have a strong belief that we're going to average that, if not more, on a day-to-day basis.
"We're trying to do whatever it takes, and whatever situation is in the game, that's what we're going to do. If it's throwing the ball a little more, that's what we're going to do. If it's to run it like we've been doing, we'll see how it goes. ... Everyone's got an opinion."
Including his wife. But she's not picky on the plays - just the end result.
"She just wants us to get in the end zone and win," McCoy said, smiling.
Not only that, but the blueprint for beating Tebow and the Broncos already has been well documented: Keep him in the pocket and dare him to beat you with his arm.
Pittsburgh defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau will have a few tricks up his sleeve as well, making this by far the most difficult defense Tebow has faced in the NFL.
"It's probably safe to say that all 11 starters have a blitz where they're the ones coming," Tebow said. "You have to be aware, and you have to know where they're coming from. Sometimes it looks like it's chaos out there, but they know where they're going and they're going there fast."
Elway had a simple suggestion for his quarterback: Go through his progressions and "pull the trigger."
Still, there's a fine line between pulling the trigger and taking undue risks. Tebow has thrown four interceptions and fumbled three times during this recent three-game slide.
In contrast, he had just three turnovers when the team reeled off six straight wins to resuscitate its season.
"The system is still in place," McCoy said. "We run a lot of the same plays, concepts, schemes, whatever you want to call it, when we were winning football games. So, it comes down to just our entire football team doing a better job and tightening up a little bit and getting it done."
McCoy's name surfaced as a candidate for the vacant head coaching position in Jacksonville.
"Well, the No. 1 thing is to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers this week," McCoy said as he basked in a very Florida-like day in Denver with the temperature at nearly 70 degrees.
"Hey, it's a gorgeous day here. I've got a great job; I love the organization here," he said. "We'll see how it shakes out."
