It was bound to happen. Ever since the Denver Broncos drafted the talented and charismatic Tim Tebow out of Florida in 2010, fans have wanted him to be the starting quarterback. The Broncos, who won two Super Bowls in the late 1990's, have hit hard times recently; they haven't made the postseason since 2005.

New head coach John Fox, faced with a difficult rebuilding task, tried to avoid any type of quarterback controversy between Tebow and the designated starter Kyle Orton. All through the pre-season Fox insisted that Orton was his number one and Brady Quinn was number two. Fox focused on Orton's strengths - experience, game management - and reiterated that in a lockout-shortened training camp, the popular Tebow was at a disadvantage.

Cut to Week One, where Orton was roundly booed by the home fans in a 23-20 loss to Oakland. Fox defended his quarterback, saying Orton gave the Broncos the best chance of winning.

Meanwhile, a group of fans actually bought space on a billboard urging Fox to start Tebow.

A close win over Cincinnati in Week Two was followed by three consecutive defeats, including this weekend's 29-24 loss to San Diego. In that contest, Tebow replaced an ineffective Orton and nearly pulled off a miraculous comeback. Fans, media - even teammates - were caught up in the effort and enthusiasm Tebow brought to the game. They all but demanded a change.

The Broncos have a bye this week and Fox has decided to pull the trigger and hand the reins to Tebow. With the team sitting in the AFC West basement yet again, there's little to lose. Fox will need to re-jig the offense to suit Tebow's running skills, and while this might not be a long-term solution, for now it's probably the right move. And at least the fans - as loyal as any in the NFL - will be happy.

Since Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway retired after a second consecutive Super Bowl win in 1999, the Broncos have struggled to find a star quarterback. Brian Griese, Jake Plummer, Jay Cutler and now Orton have failed to take the team to great heights. Will Tebow lead Denver back to the Promised Land? Probably not. Is it is time to give him a shot? Yes it is.

Short yardage situations

The Lions are 5-0 for the first time since 1956. Not that you need me to tell you how long it's been, but that was - of course - the year of the Melbourne Olympics.

"Clipboard Jesus" is at it again. Charlie Whitehurst, the bearded backup quarterback (backups often hold clipboards on the sidelines) has led Seattle to another stunning victory. Relegated to second string QB after the Seahawks signed Tarvaris Jackson, Whitehurst filled in admirably against the Giants in New Jersey, and helped Seattle to a 36-25 win.

Interesting that just as Atlanta's moment of silence for Al Davis started, the NBC broadcast went to commercial. Davis certainly had his enemies, but I doubt anyone at NBC was that spiteful. Let's chalk it up to an honest mistake.

I don't write much about the Canadian Football League (CFL), but in this case I think it's warranted. Montreal Alouettes' quarterback Anthony Calvillo has broken the all-time passing record of 72,381 yards set by Damon Allen, a former CFL star. The NFL's all-time leader is Brett Favre, with 71,838 yards. He ranks third on the all-time list, while Warren Moon - who played in the CFL and the NFL - is fourth with 70,553 yards.