Tim Tebow's First Start: How will the Former Gator Do Against Miami on Sunday?

After all the hoopla, Sunday is almost upon us, and it will officially be Tebow Time.

The decision to insert Tim Tebow into the starting lineup might be more of a commentary on how the Broncos were doing before Tebow, than it is on Tebow's potential to turn things around.

Broncos fans and management know that Kyle Orton wasn't exactly inspiring confidence in the offense, so head coach John Fox gave many fans what they wanted by naming Tebow the starter in a road game against the struggling Miami Dolphins.

Expectations aren't that high for Tebow. He's still young and inexperienced, and the Broncos' playoff hopes have already been dashed at this point, barring a fantastic turnaround. But Bronco fans are very much interested in how he'll perform in his first start of the season.

In his career, Tebow has completed 45-of-92 passes for 733 yards. His career passer rating is 84.2, which is respectable for a new quarterback. His big strength coming out of college was his ability to scramble, and so far he's done a solid job running for yards.

But how will he do against Miami?

Things seem to be in place for Tebow to have a big game at Sun Life Stadium.

The main reason to be optimistic about Tebow's chances is the Broncos' opponent. The winless Dolphins have been dreadful this season, and their defense isn't helping. Miami is ranked No. 26th in the NFL in defensive total yards, though the rush defense has been respectable.

It's the defensive backs that are giving head coach Tony Sparano problems. The Dolphins are ranked No. 29 in defensive passing yards (284 per game), which should bode well for Tebow's passing attack. Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald described the home team's secondary as terrible so far this season, and it's hard to disagree.

But the Dolphins' ineptitude isn't all that should help Tebow's 2011 debut as a starter.

With the University of Florida Gators being honored on Sunday, Tebow will likely receive a warm welcome. He was a college football hero in the Sunshine State after leading the Gators to a win in the 2009 BCS National Championship Game, and spent most of his formative years living in Florida.

Tebow and the Broncos should come into the game feeling good after having two weeks to rest, while the Dolphins will be playing on just six days rest.

The weather conditions in Miami call for temperatures in the low 80s, and there won't be wind, so Tebow will have ideal conditions to throw the ball.

The former Heisman Trophy winner goes into Sunday after a decent game against the Chargers, where he completed four of 10 pass attempts for 79 yards. He also rushed six times for 38 yards.

More than likely, Tebow will have the confidence to do well in first start of the season. Most of his teammates have been supportive of him replacing Orton, and the other Broncos backup, Brady Quinn, has not been vocal about being passed over for Tebow.

In other words, there is little drama for Tebow going into Sunday's game, and he should feel confident under center.

If there's one thing working against Tebow it would be certain missing player. Pro Bowl wide receiver Brandon Lloyd was traded to St. Louis earlier this week at the trade deadline.

The Broncos receiving corps still included Eric Decker and Daniel Fells, but the loss of Lloyd is a major loss.