Can great defenses beat great QBs in NFL playoffs?

Tim Tebow's first NFL playoff appearance has been shaping up as a battle for the soul of modern-day professional football.

The cult of the quarterback has been threatened since the day Tebow started winning games for the Broncos. If his team beats the Steelers on Sunday, expect the cult's true believers to do one of two things: Blame the Steelers' injuries or credit John Elway, who became a Denver deity through prototypical quarterbacking mastery.

The Broncos' defense will be deemed irrelevant, even if Von Miller and Champ Bailey stymie the Steelers, or an injured and aging Brian Dawkins can play at an inspiring peak. Defenses don't win championships anymore; they support the divinity of quarterbacks. That's the gospel of the NFL, where God speaks through sublime reads and celestial deliveries.

If the 49ers or Ravens reach the Super Bowl, with Alex Smith or Joe Flacco at quarterback, the effect could be similar to Columbus not sailing off the end of the Earth. Their defenses outperformed all other playoff teams in the red zone, and the 49ers ranked first in one of the most important categories in the game - turnover differential.

But they don't have Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers or Drew Brees at quarterback, so they aren't feared. Brady was considered unstoppable last year, but the Jets took his Patriots down in the second round of the playoffs by playing superior defense - only six weeks after a 45-3 regular-season shellacking in New England.

This year's Patriots defense presents even more of an obstacle for Brady. It has been atrocious, and there is little reason to believe that it can elevate for the playoffs. For New England to win it all, Brady will have to bear a heavier load than any quarterback in Super Bowl history.

The Saints and Packers have also been rather vulnerable defensively, but they each have a bigger upside than the Patriots. Green Bay has genuine talent, from Clay Matthews to Charles Woodson, and a great defensive coordinator in Dom Capers. In the playoffs last season, the unit tripped up the potent Eagles and humiliated the Falcons. The shortcomings this year may simply reflect a softness that comes from sitting on big leads.

The Saints have a little less pure defensive talent than Green Bay, but they own a ruthless streak supported by a blitz-happy coordinator, Gregg Williams. As they proved by brutalizing Brett Favre two years ago, the Saints will push the boundaries of the law, administering late hits and accepting the penalties until the definition of "late" turns blurry for the officials.

But the question of these playoffs isn't whether a great quarterback will be knocked out. It's whether an average or spectacularly unconventional one can thrive in support of a strong rushing game, great defense or even a remarkable kicker.

Against Pittsburgh, Tebow will face the top-ranked pass defense, which makes the advice recently offered by Elway seem rather risky.

Now the lead football executive for the Broncos, Elway played out of position this week by telling the Denver Post that Tebow had to "pull the trigger" on passes instead of holding the ball too long while seeking the perfectly open receiver.

That sort of talk should come from the coach. But Elway has been everything in the Colorado sports world since 1983. He had to reject pleas to run for governor before he became the Broncos' vice president of football operations. This mile-high brand Tebowing started before the current quarterback was born.

The backlash against Tebow's evangelical faith has been surprisingly virulent, given how openly many athletes profess their religious beliefs. Baltimore's Terrell Suggs joined that chorus this week, mocking Denver's three-loss limp into the playoffs and saying in an ESPN interview: "When our quarterback prays, he be like, 'You know what, God? You know what? You sit on your couch and enjoy this.' "

Tebow did violate certain canons by writing an autobiography at age 23, and by doing virtually nothing to deter the breathless fans who sponsored billboards demanding that he replace Kyle Orton.

But his biggest sin appears to be succeeding even though he's not made in the image of Elway or Marino or Brady. "A good running back," Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher called him after a loss to the Broncos.

Results from the past few weeks suggest that defenses have figured out how to shut down Tebow and the Broncos' specially tailored option offense. But until they contain the dogma about quarterbacks, they'll never really put him in his place.

Playoff schedule

Saturday

Bengals at Texans, 1:30 p.m. Channel: 11 Channel: 3 Channel: 8

Lions at Saints, 5 p.m. Channel: 11 Channel: 3 Channel: 8

Sunday

Falcons at Giants, 10 a.m. Channel: 2 Channel: 40

Steelers at Broncos, 1:30 p.m. Channel: 5 Channel: 13 Channel: 46

This article appeared on page B - 1 of the San?Francisco?Chronicle

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