MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota // When Tim Tebow took over the 1-4 Denver Broncos in October, few observers anticipated that he would lead the struggling team on a December surge toward the play-offs.
Tebow's success has not surprised Percy Harvin one bit. The quarterback's former teammate has seen it all before.
Tebow passed for a season-best 202 yards and two third-quarter touchdowns on Sunday to help the unflappable Broncos win their fifth successive game, 35-32 over the Minnesota Vikings (2-10) on Matt Prater's 23-yard field goal as time expired.
"I've seen him pull a lot of fourth quarters, a lot of last drives, a lot of two-point conversions," said Harvin, who teamed with Tebow to win two national titles at the University of Florida.
"I've got tremendous faith in him, always will. Just disappointed they got us today."
On a day when the normally stout Broncos defence was eating Harvin's dust, Tebow did what he does best - led his team back from an early deficit.
Denver trailed 15-7 at half-time and 29-21 with less than 10 minutes to go.
Tebow ran for a two-point conversion that tied the game at 29 in the fourth and Willis McGahee rushed for 111 yards and a TD to help the Broncos (7-5) forge a first-place tie in the AFC West with the Oakland Raiders, who lost to Miami.
"I know I have been saying this for the past couple weeks, but I'm so proud to have a team like this," said Tebow, who posted a career-high passer rating of 149.3.
"When adversity hits and you're not doing good, most teams pull apart and they're not on the same page anymore.
"But our team grows closer together."
Tebow has now led game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime five times in his first 10 starts, tied with Scott Brunner and Marc Wilson for the most since the merger in 1970.
"This team is close, believes, has a lot of character," Mario Haggan, the Denver defensive back, said, "but we're not done."
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