Has a Tim Tebow double Sports Illustrated cover curse come to pass?

In late November, in the midst of his amazing run of fourth-quarter comebacks, Tim Tebow and Sports Authority Field at Mile High graced the cover of Sports Illustrated, in what we figured would be would be a horrendous continuation of the famed SI curse; in fact, we laid out five ways that the curse would bite the Broncos. But, as with so much of what the Big Tebowski does, he defied the odds -- for a while, anyway. Because just there weeks later, Tebow appeared on the magazine's cover again, this time in close-up.

And it looks as if even Tebow couldn't escape having two covers in less than a month's time. Since that issue came out, the Broncos have been resoundingly beaten by the New England Patriots and blown out by the Buffalo Bills.

Now, there's only one game remaining in the season, against the Kansas City Chiefs. Win it, and the Broncos will likely go to the playoffs. Lose it, and they will go home. Oh, and the only thing standing between the Broncos and the playoffs? That would be Kyle Orton, who was cast off by the Broncos mid-season in favor of the Mile High Messiah and is now running the Chiefs offense -- and has a little something to prove.

Curse YOU, Sports Illustrated.