We all know that Kyle Orton and Jay Cutler will be forever linked when it comes to the Bears and the Broncos.
Last spring, it was the Bears who got the better half of the deal. Yes, they had to give up draft picks, but they were receiving a franchise quarterback in Cutler while the Broncos, well, they were just getting a guy who was a fallback plan after Josh McDaniels couldn’t find a way to bring Matt Cassel to the Mile High city.
But, we were dead wrong to judge that deal back then.
I completely agree with the Bears’ decision to give Cutler an extension that our own Brad Biggs first reported here at the NFP late last night. He has all the tools that you look for in a franchise quarterback, and with the serious issues they are having up front with the running game, he is the only outlet for this club to produce points. You lock up players like that in this league.
Does he take too many risks? Of course he does, but there is a quarterback up north in Brett Favre who has made a living doing that and is doing it better than both Cutler and Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers this season in the NFC North.
However, if Cutler deserves the deal, then where is Orton’s “new money?” Because that guy is playing better than any quarterback in his own division. He is protecting the football, he is making big time throws—like the TD pass to Tony Scheffler on Monday night—and he is doing what might be the best thing for the Broncos: keeping Brandon Marshall happy.
Orton is leading an offense that is currently 6-0, and although they are the surprise of the 2009 season, they aren’t going away. They are as good as their record tells us.
Sure, he is a product of Josh McDaniels’ system, right? Well, so was Matt Cassel, and so was Tom Brady to some extent. You see, there are no “system” quarterbacks in the NFL. This league isn’t the Big 12 or the University of Florida. Denver doesn’t run the spread. Nor does New England, or Indy or New Orleans.
McDaniels' system, just like Sean Payton’s down south, is a pro offense that needs an efficient pro quarterback to run it. And that is what Orton has turned out to be. No, he is not like Cutler in the fact that he can’t drop back and throw it 65 yards on the fifth step of his drop, but there are only about five QBs in the league who can do that. Orton can produce points, and he can make every throw that McDaniels calls from the sidelines.
And, after this hot start, I doubt McDaniels is going anywhere for a while in Denver. And neither should Orton.
Peyton Manning and Tom Brady seem to be the next quarterbacks in line to break the bank with a massive contract, but Orton should get some cash, too. He has proven that with his play thus far, and the Broncos have proven that they made out pretty well on that trade, as well.
Time for Denver to start planning to pay up.
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pmars;
Don't know how many Broncos games you ever watched, but "down a TD late in the 4th and starting at the 20" is the exact situation where Cutler (thus far in his career), will come on the field and throw a pick. The Atlanta game is the perfect example. His last throw in the end zone was HORRIBLE.
Why does Orton have to apologize for the fact that Brady sucked a$$ against the Broncos. Sure, Royal returned a couple against SD, but whos to say the Bronco's wouldn't have scored on those drives when the ball was being GIVEN to them. We're not rewriting history, here. The fact of the matter is that Cutler had the exact same talent around him last year, but couldn't control ball games or get wins. I'll take Orton.
Scot,
The Atlanta game is more an example of Cutler trying to do too much because he's all they really have on offense. Granted he makes his share of mistakes, but, again, no way the Bears are 3-2 with Orton. No way they are even in the game against Atlanta. No way they pull out the Steelers game. Sure, the two missed FGs helped in that game, but Cutler still had drive the offense down the field twice in the 4th to get the win.
Last year, Cutler did have most of the same talent, except any semblance of a running game, and put up far better stats. He was let down by a terrible defense. He didn't give up 52 to San Diego last year. Just check the stats from last year to this to see where the Broncos rank offensively. No question, they were much better last year. If Cutler had Mike Nolan as d-coordinator last year, he's still in Denver, Shanahan's still in Denver, and the Broncos may be the AFC favorite now. As it is, they probably make the playoffs and, yes, I doubt the Bears will, but the Broncos won't even get to the AFC title game. I still say there's no chance Orton is starting in Denver in two years.
Produce in the playoffs!!
Hey Smooth / pmars ,
You guys remind me of a loser who dumps their solid , longtime girlfriend because she's not a 10 ,in order to u hook up with what u thought was a hottie . At first - you think you hit the jackpot,then reality sets in when your "hottie " moves in , gets fat and max's out your credit card .
You're left with an empty wallet and a bruised ego , prayin' your friends won't notice the warts on your "hotties" lard a ss .
So now your solution is to bad mouth the ex to anyone who'll listen .
Did it ever occur to you 2 Einsteins to just admit that although Orton was an unflashy pro in Chicago - at least he WON games for you and just wish him well ?
I once had respect for Bears fans . . . but all this recent sore grapes Orton bashing I've been reading lately makes me realize that the Chi-town got what it deserves ...
Jay " the wart sproutin' , lard-bottomed , over payed ex-hottie " Cutler
ENJOY .
Capnfoxboro, you don't even know me. I like Orton. He's a fellow Purdue alum. What I don't like are disillusion football fans who think he's a great quarterback overnight. He's always been solid and will continue to be. To compare orton to someone like Brees is nonsense. They are completely different quarterbacks.
I'm not sour about the trade. i wish orton well. And if I'm the bears I'd still do that trade any day of the week. It's a trade that worked out for both teams.
Enough with this "orton won games in chicago". No the bears won games. Orton was god awful his rookie, because he was a rookie, yet the bears still won 11 games. If you still think orton was the reason the bears won, I really don't know what to tell you. The bears went 9-7 last year and missed the playoffs with Orton at QB. He did the same thing Jay Cutler did, missed the playoffs. But I forgot he's still a winner. In the end the only thing that matters is winning the superbowl, something neither QB has done. WHo cares what his regular season record is? Unless of course you like setting standards low.
Scot, how many bears games have you watched this year? You do realize Cutler led the Bears on game winning drives against the Steelers and Seahawks? And that Atlanta game you keep bringing up, he drove the offense down the field 90+ yards for a game tying TD, and they went on another long drive to tie the game. it didn't work out obviously, but to say that the ONE throw cutler made is how he does on game winning drives just make you sound like you have no idea what you are talking about.
Hey CapnFoxboro,
No worries, mate. It's just hilarious how folks are so much the prisoner of the moment. As for the girlfriend, sounds like someone secretly wishes he had chosen the 10 instead of playing it safe. :)
Cheers!
Regardless of the surounding cast you still have to produce and Orton had done that .
he has basically not thrown a pick so far this year but of course that will be attributed to the broncos defense ...
What is getting left out in the comparison is that Jay Cutler is in Ortons old offensive role putting up the sme numbers numbers Orton was on pace for last year before he got injured . Just go to the game logs and add them up .
So when people try to attribute Ortons success as only being because of the players surrounding him they are 100% wrong .
Orton is running a much more sophisticated offense in Denver than jay is running in Chicago and that offense puts way more responsibilities on the QB making changes at the line of scrimmage than Chicagos offense . Last year the bears had one of the best no huddle offenses in the league under Orton which they used to offset the weak blocking of the line and now you dont see it at all under Cutler and hes getting blasted . This is with the Bears running a similar offense to what Cutler ran in Denver under Shanahan.
Sorry but I know its a tough pill to swallow but Orton is shaping up to be as every bit as good of an nfl QB as jay and the rate hes improving maybe even better .
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Oct 21, 2009
06:20 PM
Could not agree more with Smooth... Orton has far better talent around him and, if not for a fluke in week 1 and Brady's poor play against the Pats, Broncos are 4-2, and not looking quite so good. Also, Royal had 2 TD returns for the Broncos that kept them in Monday's game. And Orton has probably the best WR tandem in the NFL, has an excellent o-line, has a better running game, and has Mike Nolan coaching lights-out as the d-coordinator. The Chiefs hung 20 on Dallas with far inferior talent while the Broncos scored 17 at home, no less, against the Boys. I'll bet the house that Orton is not the Broncos starting QB in two years. Down a TD late in the 4th and starting at the 20 and I'll take Cutler any day over Orton.