T.K.O.
09-12-2010, 07:59 AM
broncos
Kyle Orton zeros in on comfort zone
By Mike Klis
Denver Post
Posted: 09/12/2010 01:00:00 AM MDT
Kyle Orton the quarterback has nothing to hide. Fire away. He'll address any concern, speak to any issue, respectfully answer even the most absurd questions.
Kyle Orton the man after he leaves the Broncos' locker room each night?
"Come on, I don't do that stuff," he said.
Eat dinner, kiss the wife, pet the dog?
"Sure, all of the above," Orton said in his deadpan manner. "What, are you working for TMZ now?"
Mr. Excitable, Orton is not. Then again, Orton's personality may explain how he was able to shrug off the transition from his lame-duck status in April to Broncos quarterback of the future by August.
Even if the future is only through next season, his ability to turn the other cheek after he was slapped first by the addition of Brady Quinn, then Tim Tebow, speaks to Orton's remarkable calm.
Either that, or Orton quietly burns when he's ticked off.
"I've said this before: I feel like you compete for your job every single year," Orton said last week. "Whether you draft a first-rounder or not, you've still got to do a job. As long as decisions are based on what happens on the field — production and leadership, all that stuff — I'm totally fine. I'm always willing to compete."
Orton, and not Tebow, the first-round prospect who hails from Jacksonville, will be the Broncos' starting quarterback today in the 2010 season opener in Jacksonville.
Tebow's return home, not far from the University of Florida campus where he became an celebrity never before seen in college football, stirs curiosity from coast to coast. Those only concerned with the space limited to the Broncos' world know hope for victory today lies primarily with Orton.
His offensive line is a frightening mix of rookies and veterans coming off injuries. His running backs are trying to mend after falling apart on the first day of training camp. His receiver corps no longer includes Brandon Marshall.
And yet Orton just had a preseason that, if duplicated during the regular season, would put him within the top- 10 quarterback level.
One year makes a difference
Orton threw four touchdown passes in his first three preseason quarters. In six quarters overall, Orton led the first-team offense to 52 points. He was rewarded with a one year, $8.8 million extension.
"The guy will pick you apart if you let him," said Broncos defensive end Justin Bannan, who played against Orton as a member of the Baltimore Ravens. "I only had one week to look at him when I was in Baltimore last year, but just being around him as a teammate, I have full confidence in him. Not only that, he probably feels a lot more comfortable in the offense this year than he did last year."
More comfortable in the offense. People keep saying that about Orton. He played well in his first season with the Broncos last year. Not great, but better than he had in his previous two seasons as a starter for the Chicago Bears.
His impressive preseason play as he starts Year 2 with the Broncos is almost entirely attributed to Orton's full year's worth of experience in coach Josh McDaniels' sophisticated offensive system.
"I think he has more confidence," Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey said. "You can definitely see that. The key is more experience in the offense. You've got to expect him to be better."
It's an offense in which a receiver occasionally will run a route not to get open. The route is run so another receiver will be open.
"He understands it more," tight end Daniel Graham said. "It's almost like night and day when you see him on the field."
Isn't there more to it? Orton's noticeable improvement is all about a year's worth of study and comfort in application?
"I'm going to sound like a broken record," said offensive coordinator Mike McCoy, "but a lot of it has to do with being more comfortable in the system. Not only that, the more time you spend with the players you're playing with, you have a comfort level with those players."
Answers in the works
There was a telling game about Orton's play last year. It was Game 7 at Baltimore. Both the Broncos and Ravens were coming off bye weeks.
Only the Broncos came in with a 6-0 record. Only the Ravens came up with a defensive strategy that essentially placed 10 men in the box while one safety hung back to play a deep center field. And the Ravens brought the heat.
A harried Orton threw 37 passes that netted only 152 yards.
"We tweaked our game plan pretty good when we faced them," Bannan said. "It was one of those things where we both had byes, and they weren't really prepared for what we ran because we really made some changes."
Orton showed during the recently completed preseason he may well burn a similar game plan this year. The difference is in the way he is throwing down field.
This isn't about the fly patterns he completed twice with Marshall in the nation's capital last year. This is about the 18-yard to 30-yard patterns through the middle of the field. The routes that keep the safeties back and linebackers in a backpedaling state of confusion.
"I think we've got a few more answers to different defenses this year," Orton said. "We're all about taking what the defense gives us. Certainly we like to complete a high percentage of balls, get the ball to our playmakers' hands and let them do what they do. But, yeah, I think we have more answers to some different things than we did last year."
That's about all anybody really needs to know about Orton.
Mike Klis: 303-954-1055 or mklis@denverpost.com
Read more: Kyle Orton zeros in on comfort zone - The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_16053930#ixzz0zJsjzkRq
Kyle Orton zeros in on comfort zone
By Mike Klis
Denver Post
Posted: 09/12/2010 01:00:00 AM MDT
Kyle Orton the quarterback has nothing to hide. Fire away. He'll address any concern, speak to any issue, respectfully answer even the most absurd questions.
Kyle Orton the man after he leaves the Broncos' locker room each night?
"Come on, I don't do that stuff," he said.
Eat dinner, kiss the wife, pet the dog?
"Sure, all of the above," Orton said in his deadpan manner. "What, are you working for TMZ now?"
Mr. Excitable, Orton is not. Then again, Orton's personality may explain how he was able to shrug off the transition from his lame-duck status in April to Broncos quarterback of the future by August.
Even if the future is only through next season, his ability to turn the other cheek after he was slapped first by the addition of Brady Quinn, then Tim Tebow, speaks to Orton's remarkable calm.
Either that, or Orton quietly burns when he's ticked off.
"I've said this before: I feel like you compete for your job every single year," Orton said last week. "Whether you draft a first-rounder or not, you've still got to do a job. As long as decisions are based on what happens on the field — production and leadership, all that stuff — I'm totally fine. I'm always willing to compete."
Orton, and not Tebow, the first-round prospect who hails from Jacksonville, will be the Broncos' starting quarterback today in the 2010 season opener in Jacksonville.
Tebow's return home, not far from the University of Florida campus where he became an celebrity never before seen in college football, stirs curiosity from coast to coast. Those only concerned with the space limited to the Broncos' world know hope for victory today lies primarily with Orton.
His offensive line is a frightening mix of rookies and veterans coming off injuries. His running backs are trying to mend after falling apart on the first day of training camp. His receiver corps no longer includes Brandon Marshall.
And yet Orton just had a preseason that, if duplicated during the regular season, would put him within the top- 10 quarterback level.
One year makes a difference
Orton threw four touchdown passes in his first three preseason quarters. In six quarters overall, Orton led the first-team offense to 52 points. He was rewarded with a one year, $8.8 million extension.
"The guy will pick you apart if you let him," said Broncos defensive end Justin Bannan, who played against Orton as a member of the Baltimore Ravens. "I only had one week to look at him when I was in Baltimore last year, but just being around him as a teammate, I have full confidence in him. Not only that, he probably feels a lot more comfortable in the offense this year than he did last year."
More comfortable in the offense. People keep saying that about Orton. He played well in his first season with the Broncos last year. Not great, but better than he had in his previous two seasons as a starter for the Chicago Bears.
His impressive preseason play as he starts Year 2 with the Broncos is almost entirely attributed to Orton's full year's worth of experience in coach Josh McDaniels' sophisticated offensive system.
"I think he has more confidence," Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey said. "You can definitely see that. The key is more experience in the offense. You've got to expect him to be better."
It's an offense in which a receiver occasionally will run a route not to get open. The route is run so another receiver will be open.
"He understands it more," tight end Daniel Graham said. "It's almost like night and day when you see him on the field."
Isn't there more to it? Orton's noticeable improvement is all about a year's worth of study and comfort in application?
"I'm going to sound like a broken record," said offensive coordinator Mike McCoy, "but a lot of it has to do with being more comfortable in the system. Not only that, the more time you spend with the players you're playing with, you have a comfort level with those players."
Answers in the works
There was a telling game about Orton's play last year. It was Game 7 at Baltimore. Both the Broncos and Ravens were coming off bye weeks.
Only the Broncos came in with a 6-0 record. Only the Ravens came up with a defensive strategy that essentially placed 10 men in the box while one safety hung back to play a deep center field. And the Ravens brought the heat.
A harried Orton threw 37 passes that netted only 152 yards.
"We tweaked our game plan pretty good when we faced them," Bannan said. "It was one of those things where we both had byes, and they weren't really prepared for what we ran because we really made some changes."
Orton showed during the recently completed preseason he may well burn a similar game plan this year. The difference is in the way he is throwing down field.
This isn't about the fly patterns he completed twice with Marshall in the nation's capital last year. This is about the 18-yard to 30-yard patterns through the middle of the field. The routes that keep the safeties back and linebackers in a backpedaling state of confusion.
"I think we've got a few more answers to different defenses this year," Orton said. "We're all about taking what the defense gives us. Certainly we like to complete a high percentage of balls, get the ball to our playmakers' hands and let them do what they do. But, yeah, I think we have more answers to some different things than we did last year."
That's about all anybody really needs to know about Orton.
Mike Klis: 303-954-1055 or mklis@denverpost.com
Read more: Kyle Orton zeros in on comfort zone - The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_16053930#ixzz0zJsjzkRq