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Denver Native (Carol)
10-29-2009, 08:40 PM
http://www.denverpost.com/premium/broncos/ci_13669349

Certainly it's not a description that will launch a thousand t-shirts or anything, but Wednesday Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, who has seen plenty of offenses try to do plenty of things, gave as concise a reason as any why the Broncos are 6-0 with Kyle Orton at quarterback.

"You see a bunch of consistency, of not turning the ball over," Lewis said. "Kyle has been very safe with the football. They have a great game plan. Everybody is flowing within it. They're getting the ball in the playmakers' hands I just think they're playing very, very sound football."

You heard it — safe with the football. Very, very sound football.

No, that isn't glamour football that gets the highlight folks all bubbly. It does, however, win plenty.

And while Josh McDaniels is an offensive coach by much of his experiences and a playcaller by trade, he still thinks like a defensive coach in some areas.

The biggest of those being avoiding turnovers on offense. Sure, everybody wants to avoid turnovers and talks a good game when the discussion comes around that way, but generally speaking coaches who come through the ranks as former offensive coordinators or quarterbacks coaches will eventually crack.

They'll eventually tire of the short and steady approach and take some risks, chuck it deep when the situation may not call for it. And with those risks at times come turnovers.

Defensive coaches, much to the disappointment of fans, and even their own quarterbacks some of the time, will usually defer to the safe choice because they have spent so much time in their careers trying to take the ball away from offenses they know how valuable that kind of play can be.

McDaniels is a forward thinker on offense certainly, having opened up the Patriots' offense in '07 to set scoring records and help Tom Brady win the MVP award.

But he also has clung to some of his defensive roots as a former defensive assistant for Bill Belichick early in his career and he has the quarterback in Orton who is willing and able to play it that way without complaint or renegade Twitter post.

That's why Orton has one interception in six games and even that one coming on a toss-it-up play to end the first half against New England.

It's why the Broncos are tied for fifth in the league in turnover margin, at plus-7. And why, if they keep it up, even veteran defenders like Lewis know, it's a difficult combination for a defense to overcome.

Dirk
10-30-2009, 05:32 AM
Orton who is willing and able to play it that way without complaint

That right there is a mature young man and how you develop skills in the NFL. Listen, learn and execute. A winning combination.