Orton learns to develop thick skin
The quarterback is facing the latest crush of criticism with the Broncos.
By Jeff Legwold
The Denver Post
Posted: 08/22/2009 01:00:00 AM MDT
There's up. There's down. Cold. Hot. Fast. Slow.
And for a Broncos quarterback in the post-Elway era there are these contrasts:
Great. The worst.
There is no middle ground, no place to hide, and for Kyle Orton it is a fact of football life he accepted long before he became the Guy Who Was Traded For Jay Cutler.
"I always think about something my college coach just harped on," Orton said, referring to former Purdue coach Joe Tiller. "He used to always say, and I totally believed it then and totally believe it now, that when things are going good, quarterbacks get way too much of the credit, and when things aren't going good they get way too much of the blame.
"I certainly agree with that. Really, when somebody's writing something good or saying something good about me, that doesn't necessarily mean they know what they're talking about, and if they write something bad about me it doesn't necessarily mean they know what they're talking about as well."
So, there you have it. Still standing in the pocket, Orton will take his next spin in the Broncos' offense tonight at Seattle.
His first two appearances haven't exactly been all he or the Broncos had hoped for when Josh McDaniels named him the team's starter. Orton threw two interceptions in a scrimmage at Invesco Field at Mile High, then threw three interceptions in his half of work last week in the team's preseason opener at San Francisco.
The boos followed, as have tweets, calls, e-mails and plenty of words on the street about whether Orton really is the guy to run the team's offense. The hills are already alive with the sound of grumbling.
None of it, however, is coming from McDaniels, who crisply critiqued Orton's work in San Francisco this week: "He didn't have a tough game, he made a couple bad decisions. . . . Neither one of (the quarterbacks) is where I want them to be."
Orton has lived the quarterback life. At Purdue,
Chris Simms, above, has been supportive of starting quarterback Kyle Orton this week in preparation for tonight's preseason game against the Seahawks. (Joe Amon, The Denver Post)he followed Drew Brees, with fans almost constantly voicing their frustrations that he was not the same guy as Brees in the Boilermakers' offense.
In Chicago, many fans consistently expressed their desire for someone else behind center, no matter how many games Orton won. And now, in Denver, he suddenly finds himself as the guy who replaces Cutler and the guy who will determine if the trade worked. He is not coming off the kind of preseason start he needed.
"But the situation was tougher in college because I was young and I was following Drew, and they expected me to play like Drew did his senior year right away," Orton said. "It was impossible to do. That was tough because I didn't know how to handle it. I think I've gotten better as I've gotten older."
It was business as usual for the most part this past week for Orton. He took the vast majority of snaps with the first-team offense — Chris Simms had a smattering of work with the starters — and figures to play at least a half tonight in Seattle unless McDaniels changes the play order unexpectedly.
"I've had games where I haven't thought I played the best game in the world, and some great things have been written about me," Orton said. "And I've had games where I thought I played pretty good, and they thought I was a bum out there playing."
Simms, who missed most of the 2006 season and all of '07 after surgery to remove a ruptured spleen, had a few of his own turns on the
Post Poll - Broncos QBs
Who should be the Broncos' No. 1 quarterback?
Kyle Orton: Relax, it was one meaningless exhibition game. Despite his poor showing, he deserves to remain the starter.
Chris Simms: Sure, it was done against second- and third-teamers, but he showed he's the best Broncos quarterback and should move to the top of the depth chart.
quarterback merry-go-round at Texas as well as with the Buccaneers. He said this week competition is part of the job, but it doesn't impact how he and Orton interact.
"I think you get better at the criticism that comes with the job as you get older," Simms said.
"When you're in college, it really affects you, you're a kid. As I've gotten older, I definitely have gotten better at it. I've told a few people I've always loved football and maybe I've loved it too much, maybe put too much pressure on myself at times and dwelled on things that I've done wrong too long. I got injured and went through that phase where I didn't know if I was ever going to play again. Now I'm just so happy and grateful, it's easier to deal with the rest of it."
Five goals
Broncos reporter Jeff Legwold suggests five goals for the team in its preseason game tonight at Seattle:
1. Orton redux: Quarterback Kyle Orton needs a good night's work, especially with the circus coming to town next week.
2. Make room: The Broncos won't have rookie Knowshon Moreno in the lineup, but the guys up front have to make some running lanes to keep the heat off Orton.
3. Keep it: Turnovers trump most anything else. And after an '08 season and last week's game full of them, the Broncos need to keep the ball to themselves.
4. Get to the ball: The 49ers' offense won't be confused with the Saints' at any point, and it still ran for 136 yards on the Broncos' defense. The Broncos need a better effort in this one.
5. Show, don't tell: The Broncos keep telling everybody things will be fine. They can offer at least a little preseason proof with a solid effort in this one.
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