Now that the Bears have done everything they can to put themselves out of the playoffs (i.e. blow multiple 4th quarter leads), Kyle Orton should finally get his chance to show what he brings to the table.
Last Thursday, as Rex Grossman squirmed onto Fed Ex field, every Bears fan (including Grossman haters) were probably saying to themselves: "here we go again".
A hobbled Grossman was an all too familar sight for his first few years. Just when you think he had put his rough past behind him, BOOM! He goes down again.
While I am relieved that he does not have to go through surgery, I think it is safe to say Sexy Rexy will probably not be wearing a Bears uniform next season (unless he is willing to take a pay cut).
So who should be under center for these final three "play for pride games"? Should it be Orton or Griese?
I personally hope to see number 18 slinging the ball around out there with Griese as the number two. Brian has shown us all why he has never amounted to anything other than a career backup. He was just as turnover prone as Rex, and clearly has nothing more to offer to this team other than to come in as a reliever.
After being benched late in 05', Orton hasn't seen any real game time. That said, he has dropped weight and had three years to absorb the system. He showed a ton of upside at times during his rookie year, and other times looked downright awful (Steelers game).
The offense was very much a one trick pony, with a solid running game but no passing attack to capitalize on the "eight men up" approach that most teams took against the Bears that year. But to Orton's credit, he never got the chance to see starter reps during training camp and most of the pre-season that year.
Orton showed significant improvement this past pre-season while playing against 2nd and 3rd stringers, and looked to be in the best "NFL" shape he has ever been in.
The Bears have many more draft needs other than QB, and now is the time to try and sure up that position by giving Orton the starting job for the rest of the year. If the Bears can go into the offseason with confidence in Orton, they can cut Rex (or sign him to less money and let him compete for the starting job) and try and tackle the much more demanding problems at O-Line and Safety.
The Bears are playing for pride right now, and it is time to see what the former Purdue star can do for this team. It would be a shame to see someone who has worked as hard as Orton still have to sit and watch from the sideline.
Come on Lovie: give us a reason to watch these last three games, and put number 18 under center!
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10 months ago
This is now a reality...the chicago bears official website just posted that Lovie Smith has named Kyle Orton the starter for this coming Monday night game against the Vikes. While I'm sure ESPN isn't too happy about this about every Bears fan should be. As stated in the article, Orton has worked hard since his rookie year and matured professionally. He definitely deserved the chance earlier this season when Griese went down and they went back to Rex, but better late than never.
10 months ago
Hell yes. Helllll yes. I've been saying this for years.
I remember Orton's playing days at Purdue, and thought he looked comfortable playing within a pass-dominant offense (at least, as much of a passing offense as one can have in the Big Ten). As I recall, he put up pretty decent career numbers before making his way into the NFL.
Purdue is a school which has already produced one Pro Bowl quarterback in Drew Brees again, given the caliber of defense played within the Big Ten (well, aside from the last two years), I think there's every reason to believe their system turns out quality quarterbacks capable of handling a tough D.
Orton at least deserves a shot to play for a spot in the League.
10 months ago
Be careful what you wish for... But hey, he couldn't be any worse than Gross or Grease.
10 months ago
All good points, the Bears have to know what they have in this kid. If he shows that he can be a starter that will open up room to work on the OLine and the holes in secondary (as stated in the article). If he doesn't work out, oh well, they will be right back to where they are now.
10 months ago
It's about time. I liked Orton when he filled in for Grossman a couple of seasons ago.
10 months ago
Could they have picked a worse time to put Orton in? I don't think much of Orton. His performance as a rookie, while admirable, was pretty awful. Plus going against a good vikings defense, with no running game and no o-line. it's gonna be a long night for orton.
10 months ago
I agree that this is a tough test to start out with going against a very tough Vikings' D, but it was a now or never situation. They have to see what Orton is capable of after being an observer for so long. A lot of offseason moves need to take place after this season, and this is one step toward deciding what to do at the QB position.
9 months ago
You can't blame Grossman for the latest injury, that was a nasty fall on his knee, anyone would have been hurt, including Jason Campbell who was injured an a similar play later in that same game.
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