Denver Broncos: Why Does Kyle Orton Always Get a Pass?

The Denver Broncos have lost 19 of their past 24 games with Kyle Orton as their starting quarterback.

After Denver started off the 2009 season 6-0, they proceeded to go 2-8 in their last 10 games to become one of the few teams in NFL history to miss the playoffs after starting a season with such a mark.

In 2010, Denver had its worst season since 1967 in a non-strike season, going 3-10 with Orton under center and 4-12 overall.

So the question is, why does Kyle Orton always get a pass?

The better question may be, how many QB's still start for a team after going 5-19 in their past 24 games?

This isn't a topic about whether or not Kyle Orton is a decent quarterback. It's a question of why are there always excuses made for Orton whenever the Broncos lose?

Yes, the run defense still has problems. Yes, Janikowski hit an amazing 63-yard field goal which proved to be the difference in the final score. Yes, Knowshon Moreno is still who Broncos fans thought he was.

But to ignore the fact that Kyle Orton played a large role in the team's defeat vs Oakland is ridiculous.

First of all, Orton turned the ball over two times in Oakland territory.

The first turnover was an interception that was a badly thrown ball. Period. Orton forced the ball to the right sideline to Brandon Lloyd as Matt Giordano easily read the route and picked the ball off.

That's at least three points off the board for an offense that was struggling the entire night. That could have made the score 13-6 and prevented Janikowski's record-tying field goal.

The second blunder was one that is unforgettable. This one will be played in blooper reels for years to come.

In one of the worst played games in NFL history, Orton ran a play-action bootleg to his right while Denver was inside the 40. Orton had a tight end running across the middle of the field wide open for what could have been a touchdown.

Somehow, as Orton was about to throw the football, the ball slipped out of his hands. Oakland recovered. Denver did not.

On the very next drive, Oakland marched down the field with their power duo of McFadden and Bush and scored a TD to put the game out of reach at 23-13. Did Denver technically have a chance after that? Sure. Did they really have a chance after that? No.

The thing in all of this that bothers me is that somehow in most people's minds, Orton is never the one to fault.

Ignore the fact that despite the atrocious running game and the inconsistent run defense, the Broncos had numerous chances to take control of this game.

Ignore the fact that Denver would have likely taken control of the game had Orton not miraculously fumbled the football when he had a wide-open tight end waiting to score a touchdown.

Ignore the fact that Denver had a chance to kill the Raiders' morale and spirit by scoring a TD after the fumble recovery early in the first quarter. What happened on that drive? A three-and-out which led to a field goal.

Does that remind you of last year at all?

But again, Kyle Orton puts up decent statistics to make everybody believe that he wasn't at fault for the loss.

They see the 304 yards passing. Let's just forget that was on 46 attempts. Let's forget that throwing for 300 yards these days isn't that big of an accomplishment; 14 quarterbacks threw for 300 yards in Week 1.

Let's forget that Orton is who we thought he was. Still decent in the open field before approaching the red zone; still terrible in the red zone. Crumbles under pressure. A statue in the pocket which makes an already bad pass-blocking offensive line look worse.

This isn't a cry for Tebow to start, although I believe he presents Denver with the best chance to win of the three quarterbacks on the Broncos roster.

This isn't a debate as to whether Kyle Orton is a legit starting quarterback in the NFL.

This is a question of how many quarterbacks can lose 19 of their past 24 games and still get a pass?

How much longer will the Broncos continue losing games and continue starting Kyle Orton?

When will the Broncos give anybody, not even Tebow, but even Brady Quinn a chance to lead a team that has been plagued by non-stop losing over the course of three different seasons?

But I guess it's never Kyle Orton's fault.