Sunday, the only NFL story in the Denver Post on yet another slow football news day was at least the fifth of what projects to be approximately 1,437 articles to be written about the Denver Broncos quarterback situation this offseason. This article was a relatively even handed look at Kyle Orton and whether he should retain his starter status with chronic underachiever Brady Quinn and Our Lord and Savior Tim Tebow behind him on the roster.
NOTE #1: The wife actually refers to Tebow as ‘He who shall not be named’. Not willing to go that far (if for no other reason than it is a long phrase to type every time I need to discuss him), I will henceforth refer to Tebow as OLASTT. Why? See above.
The article’s objectivity stands in stark contrast to the civil war brewing in the Post sports section between the Tebow partisans (led by perennially tanned, Around the Horn participant Woody Paige) and the Quinn supporters (captained by Mark Kiszla, who is probably a little jealous of Paige’s TV time and presumably even more jealous of his tan).
NOTE #2: In my imagination the rift will be resolved in an Anchorman-esque duel in Civic Center Park, escalating quickly until Jim Armstrong kills Dave Krieger with a trident.
The article goes as far as to offer the scenario that Orton will be traded, leaving the Broncos the nightmare-inducing prospect of Quinn and Tebow battling for the opening day start. This got me to thinking: why does everyone hate Kyle Orton?
Now I am sure there are people that hate Orton for very THH-ish reasons – stridently anti-neck beard types or alums of whatever school would consider Purdue a major rival (Indiana maybe? If they still have an athletic program – I should check that) – so when I ask that question, it isn’t about Kyle specifically. More importantly, I am trying to figure out why quarterbacks like Orton always fail to inspire loyalty in fans and more importantly teams. As with most things in football there is clearly only one man to blame.
Peyton Manning.
Orton is an athletically limited quarterback, who doesn’t have the strongest arm and will never date super models. Yet, he has been consistently successful in college and the pros with less than top-shelf talent around him. Orton’s final season at Chicago he went 9-6 yet was shipped out for big armed (and big egoed) Jay Cutler, who proceeded to pout his way through a 7-9 season – yet another non-winning season for him (continuing a truly impressive streak dating back to high school).
Orton never looks flashy. He will never set a single season touchdown record, no matter what his receivers do. He just limits his mistakes (He threw 5 interceptions through 10 games last season, which was equaled by Cutler in one game). Surround him by capable skill players, a solid offensive line and a decent defense and your team will succeed.
Yet from the moment he arrived in Denver, all of Broncos nation has been looking to find his replacement. Why?
Because he isn’t Peyton Manning and it has been drilled into our heads that you need Peyton Manning to win in this league.
However, if you really look back at the last decade, what you see is that you are just as likely to win a Super Bowl with a Kyle Orton as you are with a Manning or Brady.
Manning, despite his commercials and fawning press coverage has one Super Bowl win more than Orton. In the last ten years, Peyton has won as many Super Bowls as Brad Johnson or Trent Dilfer.
You can point to Tom Brady as well as another swaggering quarterback single-handedly leading his team to a Super Bowl. But that forgets that his three Super Bowls were won with ball-control, balanced run-pass attacks? The Patriots league passing yardage ranks in their Super Bowl winning years: 2001 – 24th; 2003: 15th; 2004: 17th.
Yes, Brady now owns probably the greatest single season a quarterback has ever had. But he lost the Super Bowl that year. To Eli Manning. Who had 247 yards in that game and a 73.9 quarterback rating that season. Orton’s rating was 86.8 last season.
Ben Roethlisberger won a Super Bowl as a second year player. But that was years before he became a sexual predator and pass-first stalwart of my fantasy team. In that Super Bowl he passed for 123 yards. Relying on Jerome Bettis not-fumbling, Willie Parker still being fast, a stout defense and helpful officiating crew to win.
Even the Saints wide-open style of offense isn’t a product of Drew Brees’ huge talent. It is a product of the large number of weapons and Brees’ smart decision making.
We like to say that the NFL is now a passer’s league. While that is true, it isn’t a downfield, Air Coryell-style league, despite what the Crypt Keeper…I mean Al Davis…thinks. Passing today is a more refined version of the West Coast offense of short, yardage- eating passes. A truly successful offense combines that with a multi-headed, multi-dimensional running game. It doesn’t take a big arm and charming smile to win in that style. It takes smart play and safe decisions.
Let’s face it; there aren’t a lot of Mannings and Bradys out there. Heck, there is even one Manning out there that isn’t a Manning – if you know what I mean. A team seems to have a much better chance of success by finding a solid quarterback and surrounding him with talent (see: Flacco, Joe; Rodgers, Aaron; Sanchez, Mark).
A team that sells it soul looking for the next great quarterback is much more likely to end up a loser than a dynasty.
Just look at the news from the past few weeks to see the folly of trying to find the next, great quarterback.
J.P. Losman (Bills franchise savior), long since abandoned by Buffalo, signed as a 4th option in Seattle.
Brady Quinn (Browns franchise savior) is given up on and shipped to the Broncos. Replaced by human turnover machine Jake Delhomme. Delhomme is seen as an improvement by Browns fans who don’t have the NFL package and didn’t watch the Panthers last year.
Jamarcus Russell (Oakland franchise savior) cut.
Jay Cutler (Bears franchise savior) sets single OTA interception record (this is conjecture).
Jason Campbell (Redskins franchise savior) shipped to Oakland.
Alex Smith (Forty-Niners franchise savior) loses starting job to homeless junkie from San Francisco’s Tenderloin district.
Whoops, sorry that last one is next week’s news (Spoiler Alert).
All of these team’s have been consistently bad over the last decade looking for that one great quarterback to come in and save them.
All except when the Bears concentrated on a running game and defense; won two division titles and went to a Super Bowl with Rex Grossmann at quarterback.
That other division title season also featured a young quarterback named Kyle Orton going 10-5.
