If we've learned anything the last two games it should be this:

To be a successful NFL quarterback you have to to have innate pocket presence or be decently mobile. Ideally both.

Now, I can't back this article up with many stats, but it is clearly obvious to anyone who has ever watched a football game the vital importance of the above statement.

Of course like everything in life there are the have's and the have not's.  Unfortunately for the Broncos we clearly have a have not.

The Have's

Dan Marino played the game with lead boots on but had the innate pocket presence to move and slide in the pocked to narrowly avoid the rush, buying himself enough time to unleash on of his patented laser beams down the field.

John Elway's mobility has never been in question. He could duck, slide, and run with sensational results. He was an escape artist. He once said something along the lines of  "When I hear the crowd noise start to grow when I drop back to pass, I know pressure is coming and I have to get out of there."

Tom Brady and Peyton Manning won't ever be confused with Michael Vick but there ability to feel the pressure and slide out of the way is legendary, something we have been victimized by many, many times.

Ben Roethlisberger might hold onto the ball a bit to long but that 's the result of his history of escaping the pressure with his feet and then making huge plays down the field.

The Have Not's

Trent Dilfer - the fact that he won a Super Bowl astounds me. I can't stand him on ESPN. I know i'm no alone on this.

JaMarcus Russel - With J Marc it's not a lack of athleticism, it's the complete and total absence of pocket presence which dooms him to sacks and fotunately for the Broncos, a completely anemic offense.

Which brings me to Kyle Orton. Unfortunately for the Broncos faithful Kyle Orton may be the worst athlete playing the quarterback position in the NFL. I think it was the Cinncinnati or San Diego game in which, Pressure came from the right side while Orton dropped back 5 or 7 steps. Ryan Harris did exactly what he should have done and rode the DE past the drop back point. Orton saw the pressure coming and was immediately flustered. Instead of calmly stepping up one step in the pocket, he panicked, barely had the DE's hand brush his leg, tried to put a move on the 3 yards of open space around him, tripped himself, and fell flat on his face for a sack. It was without a doubt in my mind the worst sack i've ever seen a Quarterback take. If you watched the first few games this year, you know exactly the play in talkig about. In another game, the announcer famously said, "some quarterbacks have the ability to move around in the pocket, Kyle Orton does not." He also seems very timid with pressure in his face.

To be successful as a Quarterback in the NFL you have to be able to at least move around a little in the pocket. I for one , am getting a little tired of watching Orton embarass the position.