A sober, accurate, and fair assessment on a night where I’ve seen very few. Though I would argue that Guru’s baiting the Orton haters that lurk around here on that recap post…

Good stuff.

Regarding our offense, could it be that with all new personnel as far as the offensive system is concerned, we will take a few steps back to make the giant leap forward over the rest of this season as well as next season? I’ve posted before that Tom Brady said it takes 2 years to learn McD’soffense.

You had to have your hand on the trigger of this post up until the end of the game huh? Hehehe. Tonoght was not Kyles fault at all when there is no running game. For the life of me I don’t get what McDaniels is trying to do. The Broncos blocking scheme on the run is bad, very bad and until he fixes it Kyle will struggle. Not because of his efforts but because of the scheme. Bottom line.

It’s becoming painfully obvious that the league is starting to realize the new guy can’t get the ball more than 15 yards down the field. You know who could get the ball down the field????

I’m just sayin….

love the comparison. I personally believe Orton will get the job done. All QBs, that’s right all QBs have bad games. Usually it isn’t entirely their fault. Love your response to Cutler’s Ghost and Smalljaw. I’ve never understood the fascination with the deep ball and why certain people believe that is the holy grail for QBs. In the course of a game the QB might get 1 or 2 plays where they have sufficient time for a WR to get downfield for a long ball. Again BShrout, thanks and keep up the sane remarks my friend.

Orton had played NFL games before as opposed to Brady and Cassel, not really an apt comparison since Orton has played against a lot of these defenses before and should know what to expect. Also in 2001, McDaniels was not a QB coach and had nothing to do with the Pats offense, in addition, the Pats offense that year was more of a run heavy offense, with having Brady just make passes when he had to.

8.25 vs 6.75 is more significant than it seems in my opinion.

Offenses need to score points. Denver’s offense is not scoring enough right now.

great statistics and analysis. it definitely helps ease the minds of some of those skeptics about Orton. There’s no question that Pitt and Baltimore’s defenses are really good…we just need to keep at the running game.

Is Hillis hurt? I didn’t think he was…why won’t they use him as a lead blocker and go away from a singleback formation for Moreno/Buckhalter? Am I missing something?

First, some postulates:

1. Orton is statistically an above-average QB in the NFL. BShrout properly points out that he has consistently improved every year since coming into the league and has the potential and ability to get even better.
2. Orton has the ability to make any and all throws needed by an NFL QB. In my opinion, he is no more or less accurate on long throws than most NFL QB’s.
3. Orton is restricted to playing the call made by the coach (unless something goes wrong and he needs to improvise).
4. The “deep throw” is a statistically high-risk, low-completion tactic AND takes time to set-up. Very often we see the “deep throw” only when the QB is flushed from the pocket and it is thrown more out of desperation than planning. So you either have to have GREAT pass protection to give the QB 5+ seconds (eg it was planned) OR you get lucky.

So why is the team not taking the long throw? I think it is the same reason our running game is not working. The Oline. The sad truth to me is that our Oline is not what I believed it to be. In fact, it is BECAUSE our running game is not working that defenses are dropping their safeties to protect the intermediate to long passes. It is not wise to throw a deep throw when you know the receiver is covered. The Oline is doing a decent job of pass protect, but not a good job of run execution. Because defenses (CB’s & LB’s) are protecting the out-routes and edges for both the run and pass game, most of our passes are being funnelled into the middle of the field. While defending the run, defenses are also blitzing all day both to try and rattle and sack the QB (which they have rarely done) AND break up running plays behind the line of scrimmage.

MY CONCLUSION: It is not Orton. It is the Oline not executing for the run game. Defenses are scheming and executing to stop the run. That is what is hurting us.

Orton can improve even more. I can only remember a few months back and seeing tremendous improvement from the preseason and first couple of games. Remarkable improvement in fact.

Some people have photographic mmemories, I just watch the game and what I’ve seen of Orton the last 2 weeks scares me. I have to say when the pocket was clean and he could stand like a statue he actually showed some nice progressions and found a second or 3rd option. Orton also has a plenty adequate arm to make the throws.

What’s scary is how he panics in the pocket when the pressure is on and seems to miss important things like adjusting to a ref sitting on his receiver’s route after he got bumped at the line.

On at least 5 occasions in the last 2 games when he was pressured instead of moving to open space in the pocket he ran directly into another rusher or just started panicking when there was a fairly clear escape path.

All Qbs miss an open guy every now and then. Orton has missed many (sorry it’s subjective but we all watch the same game just with different sunglasses I guess) receivers that seem to be opening up in what should be his field of view, specifically the deep crossing patterns, the flys, and at least one glaring flare to the corner of the end zone.

Either McDaniels is resticting Orton to the point that he’s paranoid and locking up, or Orton seems to be missing that sense that great QBs and point guards have to possess.

Orton needs to see the field, and sense the development of plays. He also needs to step up when the pressure is on, so far he seems to melt.

I really hope I’m wrong but it sure seems like Orton’s skill set can get us to the playoffs but, we’ll never get far without the intangibles at the helm.

Go Broncos!

I have. Quite a bit, actually. Orton steps up in the picket fairly well and his mobility is quite good most of the time. Saying things doesn’t make them true. And so, the team ought to believe you because you used to play LB in HS? Good for you (seriously) – but that doesn’t have much to do with anything here.

What kind of system you puming in your media room? I got Bose, but that’s how I roll.

Look, I know that you just signed up and all, and I get that you’re trying to be very funny, but it’s a little boring. Yeah, yeah, Bose, bench 5000 lbs, faster than Darrell Green, uh-huh. Sounds like an adolescent getting out on the net for the first time and seeing how many people he can impersonate. You want to impress someone? Actually show that you know a little about football theory. That works.

Highly Rec’d, and wrecked(by the Troll).

This can’t be the real Cutler’s Ghost….that would be the playoffs……The real Cutler knows they are there, he just can’t ever touch them

Sorry I have been working on my post all night and didn’t get to this cool read. Thank you.

Ad me to your list of recs.