What can be said about Kyle Orton that hasn't already been said?
The guy is shredding Denver Broncos and NFL passing records left and right. His 1,419 yards are the most since Kurt Warner and the "Greatest Show on Turf" in 2000. He currently ranks in the top five in completions (2nd), completion percentage (5th), yards (1st), first downs (2nd), 20 yard pass plays (2nd), and he's doing it all with the 32nd ranked running game.
Through the first quarter of the 2010 season, Kyle Orton has proven that in a quarterback driven league, he can not only thrive, but hang around among the best the NFL has to offer.
It's too early to crown the man, but in a conference that features Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Matt Schaub, Philip Rivers, and Mark Sanchez, Orton is making a great case to be considered among the NFL's elite.
The Broncos' signal caller is far from perfect. In fact, he and the Broncos have missed a ton of opportunities. But you have to like what you've seen from him thus far. Orton's career touchdown to interception ratio of 43:3 in the red zone is stunning. He takes care of the ball when it matters most, and simply puts his team in the best position to win a good majority of the time.
The 27 year old player from Altoona, Iowa might not be the MVP of the NFL, but he is most definitely the MVP of the Denver Broncos. Not only does he give them the best chance to win in 2010, but he will help them in the future as well.
What happened over the course of the 2010 offseasosn is already well-documented. The trading for Brady Quinn, the drafting of Tim Tebow--we all saw how Orton handled it. Instead of requesting a trade, Orton proved over the course of the offseason that he was not only the man for the job, he was going to win that race with flying colors.
Visibly, there is a huge difference between Orton in 2010 and Orton in 2009. He carried a swagger about him at training camp this year, and he has owned his role as the leader of this team.
But there's an elephant in the room.
The Denver Broncos drafted Tim Tebow with the 25th pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, and they used valuable assets to move back into round one and select him. One has to believe Josh McDaniels knew on some level that Kyle Orton would put up good numbers. After all, he has grown statistically since 2005 seemingly exponentially, and with a year of this offense under his belt, he was sure to improve.
So what gives? Why would McDaniels use a 2nd, 3rd, and 4th round pick on Tim Tebow if he had any idea Orton would play well enough this year to cause a quarterback controversy?
Let me clarify--right now, there is NO quarterback debacle in Denver, and this is Kyle Orton's team. Orton signed an extension, and if the Broncos should choose, he will not only be the quarterback this year, but next year as well. They have every intention of letting Tebow develop until he is absolutely ready to be an NFL starter. It looks right now like they've given him two full seasons to be ready.
But what if he's ready sooner? What if Kyle Orton can net the Broncos a large trade haul in this year's draft, which could be deeper than the 2010 draft should juniors and sophomores declare?
It's an intriguing prospect, and right now, Broncos fans should be encouraged to live in the present and think