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QB Kyle Orton, Denver Broncos
HT: 6-4, WT: 220, Born: 11-14-1982, College: Purdue, Drafted: Round 4
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2009 Projections
| CMP | ATT | PYD | Y/A | PTD | INT | RSH | YD | Y/R | TD | FPT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Dodds | 293 | 491 | 3265 | 6.7 | 19 | 15 | 31 | 62 | 2.0 | 1 | 240 |
| Bob Henry | 274 | 460 | 3175 | 6.9 | 20 | 15 | 20 | 35 | 1.8 | 1 | 238 |
| Jason Wood | 275 | 478 | 3092 | 6.5 | 18 | 16 | 20 | 45 | 2.2 | 1 | 223 |
| Maurile Tremblay | 301 | 510 | 3374 | 6.6 | 20 | 16 | 62 | 118 | 1.9 | 3 | 267 |
Average draft position
Current as of September 7th. [Full ADP list]
Overall: L McClain (127), T Edwards (128), Kyle Orton (129), C Chambers (130), F Taylor (131)Position: D Garrard (116-QB17), T Edwards (128-QB18), Kyle Orton (129 - QB19), B Favre (135-QB20), J Flacco (139-QB21)
Click here for a comparison of these players.
PPR Average draft position
Current as of September 7th. [Full PPR ADP list]
Overall: Kyle Orton (137), J Gage (138),Position: M Cassel (121-QB18), T Edwards (128-QB19), Kyle Orton (137 - QB20), J Delhomme (153-QB21), J Flacco (158-QB22)
Click here for a comparison of these players.
Click here to go to the Kyle Orton spotlight, our staff's most detailed analysis.
Click here to go to the Kyle Orton faceoff, our staff's look at the pros and cons.
Best Case
Kyle Orton comes to Denver from Chicago and suddenly finds himself surrounded by superior talent. The Broncos have a better offensive line, better wide receivers, and arguably a better ground game than the Bears which could mean that Orton is primed for a banner year. Add in the fact that he will now be coached by QB guru Josh McDaniels and it only enhances his potential production. In 2008 Jay Cutler had a phenomenal season in Denver, but Orton is no Cutler. While he may not throw for as many yards (Denver could feature Knowshon Moreno more than expected) Orton could be a more efficient QB - especially in the red zone.
Worst Case
The Broncos brought in Chris Simms to compete for the QB position and it could be a battle that goes back and forth throughout the season. Simms has reportedly looked very good in mini camp and he has a much stronger arm than Orton. Head Coach Josh McDaniels may vacillate back and forth between the two until one emerges. Orton looked good in the first half of the 2008 season, but after an ankle injury (that he, perhaps mistakenly, played through) he looked like a below average QB. Orton should be better protected behind the Denver offensive line, but if the pressure gets to him he usually falters.
Outlook
We expect Orton to win the starting job in Denver, although it could take him until the end of training camp to do so. We've seen what Orton can do with average weapons and average protection, so it's not out of the question to expect his numbers to match - or perhaps improve upon - his 2008 performance.
Relevant Articles
Training Camp Update - Volume 5, Issue 5 - September 2ndInjury Update - September - September 2nd
Mission Impossible! - August 31st
From the Gut part 1 - Quarterbacks - August 29th
The Perfect Draft (12-team PPR League - WCOFF Format) - August 29th
Undervalued QBs - August 28th
Overvalued QBs - August 28th
Training Camp Update - Volume 5, Issue 4 - August 26th
Projection Tweaks - August 24th
Dynasty Preseason Players To Rent - August 21st
Training Camp Update - Volume 5, Issue 3 - August 19th
Training Camp Update - Volume 5, Issue 2 - August 12th
Kyle Orton Face-off - August 12th
Footballguys Daily Email - Volume 10, Issue 111 - August 8th
Footballguys Daily Email - Volume 10, Issue 110 - August 7th
Training Camp Update - Volume 5, Issue 1 - August 6th
From the Gut - August 4th
Kyle Orton Spotlight - July 30th
Message board spotlight thread - July 30th
Footballguys Daily Email - Volume 10, Issue 101 - July 29th
Identifying Sleepers - Quarterbacks - July 20th
What Makes RBs and QBs Consistent? - July 20th
An Early Look At the Playoff Schedules - July 20th
Footballguys Daily Email - Volume 10, Issue 80 - July 8th
Footballguys Daily Email - Volume 10, Issue 57 - June 15th
Footballguys Daily Email - Volume 10, Issue 55 - June 13th
Rearview QB - June 7th
Quarterback Tiers - May 28th
Why he is undervalued
according to two of our writers (based on an ADP of 114, QB 17 on June 7 --- go here for the complete article)Aaron Rudnicki - After spending several years developing on the bench, Kyle Orton emerged as an effective starting QB in 2008. He did this despite playing in a rather conservative offense with some of the worst WRs in the league to throw to. After the trade to Denver, he's expected to take over an offense that has a much better collection of weapons and an aggressive coach who got Matt Cassel to play like Tom Brady. At this point in the draft, Orton is a relatively low-risk selection with a potential high reward.
Jeff Tefertiller - Orton was brought to Denver by Head Coach Josh McDaniels. He is expected to orchestrate the high-octane Bronco offense resembling the one McDaniels had in New England. Orton has elite receivers to work with in Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal, along with good depth players in Tony Scheffler, Brandon Stokley and Jabar Gaffney. With a porous defense, the Broncos will be playing from behind for much of the season, leaving Orton and company many opportunities to accumulate fantasy statistics.Latest News
Broncos | Looking like Orton will not play Week 11 (Sat Nov 21, 07:49 PM) - Mike Klis, of The Denver Post, reports, as of Saturday, Nov. 21, Denver Broncos QB Kyle Orton's (ankle) ankle has not healed enough to be able to play in Week 11. All signs are pointing to QB Chris Simms starting the game. Our View: Bad news for the Broncos. Even if Chris Simms plays twice as good as he did in the second half last week, it won't be nearly good enough to beat the Chargers, because Simms played as bad as Derek Anderson or JaMarcus Russell at their worst.link to story Broncos | Orton misses practice Friday (Fri Nov 20, 06:41 PM) - Updating a previous report, Denver Broncos QB Kyle Orton (ankle) did not participate in practice Friday, Nov. 20. He is listed as questionable for Week 11. link to story Broncos | Orton to be game-time decision (Fri Nov 20, 01:43 PM) - Updating a previous report, ESPN.com reports Denver Broncos QB Kyle Orton (ankle) will be a game-time decision in Week 11. Our View: This doesn't bode well for Denver. Even if Orton plays, his mobility will be limited and the Chargers will be on the attack. Expect a heavy dose of Knowshon Moreno for as long as the game is close.
link to story Broncos | Orton will not practice Friday, could play Week 11 (Fri Nov 20, 12:58 PM) - Frack Schwab, of the Colorado Springs Gazette, reports Denver Broncos QB Kyle Orton (ankle) will not participate in practice Friday, Nov. 20, but head coach Josh McDaniels said Orton has a chance to play Week 11. Orton will be listed as questionable for the game. Our View: The classic game time decision here. Orton's status has been shrouded in mystery this entire week - perhaps because coach McDaniels doesn't want to tip his hand before this key divisional matchup. If Orton does play it is a good thing for the Broncos passing game because Chris Simms is unlikely to do much in his place on Sunday.
link to story Broncos | Orton missed practice Thursday (Fri Nov 20, 12:34 PM) - Denver Broncos QB Kyle Orton (ankle) did not participate in practice Thursday, Nov. 19. The Broncos have not ruled him out for Week 11 and said he is feeling better. link to story More News
2009 Schedule
| Week | Opponent |
|---|---|
| 1 | at Cincinnati Bengals |
| 2 | Cleveland Browns |
| 3 | at Oakland Raiders |
| 4 | Dallas Cowboys |
| 5 | New England Patriots |
| 6 | at San Diego Chargers |
| Bye week | |
| 8 | at Baltimore Ravens |
| 9 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 10 | at Washington Redskins |
| 11 | San Diego Chargers |
| 12 | New York Giants |
| 13 | at Kansas City Chiefs |
| 14 | at Indianapolis Colts |
| 15 | Oakland Raiders |
| 16 | at Philadelphia Eagles |
| 17 | Kansas City Chiefs |
2008 Game Summaries
Week 1 - With the Bears playing ahead for most of this game, Orton wasn't forced to make a lot of plays on offense and instead was able to take what the Colts' defense was giving him. Completing passes to seven different receivers, the Chicago quarterback was effective in helping the offense move the chains. Twice he hooked up with a tight end on a big third down play that allowed Chicago to put points on the board. The first of those completions came with 24 seconds left in the second quarter on a third and 15 play when Orton hooked up with Greg Olson on a 29 yard pass that took the ball down to the Indianapolis seven yard line. Two plays later, Robbie Gould kicked a 25 yard field goal as the half ended that pushed the Bears' lead to 15-6. Orton's second big third down completion came in the fourth quarter when a 26 yard pass to Desmond Clark put the ball at the Colts' one yard line. A couple of plays later, a one yard touchdown run by RB Jason McKie put Chicago up 29--13.
Week 2 - Orton started the game strong, completing nine of 13 passes in the first half, but only managed to lead the Bears to a field goal. However, in the second half, Orton took advantage of good field position after an interception by the Bears' defense, leading the Bears to a touchdown and a 14 point lead. However, from that point on Orton did not look good at all, often overthrowing his receivers, and picking up a key intentional grounding play on the Bears' second to last drive on third down, forcing them to punt. As the Bears took what would be their final possession of the game, Orton could not complete either of his pass attempts, so the Panthers took over on downs and kneeled to victory.
Week 3 - Kyle Orton started very slowly. Much of this was due to the pass rush. The Chicago offensive line was pretty much absent in the first half. Both interceptions were great defensive plays. Gaines Adams slipped around Desmond Clark on a middle screen and took that interception back for a score. The second was a very nice pass to Matt Forte only to have Barrett Ruud strip the ball out of his hands. That also took a TD away from Forte and Orton. Orton was able to connect with Brandon Lloyd part way through the third quarter and the offense started to roll. After that reception Orton gained confidence and took charge of the offense. He was able to pick the Buccaneer defense apart and he paid special attention to Ronde Barber. Maybe he wanted to pay him back for the blind side sack in the first half. Orton was able to practically pass at will the rest of the half. Orton led the Bears on three scoring drives and one missed field goal after the Lloyd reception. He made two great TD passes with one going to Forte and the other to Lloyd. The second half was pretty much mistake free for Orton.
Week 4 - Orton not only managed to have a very good game against a very tough passing defense, but he also played a major part in why the Bears won the game. For the majority of the night, Orton looked calm, collected, decisive, and accurate. In the midst of a throw in the second quarter, he was hit and the ball was flung up into the air like a lame duck -- a duck that was immediately devoured by Eagles defensive end Darren Howard. Thus, only one of Orton's two interceptions on Sunday night was actually the result of his reads and poor decisions. It's appearing as if Lovie Smith and the rest of the Bears organization made the correct decision to start him over Rex Grossman.
Week 5 - Orton had a spectacular afternoon from the start, completing eight of his first ten passes to six different receivers. He did a great job spreading the ball around all afternoon, and was able to often find receivers wide open downfield. Orton threw for two touchdowns on the afternoon, with no turnovers.
Week 6 - Orton completed 26 of 43 passes for 286 yards, while throwing one touchdown for 17 yards to Rashied Davis. Orton looked deep frequently, though his longest gain was for 22 yards. Despite being without the Bears apparent top receiver Brandon Lloyd, Orton did a nice job using all of his weapons, especially out of the two tight end formation, where both Desmond Clark and Greg Olsen were heavily involved. With the Bears down by two scores late, Orton was able to bring them back, primarily with the hurry up offense, to take the lead with only a few seconds to play. The Falcons were able to pull off the win, but Orton certainly didn't do anything to hurt them. He played a good game, and his job security has probably never been better.
Week 7 - Orton conducted a masterful game, throwing for 283 yards and two touchdowns, fumbling once. Out of the gate Orton looked great, leading the Bears to an opening drive touchdown. As usual, he spread the ball around very well, and ended the drive throwing a dart to Greg Olsen for a touchdown. All game he benefited from great play from the O-line, having plenty of time to complete his throws.
Week 9 - Orton was injured on a freak play at the end of the second quarter. Scrambling for a first down, Orton was tackled out of bounds, and his cleat caught on the knee of a Lions' defender and twisted his ankle to the outside. Currently it is being called a high ankle sprain and he is scheduled for an MRI on Monday. While Orton was in the game, he looked pretty good, completing eight of 14 passes for 108 yards. Orton also ran in a five yard touchdown before his afternoon was finished.
Week 10 - Orton was unable to play in this game as expected due to his ankle injury.
Week 11 - Orton's return was not what he had hoped for, as he completed just 13 of 26 passes for a mere 133 yards. Orton struggled to move around all game due to his ankle, which caused the Packers' pressure to force him into more bad throws. On a fourth down play, Orton had an interception wiped out by a defensive offside penalty, however the very next play he fumbled the snap and the Packers turned it into a touchdown. Orton came out of the game in the fourth quarter once the game was out of hand, probably to protect him from further injury.
Week 12 - Orton still seemed to be bothered by his ankle, but this week he did a better job of managing the offense and keeping the chains moving. He threw his lone touchdown to FB Jason McKie in the first quarter, a seven yard strike capping off a 63 yard drive. Orton remained turnover free, and didn't really have to make any big plays with Forte running so well.
Week 13 - QB Kyle Orton faced a lot of pressure from the Vikings front line and he was sacked three times by DL Jared Allen. He was often knocked down as he threw and made three bad decisions on each of his interceptions.
He did not read the defense well and was inaccurate throughout the game. His first touchdown pass was on a quick slant to WR Devin Hester, who grabbed the ball and beat three defenders into the end zone for a long score. The second touchdown came after an interception return brought the Bears into a first and goal situation and Orton hit RB Matt Forte on the left side of the end zone for the score.
Week 14 - Kyle Orton looks like his mobility is back. He didn't have to run out of the pocket due the lack of pass rush pressure. However, he was able to move around in the pocket to step up to throw the ball. There was no notice of a limp at all. He was able to connect for two touchdowns to both of his TEs. There were many dropped balls that could have changed the passing stats a great deal. The cold weather might have affected his WRs, but not his passing. The touchdown pass to Olson was a laser that was incredible to watch.
Week 15 - Orton didn't do much in the first half until he scored a rushing touchdown with less then a minute left in the first half, bad ankle and all. Orton was 11 for 17 for 76 in the half as the Bears dinked and dunked their way down the field. He did have a costly fumble that help set up the Saints only touchdown in the half. Orton and the offense did little in the second half and struggled to get a first down, forcing the Bears defense to be on the field most of the half. He did move Chicago down into scoring range at the end of the game to kick a game tying field goal. He also led them down the field in overtime for the game winning kick. But Orton was ineffective most the game and did not make many plays with his arm until late in the game.
Week 16 - The Bears offense looked terrible in the first half as Orton was only four for eight for 36 yards and no touchdowns. The offense was only able to get two first downs in the half. Orton threw for a three yard score to TE Greg Olsen early in the second half after a Packers' turnover. He would throw a costly interception late in the third quarter and another midway through the fourth quarter. Despite not playing well, Orton was able to lead the Bears down the field late in the game thanks to the running of RB Matt Forte and get a game tying touchdown. Orton made a clutch 17 yard pass to Olsen and then a 14 yard completion to Forte in overtime to set up the game winning field goal.
Week 17 - Orton played reasonably well, but appeared much more comfortable throwing shorter passes than longer ones. When the game was close, he threw shorter passes almost exclusively. Eleven of the intermediate and deep passes he threw were in the second half. He only connected on one deep pass, and that was in large part to a good catch by Hester in double coverage. Orton made good decisions on his shorter passes, and proved accurate on those throws. Orton looked for Devin Hester the most, targeting him nine times, with half of those targets being of the intermediate or deep variety. He looked to Greg Olsen a lot in the second half, targeting him seven times in the half, including two in the end zone, of which one was caught for a touchdown.
