What Have You Done With Kyle Orton? (Week 6 – ’10)

Tim Tebow jerseys have been flying off the shelves since the Broncos made him their first round selection in the 2010 NFL Draft. Perhaps, it’s time to take that 15 jersey and shop it around to fellow fan friends, a move one could also recommends to the Broncos as the immediate need for a Kyle Orton successor no longer seems necessary. Through 5 games this season, Orton has only once fallen short of 300 yards through the air, posting a meager 295 in week 1 against Jacksonville, sarcasm intended. Though the Broncos are a collective 2-3 as a team, the passing game has been firing on all cylinders. The rushing attack on the other hand, can be held directly responsible for any early season offensive struggles. With Knowshown Moreno falling early to the injury bug, Laurence Maroney and an aging Correll Buckhalter have done little to close the backfield wound. Meanwhile Orton’s 1,733 yards passing, including a 476 yard outburst in a losing effort against Indianapolis, is good for second in the league, trailing Philip Rivers by just 26 yards, over 120 yards ahead of 3^rd place Peyton Manning and 220 yards ahead of 4^th place Drew Brees.It may be time to temper expectations, however, as Orton’s season trajectory is actually eerily similar to last season’s pace. In 2009, weeks 1 through 6 saw Orton post QB ratings of 100.7, 83.5, 92.1, 117.5, 96.7, 115.4 respectively going into the bye. In consecutive losses shortly after he returned to earth with 71.0 and 43.9 performances. Still, in retrospect, Orton’s 2009 was very solid if not spectacular, completing 62.1 of his passes, while throwing for 3,802 yards, 21 TDs and 12 INTs. Not franchise numbers but certainly that of an serviceable NFL starter. Were he to continue on his current rampant pace, his 2010 numbers project to a completion percentage of 66.2, 5,545 yards, 25.6 TDs and 9.6 INTs, a stat line that would make Tebow or any quarterback not named Elway expendable.