Orlovsky - Fulfilling a First

[Nors]

Bears offense leading the way for a change against visiting Lions

Associated Press

The Chicago Bears are tied atop the NFC North, thanks to a surprisingly high-powered offense led by a rejuvenated Kyle Orton. The team's once-vaunted defense, however, appears vulnerable.

Coming off their bye week, the Bears look for a better defensive effort against the winless Detroit Lions, one of the worst offensive teams in the league, on Sunday at Soldier Field.


Sunday, Nov. 2
» Houston at Minnesota, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
» N.Y. Jets at Buffalo, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
» Detroit at Chicago, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
» Baltimore at Cleveland, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
» Green Bay at Tennessee, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
» Arizona at St. Louis, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
» Tampa Bay at Kansas City, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
» Jacksonville at Cincinnati, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
» Miami at Denver, 4:05 p.m. ET (CBS)
» Atlanta at Oakland, 4:15 p.m. ET (FOX)
» Dallas at N.Y. Giants, 4:15 p.m. ET (FOX)
» Philadelphia at Seattle, 4:15 p.m. ET (FOX)
» New England at Indianapolis, 8:15 p.m. ET (NBC)
Monday, Nov. 3
» Pittsburgh at Washington, 8:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Bye week:
» Carolina, New Orleans, San Diego, San Francisco.

Defense carried Chicago (4-3) into the playoffs in 2005 and 2006, but the unit has been inconsistent this season. The Bears have forced a league-high 16 turnovers, are first in third-down efficiency (30.1 percent) and sixth against the run (85.9 yards per game), but have struggled to stop the pass, ranking 29th at 243.1 ypg.

In Chicago's 48-41 win over Minnesota in its last game Oct. 19, the defense allowed 439 yards.

"Our defense played horrible," defensive end Alex Brown said.

The Bears have had injuries in the secondary, as starting cornerbacks Nathan Vasher (wrist) and Charles Tillman (shoulder) have missed time, but the defense was shaky before they got hurt, as Pro Bowlers Tommie Harris and Brian Urlacher have struggled. Chicago hopes to get Vasher and Tillman back this week.

"The defense has had to carry the team (in the past), but now it's not like that, which is obviously a blessing, especially the way that the defense is playing," safety Mike Brown said.

The Bears hope their defense can duplicate the performance it had in a 34-7 win at Detroit on Oct. 5, when it allowed a season-low 185 yards. The 0-7 Lions are 29th in offense (288.9 ypg) and 28th in scoring (16.3 ppg).

Chicago's offense also managed to overpower Detroit -- but it's been doing that to a lot of opponents lately.

The Bears, who racked up a season-high 425 yards against the Lions, are tied with San Diego for second in the league with 28 points per game. Their point total vs. the Vikings was their highest since a 48-14 win over Tampa Bay on Dec. 7, 1986.

The key to Chicago's newfound offensive success has been a passing game led by Orton, who's enjoying a breakout season.

The fourth-year quarterback threw for 283 yards and two touchdowns in the win over the Vikings, and has passed for 903 yards, five TDs and no interceptors in his last three games.

"You can't say enough about what he's done," Bears tight end Greg Olsen said. "The stats speak for themselves and all the other things: getting us in and out of plays, making adjustments on the fly, running the no-huddle offense. Just a ton of things that he's doing better."

Orton's best performance of the season came against the Lions, as he threw for a career-high 334 yards and two touchdowns, while posting a career-high 121.4 quarterback rating.

Orton isn't the only quarterback to have a big day against Detroit this year. The Lions are 31st in the league in pass defense at 258.7 yards per game, and six of the seven QBs that have started against them have posted career-best ratings.
2009 Pro Bowl The polls are open! Fans can vote now for their favorite players for the 2009 NFL Pro Bowl, to be played Feb. 8 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. Vote here!

Orton has thrown for 714 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions in three career games against the Lions, leading the Bears to victory each time.

Chicago is looking to sweep Detroit for the third time in four years after getting swept last season.

The Lions are coming off a 25-17 loss to Washington last Sunday. Detroit took its first opening-quarter lead of the season, but was outscored 22-10 after the first period.

Dan Orlovsky was 21-of-35 for 223 yards and a touchdown pass, and appears to be gaining confidence. He was 13-of-23 for 97 yards and an interception after coming off the bench to replace the injured Jon Kitna against the Bears on Oct. 5.

The Lions have lost their last three games by an average of 5.7 points after dropping their first four by an average of 27, but that's of little consolation to their coach.

"The things that are beating us are the obvious things -- the things that you would see," Rod Marinelli said. "This game is about simple execution -- that's how most games are won or lost. Right now, under pressure, when it gets tight, we aren't making plays.

"Losing is a disease, and the way you fight it is to stay tough, stay consistent and have a belief in what you are doing."

The Lions have lost 14 of their last 15 games overall, and 28 of their last 33 on the road.

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press

 

[DaBoys4Life]

Bears offense leading the way for a change against visiting Lions

Associated Press

The Chicago Bears are tied atop the NFC North, thanks to a surprisingly high-powered offense led by a rejuvenated Kyle Orton. The team's once-vaunted defense, however, appears vulnerable.

Coming off their bye week, the Bears look for a better defensive effort against the winless Detroit Lions, one of the worst offensive teams in the league, on Sunday at Soldier Field.


Sunday, Nov. 2
» Houston at Minnesota, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
» N.Y. Jets at Buffalo, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
» Detroit at Chicago, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
» Baltimore at Cleveland, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
» Green Bay at Tennessee, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
» Arizona at St. Louis, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
» Tampa Bay at Kansas City, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
» Jacksonville at Cincinnati, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
» Miami at Denver, 4:05 p.m. ET (CBS)
» Atlanta at Oakland, 4:15 p.m. ET (FOX)
» Dallas at N.Y. Giants, 4:15 p.m. ET (FOX)
» Philadelphia at Seattle, 4:15 p.m. ET (FOX)
» New England at Indianapolis, 8:15 p.m. ET (NBC)
Monday, Nov. 3
» Pittsburgh at Washington, 8:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Bye week:
» Carolina, New Orleans, San Diego, San Francisco.

Defense carried Chicago (4-3) into the playoffs in 2005 and 2006, but the unit has been inconsistent this season. The Bears have forced a league-high 16 turnovers, are first in third-down efficiency (30.1 percent) and sixth against the run (85.9 yards per game), but have struggled to stop the pass, ranking 29th at 243.1 ypg.

In Chicago's 48-41 win over Minnesota in its last game Oct. 19, the defense allowed 439 yards.

"Our defense played horrible," defensive end Alex Brown said.

The Bears have had injuries in the secondary, as starting cornerbacks Nathan Vasher (wrist) and Charles Tillman (shoulder) have missed time, but the defense was shaky before they got hurt, as Pro Bowlers Tommie Harris and Brian Urlacher have struggled. Chicago hopes to get Vasher and Tillman back this week.

"The defense has had to carry the team (in the past), but now it's not like that, which is obviously a blessing, especially the way that the defense is playing," safety Mike Brown said.

The Bears hope their defense can duplicate the performance it had in a 34-7 win at Detroit on Oct. 5, when it allowed a season-low 185 yards. The 0-7 Lions are 29th in offense (288.9 ypg) and 28th in scoring (16.3 ppg).

Chicago's offense also managed to overpower Detroit -- but it's been doing that to a lot of opponents lately.

The Bears, who racked up a season-high 425 yards against the Lions, are tied with San Diego for second in the league with 28 points per game. Their point total vs. the Vikings was their highest since a 48-14 win over Tampa Bay on Dec. 7, 1986.

The key to Chicago's newfound offensive success has been a passing game led by Orton, who's enjoying a breakout season.

The fourth-year quarterback threw for 283 yards and two touchdowns in the win over the Vikings, and has passed for 903 yards, five TDs and no interceptors in his last three games.

"You can't say enough about what he's done," Bears tight end Greg Olsen said. "The stats speak for themselves and all the other things: getting us in and out of plays, making adjustments on the fly, running the no-huddle offense. Just a ton of things that he's doing better."

Orton's best performance of the season came against the Lions, as he threw for a career-high 334 yards and two touchdowns, while posting a career-high 121.4 quarterback rating.

Orton isn't the only quarterback to have a big day against Detroit this year. The Lions are 31st in the league in pass defense at 258.7 yards per game, and six of the seven QBs that have started against them have posted career-best ratings.
2009 Pro Bowl The polls are open! Fans can vote now for their favorite players for the 2009 NFL Pro Bowl, to be played Feb. 8 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. Vote here!

Orton has thrown for 714 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions in three career games against the Lions, leading the Bears to victory each time.

Chicago is looking to sweep Detroit for the third time in four years after getting swept last season.

The Lions are coming off a 25-17 loss to Washington last Sunday. Detroit took its first opening-quarter lead of the season, but was outscored 22-10 after the first period.

Dan Orlovsky was 21-of-35 for 223 yards and a touchdown pass, and appears to be gaining confidence. He was 13-of-23 for 97 yards and an interception after coming off the bench to replace the injured Jon Kitna against the Bears on Oct. 5.

The Lions have lost their last three games by an average of 5.7 points after dropping their first four by an average of 27, but that's of little consolation to their coach.

"The things that are beating us are the obvious things -- the things that you would see," Rod Marinelli said. "This game is about simple execution -- that's how most games are won or lost. Right now, under pressure, when it gets tight, we aren't making plays.

"Losing is a disease, and the way you fight it is to stay tough, stay consistent and have a belief in what you are doing."

The Lions have lost 14 of their last 15 games overall, and 28 of their last 33 on the road.

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press

why do you pimp this guy so hard?

 

[Nors]

I am 20% of the posts in this thread!

I like a young QB that worked his way up and is starting in extreme adversity and doing respectable. Read all his quotes - he's a leader. Just like his college showed. Unlike many railing against a Nors call, I have seen this QB play probably 40+ times and he has upside.

I was skoffed at 5 years ago on calling him a future NFL starter yet here his is - also note he beat out Stanton 2 training camps in a row.

NFL Sunday ticket - 1:00 game tune in and watch the Big O - then lets talk.

 

[DaBoys4Life]

I am 20% of the posts in this thread!

I like a young QB that worked his way up and is starting in extreme adversity and doing respectable. Read all his quotes - he's a leader. Just like his college showed. Unlike many railing against a Nors call, I have seen this QB play probably 40+ times and he has upside.

I was skoffed at 5 years ago on calling him a future NFL starter yet here his is - also note he beat out Stanton 2 training camps in a row.

NFL Sunday ticket - 1:00 game tune in and watch the Big O - then lets talk.

I'm not going to waste my time.

 

[Nors]

I'm not going to waste my time.

:laugh2:

 

[silverbear]

why do you pimp this guy so hard?

Unnatural lust...

 

[silverbear]

I am 20% of the posts in this thread!

And 100 per cent of the dumb ones!!!

Unlike many railing against a Nors call, I have seen this QB play probably 40+ times and he has upside.

And you also thought that Ricky Santos was the shiznit, so your abilities as an analyst are highly suspect...

NFL Sunday ticket - 1:00 game tune in and watch the Big O - then lets talk.

I swear to God, you sound like a lovesick groupie with your "Big O" talk... what, are you hoping you can find the "Big O" in Orlovsky's arms, Nors??

 

[Nors]

Dan Orlovsky Deserves a Real Shot

by Dean Holden (Contributor)

October 30, 2008
NFL, Detroit Lions, Editorial, Dan Orlovsky

Now that Matt Millen has been fired, angry-but-loyal Lions fans will need something else to chant about when they inevitably fill the stands for the next home game.

I know just the thing.

“Stanton, Stanton, Stanton,” Lions fans will cry as Dan Orlovsky throws an interception late in the game. It doesn’t matter what game it is, or whether the pick will be his fault, or his porous offensive line, or his blocking-challenged running backs. It doesn’t matter; it will happen.

The fans will be wrong. They will be wrong because Orlovsky has earned his chance to run the Detroit Lions. Dan Orlovsky may not be Tom Brady talent. He might not even be Gus Frerotte talent. Nobody knows, and that's the whole point. He deserves the chance to show what he can really do. The fans, Rod Marinelli, Drew Stanton, and Daunte Culpepper can sit on it until he gets his real shot.

Orlovsky has been holding a clipboard on the bench since 2005, at one point sitting third string behind Josh McCown, and now that the Lions are in turmoil (again), the man has earned his due.

At 0-7, nobody is talking playoffs, so the worst losing gets them is a better shot at Mel Kiper’s Big Board. The best scenario is the Lions, whoever that might consist of by the time the team’s fire sale is over, find something resembling an answer at quarterback.

If not, he’s gone in free agency. No harm done.

I know Orlovsky is starting now, so this may seem redundant. But who really thinks that he'll still be the starter by the end of the season? Did Marinelli just bring Culpepper in for tea and crumpets?

No, they did it because they don't have any faith in Orlovsky, and he deserves the rest of the season to play and state his case without looking over his shoulder.
Author Poll

Should Orlovsky finish the season as the Lions' starter?

* Yes - I like what I see so far.
* No - It's Stanton Time!
* No - Bring in Culpepper (or another FA)!

vote to see results

You can’t fault the fans for being impatient. Their beloved Lions are looking at yet another year or three of rebuilding after Millen built a team that fit together like Lincoln Logs, Legos, matches, and paper-mâché.

After a perfect preseason in which Jon Kitna looked great and the defense looked faster and improved, the regular season (and reality) struck again. Kitna was awful and is now on injured reserve, and the defense has developed a habit of building 21-point deficits in as few drives as they can.

Admittedly, Drew Stanton is a sexy prospect. He has a big arm and can run with the football, and Lions fans love guys on the bench who have the potential to scramble and make plays on the run (see McMahon, Mike).

Maybe Stanton is the future. But what’s the rush? Stanton is effectively in his rookie year, after Mike Martz decided to redshirt IR him in 2007. Do the Lions really need another reminder of what happens to quarterbacks when they start too soon on teams that aren’t very good (see Batch, Charlie, and Harrington, Joey under the heading “shattered confidence&#8221?

So what is Orlovsky not doing that he should be doing? Why is everyone so anxious to pull him? He has started three games. In those three games, Orlovsky has:

Turned the ball over zero times. Thrown a touchdown pass in each game. Completed 55 percent of his passes. Accumulated a QB rating of 94.4. Spread the ball to at least five different receivers in each game, with a different receptions leader for each game.
Managed to improve the passing game in the wake of the Roy Williams trade. Led the Lions to their only three single-possession losses this season (in an 0-7 season full of blowouts, that's big). Decreased the number of sacks taken in each game, from six against Minnesota, to two against Houston, to one against Washington.

The only thing Orlovsky hasn't done yet is win a game. Arguably, he shouldn't be on the hook for that, since the defense is mostly responsible for digging holes he has to pass out of. Still, to make a legitimate case at starting, he is going to have to prove that he is a strong enough player to put the team on his back sometimes.

Now that Orlovsky has cut his teeth for a few games, it is time for him to start taking more risks, more shots down field, maybe even trying to force a few passes for big gains. That kind of play won't be kind to his interception numbers, but that's what NFL quarterbacks have to do—stop "playing safe" and "managing the offense" and start making big plays.

What if he turns the ball over six times against Chicago, passes for 93 yards, and the Lions lose by 40? What if they finish the season 1-15?

So maybe the fifth-round pick out of Connecticut in 2005 isn’t the Detroit Lions’ savior. Big deal. If he plays poorly at quarterback and never shows anybody a reason to keep him around, then the Lions can let him go to whomever will take him and replace him with Stanton, Culpepper, or Vinny Testaverde, for all I care. At least he got a shot, and he lost it because he didn't have the skill, not because he didn't get to show it.

What if he doesn't though? What if he’s been building confidence? Maybe he beats Chicago for four touchdowns and he shocks the league, Brady-style. Maybe the Lions, looking at a potential winless season, finish 6-10 under the Big O.

Is it likely? No. Is it possible?

Always.

At this point, do the Lions have anything to lose by trying?

 

[Rustinpeace21]

see the one thing that really matters at the end of the day is WINS and LOSSES, you can sit here and say he has a nice rating, or hes not throwing ints...but hes not winning. And if you dont win, your not gonna have a job.

So you keep pulling up articles that say "Coming off their bye week, the Bears look for a better defensive effort against the winless Detroit Lions, one of the worst offensive teams in the league, on Sunday at Soldier Field."

What does that say to you. It says to me, even though there qb has a nice rating, and doesnt lose the game for them, he also doesnt win the game either. So thats all that matters, and should matter to the fans, players and coaches.

 

[Nors]

Detroit at Chicago, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)

 

[Rampage]

Less than two weeks after announcing that he's coming out of retirement, quarterback Daunte Culpepper has a new home.

Culpepper agreed Saturday to a two-year deal with the Detroit Lions. Terms of the deal, scheduled to be signed on Monday, are unknown.

Culpepper canceled a scheduled trip to Kansas City to instead visit the Lions earlier in the week.

Culpepper left the Lions on Tuesday without a deal but kept in touch, trying to find a home for this season and next season. After several days of negotiations, Culpepper agreed that Detroit was the best fit for him.

In September, Culpepper announced his retirement after being offered only one-year deals. Culpepper felt ignored despite his belief in his skills, and when he couldn't find a long-term home he announced his retirement at the age of 31.

In agreeing to a deal with Culpepper, the Lions have a quarterback to help finish this season and take them into next season. Culpepper, a former Vikings starter, has great knowledge of the NFC North.

Senior writer John Clayton covers the NFL for ESPN.com.
__________________

 

[DaBoys4Life]

Less than two weeks after announcing that he's coming out of retirement, quarterback Daunte Culpepper has a new home.

Culpepper agreed Saturday to a two-year deal with the Detroit Lions. Terms of the deal, scheduled to be signed on Monday, are unknown.

Culpepper canceled a scheduled trip to Kansas City to instead visit the Lions earlier in the week.

Culpepper left the Lions on Tuesday without a deal but kept in touch, trying to find a home for this season and next season. After several days of negotiations, Culpepper agreed that Detroit was the best fit for him.

In September, Culpepper announced his retirement after being offered only one-year deals. Culpepper felt ignored despite his belief in his skills, and when he couldn't find a long-term home he announced his retirement at the age of 31.

In agreeing to a deal with Culpepper, the Lions have a quarterback to help finish this season and take them into next season. Culpepper, a former Vikings starter, has great knowledge of the NFC North.

Senior writer John Clayton covers the NFL for ESPN.com.
__________________

But Dan O fulfilling a first and his QB Rating as a starter is a 100

 

[TellerMorrow34]

They sent Culpepper packing. Really more a slap at Drew Stanton they brought in Culpepper to be the backup.

Right that must be why they signed him to a 2 year deal in order to take over the starting job shortly and finish out this year and then play as their starter next year.

Guess even the Lions weren't buying all your Dan-O love.

 

[Nors]

Schedule 2008
Week Date Opp Info
1 9/7 @ Atl L 34-21
2 9/14 vs. GB L 48-25
3 9/21 @ SF L 31-13
4 Bye Week
5 10/5 vs. Chi L 34-7

6 10/12 @ Min L 12-10
7 10/19 @ Hou L 28-21
8 10/26 vs. Was L 25-17

9 11/2 @ Chi 10:00 AM PT11:00 AM MT12:00 PM CT1:00 PM ET6:00 PM GMT1:00 AM 北京时间

In games Kitna started Detroit lost by an average of 20.25

With the Big O Starting - that is down to 4.25 a game. Trend is the Lions going into Soldiers field and knocking the Bears dowm. Orlovsky needs to continue to make smart reads and throws and avoid turnovers. Chicago's blitzes and aggressive corners can give up some big plays......

Detroit 28-27

 

[TellerMorrow34]

Schedule 2008
Week Date Opp Info
1 9/7 @ Atl L 34-21
2 9/14 vs. GB L 48-25
3 9/21 @ SF L 31-13
4 Bye Week
5 10/5 vs. Chi L 34-7

6 10/12 @ Min L 12-10
7 10/19 @ Hou L 28-21
8 10/26 vs. Was L 25-17

9 11/2 @ Chi 10:00 AM PT11:00 AM MT12:00 PM CT1:00 PM ET6:00 PM GMT1:00 AM 北京时间

In games Kitna started Detroit lost by an average of 20.25

With the Big O Starting - that is down to 4.25 a game. Trend is the Lions going into Soldiers field and knocking the Bears dowm. Orlovsky needs to continue to make smart reads and throws and avoid turnovers. Chicago's blitzes and aggressive corners can give up some big plays......

Detroit 28-27

And you're WRONG again.

 

[Nors]

And you're WRONG again.

You watch the game?

Very close game and Big O played well

28-47-292 2 Td's

 

[TellerMorrow34]

Doesn't matter. You were wrong. They didn't win and his picks hurt them in that loss.

 

[Nors]

Doesn't matter. You were wrong. They didn't win and his picks hurt them in that loss.

I was wrong they would win, watched game and Dan O played very good all in all.

Better than Brad Johnson or Brooks da Bolingsaviour did.

 

[TellerMorrow34]

I was wrong they would win, watched game and Dan O played very good all in all.

Better than Brad Johnson or Brooks da Bolingsaviour did.

No one is comparing him to Brad of Brooks. No one cares if he's better than them. You'd be a better QB then they would.

We'd be the same 1-2 without Romo right now with him as we are with them though.

He's not good and he'll be replaced shortly by Culpepper. Which will be truly pathetic.

 

[peplaw06]

You watch the game?

Very close game and Big O played well

28-47-292 2 Td's

You left something out of his stat line. Can't put my finger on it but...