[Quesadilla Joe]

In Denver, they're using the 'f' word to describe Kyle Orton
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Nah, couldn't be. My hearing apparently is acting up.

I could have sworn Broncos receiver Brandon Stokley just referred to Kyle Orton as a franchise quarterback.

"I definitely think we've got a franchise quarterback," Stokley said.

The "f" word? Orton, a franchise quarterback? In Chicago, the term has been defined as a person with a cannon arm, a swagger and initials other than K.O. We've been told so often that Jay Cutler is a franchise quarterback we repeat it in our sleep.

"You don't have to have all the flash and the strongest arm in the world -- and Kyle does have a strong arm, by the way," Stokley said. "But you don't have to throw the ball 100 mph and do all these dynamic things with the ball. You just need to win games and get the job done. You can be a franchise quarterback that way."

Denver is looking at Orton differently than it did when he arrived in the blockbuster trade that sent Jay Cutler to the Bears. And Denver certainly is looking at Orton differently than many in Chicago did. What lots of people scoffed at in our town -- Orton as the dreaded "game manager" -- Denver is embracing.

He is more than a caretaker, but it's easier to make him out to be a one-dimensional stick figure.

"I guess that's another one of those perception things," he said after Friday's Broncos practice. "Once you get a label, you're not going to shake it.

"I guess some people would rather win and have the quarterback throw three interceptions and somehow do it flashy. I like to try not to put my defense in bad situations. I try to play complementary football."

He and the Broncos are 4-0. It's true they haven't beaten anybody great, and it's also true their road gets precipitously steeper Sunday when New England comes to town. But Orton is edging closer to being The Guy. He never has been that, even when he was the Bears' starting quarterback. Until this year, he had never gone into training camp as the undisputed starter.

"I loved Chicago, but I feel like I'm in a better situation, no question about it -- the talent around me, the system I'm in," he said. "This is a great offense I think I can thrive in, that I think is really suited well for me. You've got to think, you've got to handle the operation correctly and then you've got to be accurate.

"I think I can do all those things well."

One thing he does particularly well is win. He said he doesn't keep track of any of his stats, save one: He is 17-2 as a starter at home. That .895 winning percentage is the best by an NFL quarterback with a minimum of 15 starts since the 1970 merger.

"I'm proud of the fact that I've won as many games as I have," he said. "I'm not saying it's just me winning those games, but winning is the goal. Somehow I've been able to accomplish that more often than not."

It's time to give Orton some props. He is 25-12 as a starter. He was rolling along for the Bears last year when he hurt his ankle, came back too early and struggled through a 4-3 second half.

It's not coincidence his teams tend to win. There are a lot of mediocre quarterbacks who can help their teams lose. The teams that win consistently in the NFL are getting, if not great play from their quarterbacks, then at least very smart play. Orton is smart. He has yet to throw an interception in Denver's surprising start, and his passer rating is 97.7.

"The way I evaluate quarterbacks is wins, production, taking care of the football, helping your team do what it needs to do on a regular basis," Broncos coach Josh McDaniels said. "We've won four games, and Kyle's taken care of the football very well throughout those games."

The Broncos' defense has been great, allowing 26 points in four games. The offense has been good enough. Orton's longest completion was a tipped, 87-yarder to Stokley in the final seconds to beat the Bengals in the opener.

That play is Exhibit A for people who don't believe the Broncos are for real.

"Hey, games in this league come down to the last two minutes," Orton said. "If you can make plays in those situations and score points and hold people, you can win. We won a lot of crazy ways in Chicago. That's the league."

Orton lives four blocks from his good friend Brian Griese, a former Broncos and Bears quarterback. Griese has offered Orton advice, but their situations with the Broncos are different. Griese replaced John Elway, which is to say that he didn't replace Elway, because nobody could.

Orton was replacing Cutler, a physically talented quarterback who demanded to be traded after a nasty, public falling out with McDaniels. Although there were raised eyebrows about Orton's relative abilities, a lot of Broncos fans were happy to be rid of an unhappy Cutler.

Orton has made his own way. He has played with an injured finger suffered in an exhibition game against the Bears. Teammates are impressed by how hard he works, both in practice and in the film room. They elected him one of the captains.

He becomes a free agent after the season. His preference would be to stay in Denver. Actually, his preference would be to get a new contract done during the season.

"I know I'm playing good football right now, and I know how much I like it here," he said. "I just totally believe that I'm going to be successful with this coach and with this system and with these players around me. Hopefully, (a new contract) happens sooner than later."

Rather than label Orton a franchise quarterback or a game manager, perhaps we can agree he might have found the perfect place for himself. The Broncos appreciate his skills and his smarts.

The Bears appreciate Cutler's abilities. There are different ways to do the same thing.

"I wish Jay the best of luck," Orton said. "I'm happy I'm here."

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports....column?page=1
Lock him up McDaniels!