Bears make right choice with Orton

As for the season that is heading nowhere towards the playoffs, the Bears are making the right choice to go with Kyle Orton at quarterback. 

What other choice is there at this point?  Rex Grossman is out for the season and it’s going to best if both parties go their separate directions.  And Brian Griese is what I said he was earlier this season – strictly a backup who is too streaky. 

As the Bears begin evaluating their situation at quarterback next month, they need to get a better read on Kyle Orton.  Orton had a very ordinary rookie season in 2005, but has made strides on the practice field since that point – especially since this past spring when he improved his conditioning habits. 

Orton is built like an NFL quarterback and has a very solid arm to make any throw.  The question the Bears need to answer is whether he can recognize different coverages and make good decisions with the football during game conditions. 

At the very least, the Bears need to find out if Orton is at least a solid number two for the long-term. 

In other quarterback news, a handful of pro scouts are intrigued by Houston’s Sage Rosenfels.  He’s been very productive and has shown the ability to push the ball downfield on multiple occasions this season.  Rosenfels has also shown good pocket presence and can move around the pocket.  And he has the respect of his teammates.  Guys play for Rosenfels. 

The question is whether he’s a legitimate starter?  He’s not going to always protect the football and lacks good ball placement in the intermediate passing game.  He tends to tip off his reads too often.  That could either improve with more reps or become a liability during a 16-game season.   I believe Rosenfels deserves an opportunity to compete for a starting job with a team that has uncertainty at the quarterback position. 

But in a league where starting quarterbacks are a rare commodity these days, there will be some a few teams approaching the Texans in regards to Rosenfels.  It might have to take a second or third round pick for someone to take Rosenfels from Houston.  Matt Schaub got nicked up a few times this season, which makes Rosenfels a valuable commodity to the Texans. 

In more thoughts:

How many injuries can the Buffalo defense handle?  Now George Wilson is out with broken ribs.  Wilson came out of nowhere this season to become a solid contributor at safety following the past few years toiling the bottom of the depth chart at wide receiver.  Wilson has displayed a natural feel for the defense to complement his athleticism since the move from the offensive side of the ball not long ago. 

Mike Martz took my words to heart on Sunday against Dallas.  They established a respectable run game with Kevin Jones – who has been challenged by soreness in his foot – and T.J. Duckett also saw his most action of the season.  Let’s hope Martz can maintain this balance down the stretch. 

If the Chargers are to pose any type of threat in the post-season, quarterback Philip Rivers and left tackle Marcus McNeill must step up their level of play.  McNeill hasn’t been nearly as consistent in pass protection during his second season.  And Rivers continues to be an enigma.  He’s been making a lot of questionable decisions with the football and hasn’t shown enough poise on the field.  At this point, Rivers is holding this offense from breaking open. 

The value of having solid veterans on the field was most evident in the Pittsburgh – New England on Sunday.  Last month, I spoke about how underrated the loss of free safety Ryan Clark was for the remainder of the season.  Clark’s injury opened the door for Anthony Smith, who has superior physical tools to Clark.  But Clark is a steady veteran who doesn’t make many mistakes.  If Clark was in the lineup last night, I doubt Randy Moss or Jabar Gaffney would have made long touchdown grabs against Pittsburgh.

As for a couple coaching updates:

Look for fired UCLA coach Karl Dorrell to attract a lot of attention around the NFL.  Dorrell was one of the budding wide receiver coaches around the league with the Denver Broncos prior to taking the UCLA job.  Dorrell has a lot of coaching upside in some league circles. 

Fired Georgia Tech coach Chan Gailey is likely headed back to the NFL.  He’s on the short list as an offensive coordinator candidate for a few head coaching candidates.  He’s very well respected as an offensive coach around the league.  Detroit and San Francisco will consider Gailey.  Brian Billick won’t mind talking with Gailey to attempt another overhaul of the Ravens’ offense. 

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