We get it. Kyle Orton is the Broncos starting quarterback. However, down 49-17 in the fourth quarter, surely a quarterback change would be in order.
“We feel Kyle Orton is our starting quarterback,” John Fox said for the 1,000th time since taking over as head coach of the Denver Broncos.
The Broncos have a “Tebow Package” so why not use it in more than one play in a game that was almost lost before the coin toss?
In an orange and blue world that already has enough quarterback controversy, the last thing John Fox wanted to do was put more fuel on the fire by letting Tim Tebow play. Tebow most likely would have done some great things and would have done some bad things in the Broncos loss, and there’s no doubt that his play would have injected more life into the Broncos already turbulent situation at QB.
However, why not remove “your” starting quarterback, take away any chance of injuring him in a game that is already lost, and let the young gun gain some experience? If anything, letting the world see him play would amp up Tebow’s trade value if Kyle Orton really is the man you believe gives your team the best chance at winning.
The Broncos loss to the Packers can by no means be placed solely on shoulders of Kyle Orton. The Broncos were outmatched in every area of the field, and Orton lead the offense on some successful drives. He went 22-for-32 for 273 yards and 3 TDs. He also threw 3 picks.
The point here is that the Broncos don’t have a face to their franchise. All great NFL teams have a face to their franchise, and it’s always the quarterback. Look at the Packers (Aaron Rodgers), Steelers (Ben Roethlisberger), and Patriots (Tom Brady). We should know. John Elway’s face was the Broncos identity for so long when they were winning Super Bowls.
There are bad faces to a franchise as well. Look what happens when a coach becomes the face of the franchise. Rex Ryan hasn’t been able to get his Jets team to a Super Bowl despite back-to-back Conference Championship appearances, and Josh McDaniels ran the Broncos into the ground when he was on his head coaching high horse.
The Broncos know who they are, but without a solid face to the franchise, they don’t know what they may become.
What exactly are the Broncos trying to do here? Keep Kyle Orton’s confidence out of the gutter? Keep the world guessing on how Tebow would play in an NFL game? Roll the dice on a QB named Luck?
Whatever it is, the Broncos need to find a face and brand their franchise in a hurry.
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