Earlier this week, Bears head coach Lovie Smith anointed Kyle Orton as the team’s starting quarterback. Thursday night at Soldier Field, Orton made his boss’s decision look good.
Earlier this week, Bears head coach Lovie Smith anointed Kyle Orton as the team’s starting quarterback. Thursday night at Soldier Field, Orton made his boss’s decision look good. In a 37-30 pre-season loss to the San Francisco 49ers, Orton was outstanding in one half of action completing 10 of 17 passes for 147 yards and a pair of touchdown passes, both to wide receiver Rashid Davis. “Kyle is our quarterback, and he did an outstanding job,” Smith said. “We knew what he could do, and that’s why we named him our starter. It was good to see him validate our decision on the field.” While the Bears offense showed some signs of life, the defense was another story, surrendering 37 points to a 49ers offense that ranked last in the NFL last season. “On the defensive side of the football, I was disappointed,” Smith, said. “We’re a better defense than that. “We have to get our swagger back.” Defensive back Mike Brown said that although it was just a pre-season game, the defensive unit must play better.” “Anytime your offense scores 30 points in a game, you should win, and we didn’t,” Brown said. Prior to the start of the game, there was a moment of silence observed for Gene Upshaw, head of the National Football League Player union, who died Wednesday. The Bears travel to Cleveland Thursday to play the Browns in their final pre-season game. The regular season opener is set for Sunday night, Sept. 7, in Indianapolis. ______ Copyright 2008 Chicago Defender. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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