Orton keeps his cool, sticks with game plan

Despite the Arctic conditions Sunday at Soldier Field, Kyle Orton compiled a passer rating of 103.6, the highest of his NFL career.

He completed 8 of 14 passes for 101 yards with 1 touchdown and no interceptions or mistakes.

Maybe it was the special weapon he employed in frigid conditions that included a wind chill of minus-18 and intermittent snow flurries.

"Certainly with the wind, it was cold," Orton said, "but I have a beard, so that helps out a little bit."

Orton's 14 passes were 31 fewer than the Bears had averaged in the previous three weeks, but less was more with 22 mph winds that gusted as high as 40.

"We threw it when we had to, and I thought we threw it pretty effectively for the conditions," said Orton, who improved to 1-1 as a starter. "We took out most of our deep pass plays and threw more high-percentage passes."

Orton also thoroughly outplayed future Hall of Famer Brett Favre, who finished with a 40.2 passer rating.

"He's a great quarterback," Orton said. "I think it's something good to look back on and say I've beaten him. We don't have a whole lot of goals left, but that was one of them, to be able to go 2-0 against the Packers."

Orton was the Bears quarterback on Nov. 13, 2005, when they defeated the San Francisco 49ers 17-9 in winds so strong that a Robbie Gould field-goal attempt was blown nearly sideways at the goal line.

"(Sunday) was worse than San Francisco," Orton said. "That might have been more windy, but it didn't have the cold factor with it."

Heavy workload: Adrian Peterson knew he was in for a long day as soon as he stepped outside Sunday. But he enjoyed the workload, which included a 22-carry first half, most in the NFL since Oct. 23, 2005.

"Coming into the game, I knew we were going to run it," Peterson said. "It was exciting if you go into the huddle knowing you're going to get the ball. That's always a great feeling."

Peterson finished with a career-high 30 carries for 102 yards, his second NFL 100-yard game and first in more than two years.

Peterson didn't have a gain longer than 11 yards on his first 115 carries this season, but he broke loose for 21 yards on his 116th to set up Robbie Gould's 35-yard field goal, which gave the Bears a 6-0 lead 4:19 before halftime.

"Credit the offensive line," Peterson said. "They've been criticized a little bit, so it was good to finally get over the hump. Our guys up front, from the center to the tight ends to the wide receivers, did a great job. When they give me 2 (yards), I try to get 4 or 5."

Adapting to conditions: Offensive coordinator Ron Turner knew long before kickoff that his game plan would have to be altered because of the conditions.

"I realized that at 3 o'clock in the morning, when I woke up in the Hilton because of the wind," Turner said. "I said 'OK, we have to change this game plan a little bit. It's going to be one of those Chicago days.'

"We ran the first play that was on the script and that was it; then we got off it."

Even running back Garrett Wolfe, who's from Chicago, said conditions were difficult.

"You can be from Alaska; the wind is what really made it cold," Wolfe said. "It felt like my skin was about to bust open at times. But going out there and making some plays kind of calmed that down."

Playing short-handed: The Bears were without three defensive starters from last week because of injuries.

Linebacker Lance Briggs (hip), cornerback Nate Vasher (knee), defensive end Mark Anderson (knee) were all inactive, as was defensive tackle Darwin Walker (elbow), another starter, who missed his second straight game.

Safety Josh Gattis, guard Josh Beekman and wide receiver Mike Hass also were inactive. Rex Grossman (knee) was the third quarterback.

Alex Brown, who had started 64 straight games before his job was given to Anderson at the start of the season, replaced Anderson at right end.

Israel Idonije took Walker's spot at nose tackle, Jamar Williams filled in for Briggs, and Trumaine McBride started in place of Vasher, as he had for six of the 10 consecutive games that Vasher missed prior to last week with a groin injury.

Because of injuries, Sunday's lineup was without eight of the opening-day starters, including nose tackle Dusty Dvoracek, safety Mike Brown, guard Ruben Brown and Grossman.