Orton out to defeat his mentor Sunday

It will be the protégé vs. the mentor when Bears quarterback Kyle Orton and Bucs quarterback Brian Griese lead their teams into battle Sunday at Soldier Field.

During the previous two years, when they were teammates and sitting behind Rex Grossman most of the time, Orton, 25, learned a lot about the game from Griese, who is 33 and in his 11th NFL season.

"He's been a big part of my career the last couple years," Orton said. "We're good friends obviously, and I look up to him."

Interestingly, the two former backups are now starters. While Orton spent the majority of the 2006 and '07 seasons riding the pine, he learned two important virtues - patience and preparation - and his teacher was Griese.

"Whenever you're a backup, patience is a virtue," said Orton, who struggled with that concept early in his inactivity after starting 15 games as a rookie in 2005.

But even when he wasn't playing, Orton learned from Griese the importance of keeping himself ready to play.

When he got his chance to start the final three games in 2007, he performed well enough to be given a shot at the starting job this year in training camp.

"He prepares extremely well," Orton said of Griese, "and certainly that helped me in my own preparation. I tried to model myself after the way he prepares. He has all aspects of the game down, and he's prepared for all situations in the game. I think about that in my approach also."

Orton is clearly appreciative of the lessons he was taught by Griese, and the two still talk regularly, but the pupil wants badly to defeat his teacher.

"I've talked to him each week so far," Orton said. "I don't know if we'll talk now from here on and out, but I can't wait to beat him."

To do that, Orton will have do more than manage the game against the team that popularized the Cover 2 defense in the NFL.

The Bucs are just 23rd in total yards allowed this season, but like any good Cover 2 scheme, they're stingy when it comes to points allowed (tied for No. 8).

"They're not out of a position a whole lot," Orton said. "But we feel (they) give us a chance to play fast. It's a similar style of defense to what we see every day in practice."

Finishing drives and making plays will be crucial to the Bears' success Sunday. Last week against the Carolina Panthers, the offense had just two drives longer than 26 yards, and neither of them resulted in a touchdown.

The Bears went 67 yards in the first quarter but came away empty-handed when tight end Greg Olsen lost a fumble at the Carolina 27. In the second quarter, the Bears drove 84 yards but could only manage Robbie Gould's 26-yard field goal when the march bogged down inside the Panthers' 10.

"We have to put together good drives, and we've got to finish them," said Bears offensive coordinator Ron Turner. "It's a work in progress. We're getting better, (but) we've got to make some of the plays down the field in the passing game when we have opportunities, and that'll come."

Against the Panthers, the Bears had just 1 pass play longer than 15 yards.

"I think it's just a matter of getting reps, getting the timing, and we'll hit those," Turner said. "I'm confident we'll hit them. That'll be the next step."

A lot will depend on how well Orton has mastered the lessons he learned from Griese.

<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Stories</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=235749">Bucs QB Griese won't bash Bears <span class="date"> [9/18/08]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=235750">Smith, Bears play it coy on Hester <span class="date"> [9/18/08]</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>