Orton prepares as if he'll start

Injured quarterback Kyle Orton was able to practice with his sprained right ankle on a limited basis Wednesday and took some reps with the first team.

He was also able to drop back, at somewhat less than full speed, and throw some passes on the side when he wasn't working with the starters.

"It's early in the week, but I'm preparing like I am (going to start)," Orton said. "It's gotten better every day, so hopefully it just continues to do that."

Coach Lovie Smith said Orton looked "pretty good" at practice and that he doesn't have to be 100 percent to start in Green Bay. "Who is 100 percent this time of the year?" Smith said. "We won't let Kyle play if he can't protect himself, (or) if we just don't feel like he's ready to go. Beyond that, it's pretty subjective. We'll know if he's ready to go. If he continues to make progress like he has, I think he has a good chance to play."

Offensive coordinator Ron Turner said Orton's status may depend on how he feels today after Wednesday's work.

"If it feels good, obviously he can get more reps (today)," Turner said. "If not, then we'll just do about the same and bring him along."

Good vibrations: Rex Grossman said his mind-set has to be the same this week as it was last, when he assumed he would be the starter.

"I've got to go out there and prepare like I'm going to play the whole game," Grossman said. "Obviously, I don't know what's going on, so that's how I'm going to approach it."

The good news is that Grossman is 3-0 at Lambeau Field. The bad news is his passer rating last week was 64.4 in his first start of the season.

"I'm feeling pretty good about that stadium," he said. "I've got a good vibe going in there."

Not the scheme: Players have not been critical of the Bears' scheme, although it has frequently been questioned because of the failure of cornerbacks to play tighter man-to-man coverage, giving opponents opportunities to take advantage of underneath routes.

"Our coaches actually do a good job of switching it up," cornerback Corey Graham said. "We play man (coverage) more than you probably think. It's just that when we are in man, we've just got to make some plays. Coaches can only do so much. They can make the calls, but eventually you've got to go out there and make some plays and get it done."

Middle linebacker Brian Urlacher had 5 interceptions and 5 sacks last season, but he hasn't made nearly as many big plays this year as he has in the past. He also said it isn't the scheme.

"I won defensive player of the year (in 2005) in this scheme, so I must've been doing something right," he told Green Bay-area media. "There are chances for me to make plays. It has nothing to do with the scheme or the calls, it's just a matter of me getting in position to make plays."

Injury update: Center Olin Kreutz, safety Mike Brown and defensive tackle Tommie Harris all were rested during Wednesday's practice, and running back Kevin Jones was excused for personal reasons.

All are expected back today. Besides Kyle Orton, linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer (thumb) and cornerback Charles Tillman (shoulder) were limited.