Orton doing a lot more than he even knows

Kyle Orton has accomplished a lot already, not the least of which is making the Hall of Fame before he made a Pro Bowl.

In the process Orton has saved so many jobs at Halas Hall that the government should hire him to lower unemployment rates.

OK, maybe he didn't save jobs as much as salvage reputations.

Jerry Angelo? His history as Bears general manager indicated he knows little about acquiring offensive talent.

Ah, but by drafting Orton out of Purdue in 2005's fourth round, Angelo might finally have ended the Bears' 60-year quarterback slump.

Lovie Smith? He was a boring head coach whose team reflected his personality.

Now after Orton helped the Bears to 48 points against the Vikings, Smith looks like a lampshade-wearing, chandelier-swinging party animal.

Ron Turner? His offenses were predictable, stodgy and generally ineffective as the Bears continued a tradition of cautiously attacking defenses.

Now Orton is not only throwing the ball all around the field but into the hands of Bears receivers, so Turner looks like an offensive coordinator for the 2000s.

Pep Hamilton? All anybody knew about him was he had a cheerleader's nickname.

Now Hamilton is the quarterbacks coach who made the most of the last couple of years by developing Orton's game.

Isn't it amazing the impact a player at football's most important position can have on an entire team?

Bears fans probably forgot that, if they are old enough to ever have known it.

Anyway, Orton has made mediocre wide receivers look good, a sputtering running game look adequate and an unbearable Bears defense look bearable.

You know what this is reminiscent of? It's reminiscent of when Michael Jordan was with the Bulls.

His Airness made everybody around him better and wealthier: Scottie Pippen as an NBA Top 50 all-time player, Phil Jackson as a brilliant head coach, Jerry Krause as a savvy general manager and Jerry Reinsdorf as a genius owner.

The Bears quarterback isn't Air Jordan, of course, but he sure looked like Air Orton while picking apart the Vikings' defense.

Oh, yeah, Orton also is making his and his team's critics look stupid.

Yes, folks, including me.

I whined that Angelo didn't draft a quarterback in April, that Smith wasn't a fiery Chicago-style coach, that Turner was just another unimaginative offensive mind, that Hamilton was Hamil-who?

Most of all I doubted Orton was an NFL starter.

Call me stubborn as well as stupid because I remain uncertain that he is.

Seriously, Orton still has to demonstrate to me that he can scramble from the pocket and complete a pass on the run, that he can create something on his own when the original play breaks down, that he isn't just a passing fancy.

Orton himself acknowledges that he has to play at a high level for a lot longer before being recognized as a long-term starting quarterback.

But to this point, if nothing else Orton has reminded us that quality quarterback play is invaluable.

If Orton does make the Pro Bowl this season on the way to the Hall of Fame -

Well, countless jobs, reputations, dollars, thanks and apologies will be owed to him for making so many around him look so good.

mimrem@dailyherald.com