Orton airs it out in rout

DETROIT - Maybe the Bears should consider getting off the bus throwing the football.

Coach Lovie Smith is fond of saying the Bears "get off the bus running the football," but even with No. 1 wide receiver Brandon Lloyd out with a sprained knee, the offense met little resistance through the air in a lopsided 34-7 victory Sunday over the 0-4 Lions.

Coupled with the Green Bay's 27-24 loss at home to the Atlanta Falcons, the Bears moved into first place in the NFC North at 3-2, a game ahead of the Packers.

Quarterback Kyle Orton found plenty of targets, spreading the ball out equitably while throwing for 334 yards, 66 more than he had thrown for in any of his previous 22 NFL starts.

Orton's passer rating of 121.4 also was a career best, topping his 103.3, also against the Lions, in his rookie season of 2005. His 2 TD passes give him 7 in the last three games.

"I think I played well today," Orton said. "I thought I saw the field well, (but) I didn't play perfect. I've got some room for improvement, just like the other four weeks.

"We were certainly in a good rhythm there for the middle part of the game. We had them on their heels and we kept at it."

Orton had completions of 30 yards or longer to four different receivers before the third quarter was five minutes old, by which time the Bears held a commanding 31-0 lead.

In their first four games, the Bears had a total of just two 30-yard pass plays.

"The protection was good, the receivers ran great routes, and I got the ball out," said Orton, who was sacked just once. "The playcalling was great."

Tight end Greg Olsen (3 catches, 87 yards) got the aerial circus going with a career-long 52-yard reception in the first quarter.

Orton's 9-yard TD pass to running back Matt Forte gave the Bears a 10-0 lead with 5:27 left in the second quarter, and 3:31 later he connected with Devin Hester for a 12-yard TD and a 17-0 halftime lead.

Hester's score was set up by his own 32-yard reception, and, one play later, a 34-yard pass to Rashied Davis that Orton placed perfectly deep down the sideline.

Davis had personal bests of 6 catches and 97 receiving yards.

Marty Booker's miraculous, one-handed catch of an Orton pass for 30 yards set up Forte's 1-yard TD run early in the third quarter that gave the Bears a 24-0 lead.

It didn't hurt that the Bears' defense put the hammer down on the Lions' offense, stopping 11 of the first 20 plays for negative yardages or no gain. The defense allowed just 185 total yards, their stingiest yield in two years, since they permitted just 145 yards against Buffalo.

"Defensively, from the first drive, shutting them down and making them punt, really kind of got it started for the day," Bears coach Lovie Smith said. "The defensive line put pressure on the quarterbacks all day. We were able to shut down their run and just make plays.

"We had control most of the game. I thought we had the momentum from start to finish."

The Bears built a 31-0 lead on Charles "Peanut" Tillman's 26-yard touchdown on an interception return before the Lions even registered on the scoreboard.

And that was a gift after the home team recovered Hester's fumbled punt return at the Bears' 22. It briefly silenced the disenchanted home crowd, which booed the Lions frequently and loudly throughout.

Offensively, the Bears used a team effort to make up for the absence of Lloyd, who was far and away their most productive receiver through the first four weeks with 249 receiving yards.

"We don't single out anybody as being the No. 1 guy," Booker said. "We all just go out there and do our part and do our thing as a group, and today guys stepped up and made plays.

"You have to have a lot of guys that are able to come in and, when their number's called, make plays. That's the key, and we've been doing a good job of that so far. We just have to keep it up."

Despite Orton's flashy numbers, offensive coordinator Ron Turner was more impressed with other aspects of his game.

"We don't get caught up in the numbers," Turner said. "I was just pleased that he was making the right reads, going where he's supposed to (with the ball).

"When we have opportunities to make plays, he's giving guys a chance to make plays and putting the ball on the money. The last couple weeks, he's seeing things really well and playing with a lot of confidence."

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