Denver Conference Call Quotes
HEAD COACH JOSH McDANIELS (on QB-Kyle Orton and the decision to trade for him)
"We looked at basically everything we could regarding Kyle and felt like he would be a good fit for our system. He's a smart player, obviously did a lot of things mentally at the line of scrimmage in his past, and we knew that were going to ask our quarterbacks to do a lot of that here, had always had a winning record—which is important at the quarterback position—and we feel like it's important for our team to have a quarterback who is a leader like that. So, that along with the fact that we felt comfortable with his ability to make the throws we required our quarterbacks to make in our offense, and the fact that everything else kind of fell into place, made it the perfect fit for us."
HEAD COACH JOSH McDANIELS (on Orton saying the stat that matters to him is wins, and if that's what it boils down to with him)
"That's the only one that I care about. Quarterbacks I know get talked about a lot and their numbers get talked about a lot, but ultimately, did you lead your teams to wins? Did you lead your offense into the end zone? Did your team take care of the football? Those are the three things that I care about the most, and I think Kyle fits that description and has done a nice job of executing our offense this year for us."
HEAD COACH JOSH McDANIELS (on OLB/DE-Darrell Reid)
"He's doing a nice job, and it's a pleasure having him here. We were fortunate to have the opportunity to get Darrell here in the offseason. He's definitely contributing for us on the defensive side of the ball and in the kicking game and just in general leadership. He's a guy who played in a program that won a lot of games in Indianapolis, and he knows what it takes to win games late in the year. Those kinds of players are invaluable to your team."
HEAD COACH JOSH McDANIELS (on if Reid is an energy guy)
"Every day. Every day. It's hard to find a guy that has more energy than he does. And that's why he's fun to be around. It's fun to play with a guy like that, and it's fun to coach a guy like that, too. Like I said, it's great to have him here, and we're very excited about what the future holds for us and Darrell Reid."
HEAD COACH JOSH McDANIELS (on the Colts' two-minute offense and how much effect it has on the opposing team's strategies heading into the end of a half)
"I think you have to be really careful. You can prevent them being in that situation, that's the best way to defend it. I think the teams that have been able to take the football and run the rest of the clock out in the last few minutes of the half, they avoid having to go out there and defend that because it is such a big part of what they do, and they gain momentum going into the half with it. That's a dangerous thing to allow to happen. If you get into that situation, you have to play great defense. That's what you have to do. They're a good team, and Peyton (Manning) executes that as good as anybody in the league. We have to do a good job of defending it, and if we can prevent them from being in it, then all the better."
HEAD COACH JOSH McDANIELS (on how being a rookie coach is going)
"It's a lot of fun. I grew up the son of a coach, obviously. There's a lot of things that go into coaching that aren't glamorous, and that's just part of the business, but there's so much more to it; the relationships that you have with the players and coaches and organization and (President and Chief Executive Officer) Pat Bowlen, and all of those things are great things for me and my family and look forward to them every day."
HEAD COACH JOSH McDANIELS (on how well he knows Jim Caldwell)
"We've met, I wouldn't call it a relationship. I have a great deal of respect for Coach Caldwell and the whole Colts organization, but I have not had the opportunity to sit down and really get to know him well. (That is) probably something that I should do and would look forward to very much so if I have the opportunity here at the owners' meetings coming up."
HEAD COACH JOSH McDANIELS (on not letting the fact they replaced Mike Shanahan and Tony Dungy get to them at all)
"I think you just have to focus on what you're doing. You can't worry about trying to do as well as somebody else did. You have to put your program and your philosophy into place and then work as hard as you can to make it the right one. That's all we've ever tried to do here, and it's what we'll continue to try to do here as long as I'm here."
HEAD COACH JOSH McDANIELS (on being with New England when they won 21 in a row and the streak the Colts are on now)
"First of all, it stretches over more than one season, so you kind of get more caught up and focused in this year, and the fact that they're undefeated this year, I think that's a big accomplishment. I think the fact that they've won 21 in a row is a huge accomplishment, but I don't necessarily know that it takes away or distracts you from your focus on each individual game. I certainly don't think it did with us, and I certainly don't believe it's affecting the Colts, either. As long as you have a veteran group with great leadership, you stay focused on one game at a time. The accomplishments and the records are great and they're made to be broken, and they're a team that's certainly capable of breaking many. We're looking forward to having the opportunity to come in there and play them. It's a great team."
HEAD COACH JOSH McDANIELS (on if it fair to say that Jay Cutler's attitude played into the trade or not)
"No, I think there are a lot of things that went into that. After things kind of didn't go the right way, there was a lot that transpired and really just couldn't get it back on track. We're really happy with what we have here and excited about what the future holds for the Denver Broncos and pleased to have Kyle Orton here as our quarterback."
QB-KYLE ORTON (on playing with Denver)
"It's really been great. The change of scenery has been nice. I'm treating it as a jump start to the second half of my career. I really loved my time in Chicago, but excited to be out here and certainly have a ton of talent around me."
QB-KYLE ORTON (on if he was excited about the trade when it happened)
"No question. I certainly wasn't paying attention to any of the rumors or any of that. It was certainly unexpected when it happened. When you get over the initial shock of having to move your family, and we've been well accustomed to living in Chicago for four years, once that initial shock wore off, career-wise, I thought it was great for me and really giving me a chance to show what I can do."
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QB-KYLE ORTON (on who had to move out to Denver)
"Just my wife and myself, but I'm sure as you know once you become entrenched in the community, like we were in Chicago, it's always tough to leave."
QB-KYLE ORTON (on how welcomed was he to Denver)
"Certainly whole-heartedly. I took the approach that I was going to come in and work my butt off and really just take the same approach I have since college, and that's just hope for a chance to compete for the job, and that's one thing I didn't always have in Chicago. So, we came out here and I was given a chance to show what I can do and I took advantage of that."
QB-KYLE ORTON (on if it has gone better than he expected)
"It's just gone how it's gone. I don't know. We feel that we have a good football team. We're just excited to be playing December football against a good football team, and we just know that we have to start playing our best ball right now."
QB-KYLE ORTON (on what makes him tick as a quarterback)
"Winning football games. That's my only goal. It's really always been my only goal."
QB-KYLE ORTON (on if he thinks people are surprised to know that he's one of the top-10 winning quarterbacks percentage wise)
"I don't know. I'm not, and I know my teammates aren't. That's really all that matters."
QB-KYLE ORTON (on the only stat that matters on Sunday is who wins and loses)
"That's certainly how I try to play. I know this is a stat-driven league and all that stuff, but in the end, wins and losses are what matter."
QB-KYLE ORTON (on if he's paid any attention on what has gone on in Chicago)
"Just watching friends play, but that's about it. I don't really have a comment on their season, just have a lot of friends that remain there and hope that they do well."
QB-KYLE ORTON (on if he remembers his last trip to Indianapolis to play the Colts)
"I do, to open up (Lucas Oil) Stadium and everything. That was a great win for us. It's a great atmosphere, and I know how excited they'll be. The Colts are obviously playing phenomenal football right now, and we'll have to bring our best game to have a chance to win."
QB-KYLE ORTON (on being the only unbeaten NFL quarterback in Lucas Oil Stadium)
"That's great."
QB-KYLE ORTON (on being at a crossroads in his career at the Super Bowl when the Bears and Colts played and how he got to where he is now)
"I just had faith that, at some point, I was going to have a chance to compete, and that's all you can ask for as a player. Unfortunately, that didn't always happen in Chicago. I got a chance last year to go into camp with a fair shot to win the job and just took it from there."
QB-KYLE ORTON (on the biggest difference between preparing for the Colts this week and when he did last year)
"I don't think there is a whole lot different, a few wrinkles here and there in the scheme, but we're still playing a very talented, fast defense that thrives on pressure from the two defensive ends and then have everybody rallying to the football. I think, philosophically, it's still very much the same defense."
QB-KYLE ORTON (on if OLB/DE-Elvis Dumervil is similar to Colts DE-Dwight Freeney and DE-Robert Mathis)
"In regards to getting a lot of sacks, he is. I think Elvis is a very special player, and he has a motor that just keeps on going. I think Elvis does a good job of playing all-around football, and when he gets to the quarterback that is a bonus."
QB-KYLE ORTON (on WR-Brandon Stokley)
"Brandon's playing great. Brandon is one of these guys that maybe has seen his reps go down a little bit, but whenever he is in the game, he's certainly made a bunch of plays for us and has closed out a couple of huge games for us."
QB-KYLE ORTON (on Colts' QB-Curtis Painter)
"I played with Curtis for one year. When I'm back in town, I'll talk to Curtis and certainly wish him the best. We have the same agent. I certainly followed his career and thought he played great in the preseason. He has a live arm and is a smart player. He has a bright future ahead of him."
QB-KYLE ORTON (on the Colts' 21-game win streak)
"Twenty-one or 30, you just have to win the one. I guess it always gets down just to focusing on that one game and just playing good football."
