Pocket Presence: Kyle Orton and Brad Johnson

by Mario "Game" Granata
There are many changes that are apparent at One Bills Drive as of late.  As the new owners settle into their new position in Buffalo, Kyle Orton also settling into his role as the starting quarterback for the Buffalo Bills.  Comparisons are made each and every day in the world of sports, and when digging through the archives of the NFL, there are many quarterbacks to compare Orton to, but there is one in particular who stands out: Brad Johnson. 

When looking at the style and the performance of Kyle Orton, there were similarities that were apparent that I just couldn't shake.  Kyle Orton, who came off of retirement, led the Bills to a dramatic 17-14 victory over the Detroit Lions last week at Ford Field, but there is still more work to be done for the Bills to end the longest playoff drought in the NFL.  Nevertheless, there is one player, who was seen as a journeyman in the NFL, that ended up winning a Super Bowl and that man was Brad Johnson.  When looking at the statistical comparison of the two, one has to shake their head.  Prior to Kyle Orton making his start against the Lions, and before Brad Johnson suited up for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2002, their statistics in the NFL are as follows:

Kyle Orton:
8 years, 1476 Completions, 2517 Attempts, 16,777 Yards, 92 TD, 68 Int, Sacked 142 Times.

Brad Johnson:
8 years, 1466 Completions, 2380 Attempts, 16,379 Yards, 92 TD, 68 Int, Sacked 141 Times.

Now, I know Brad Johnson wasn't a very heralded quarterback when he started playing for Tampa Bay, but he and Jon Gruden relied on a solid defense, and a favorable schedule to propel them to the playoffs and eventually to the Super Bowl, while defeating their rival Philadelphia Eagles along the way in order to get there.  Kyle Orton, as the debate reigns in Buffalo, wasn't very heralded either, has a strong defense as well, and could use that momentum to get past Buffalo's rival, the New England Patriots and hopefully into the playoffs.

Will the script be the same for the Buffalo Bills as they make their way through the 2014 season?  Only time will tell, but if the Bucs can win a title with a journeyman, why it is unbelievable for the Bills to do the same?