LAKE FOREST, Ill. – In his first practice as Bears starting quarterback Tuesday, Kyle Orton admitted that excitement and adrenaline were fueling a wild 80 mile-per-hour ride in a 55 mile-per-hour zone.

But the third-year pro has since slowed down, taken a deep breath and is now proceeding with caution as he prepares to make his first start in two years Monday night in Minnesota.

Quarterback Kyle Orton makes his first start since the 2005 season finale Monday night when he leads the Bears against the Minnesota Vikings at the Metrodome.

“I got it out of my system after the first day of practice,” Orton said. “I was pretty jacked up and moving around pretty fast. But I really calmed down and have got a lot of confidence going the game and think I’m going to play really well.”

With Rex Grossman sidelined by a sprained left knee, the Bears are turning to Orton after back-to-back losses to the Giants and Redskins dropped their record to a disappointing 5-8. 

The two-time defending NFC North champions are currently in last place in the division.

“We need to get a win, and in order for us to win our quarterback has to play well,” coach Lovie Smith when asked what he expects from Orton Monday night in the Metrodome.

“I’m talking about not just running the offense. We know that they’re going to gang up on the run and do all that stuff and there will be situations where we need to hit them with the pass, and quarterback-wise we need to get the ball to our playmakers and let them make plays.”

Teammates have been impressed with how Orton has prepared for Monday night’s game.

“He’s been good at practice so far,” said wide receiver Bernard Berrian. "The best thing I like is he’s been coming around to our meetings in our room and going over the little intricate parts of the offense that need discussion.”

As the Bears’ No. 3 quarterback, Orton has run the scout team all season and hasn’t thrown many passes to Berrian and fellow starting receiver Muhsin Muhammad. But timing between Orton and his receivers hasn’t been a problem in practice.

“We’re clicking pretty good,” Orton said Friday. “We’ve had two really good days of practice and haven’t had a lot of balls hit the ground, so I think we’re coming in with a lot of confidence.”

Orton hasn’t taken a regular-season snap since the 2005 finale in Minnesota. He compiled a 10-5 record as a surprise rookie starter who earned the job after Grossman broke his left ankle in the preseason and Chad Hutchinson was released.

Operating a scaled-back offense, Orton completed 190 of 368 passes for 1,869 yards with 9 touchdowns, 13 interceptions and a 59.7 passer rating as a rookie.

The fourth-round pick from Purdue passed for more than 150 yards only twice and won games in which he threw for just 68 and 67 yards thanks to a strong defense and rushing attack.

“I don’t know if that’s the proper way you would like for a quarterback to come in and have to play right away in the situation that we put him in,” Smith said.

“I’ve seen him for two years, working against our No. 1 defense each day, and he’s gotten stronger with his body. He’s mentally into it. I don’t think it’s too big for him. He’s a guy that deserves to play, and I think he’ll play well.”

“I don’t think anybody should be judged on their rookie year,” Orton said. “I think I can quarterback this team to a lot of points and play very effectively.”

Orton will finally get that opportunity Monday night against a Minnesota defense that ranks first in the NFL against the run and last versus the pass. Playing in one of the NFL’s loudest stadiums, the Vikings rank second in the NFC with 30 takeaways.

“It’s a tough defense and a tough environment,” Orton said. “They’re a good defense and they’ve made a lot of plays and created a lot of turnovers. We’re certainly going to have to protect the ball and try to keep the crowd out of it.”

As he prepares for his first start in two years, Orton is paying attention to detail.

“My focus is on the entire game—my routine, breaking the huddle, coming up to the line of scrimmage and finding the play clock and the safeties,” he said. “I’ve been living in the film room trying to get a good grasp on what they’re going to try to do.

“I’m very excited and confident. I think we’re going to go out and play well as an entire offense.”