CHICAGO — Showing more emotion than he had since winning the job, quarterback Kyle Orton pumped his fist in the air with a smile that showed as much relief as joy.

A sideline full of teammates, an organization committed to developing

Orton and a football city desperate for hope could relate.

Orton had just thrown his first of two touchdowns to Rashied Davis, a 21-yard touch pass placed perfectly between three defenders. That one throw typified how sharp Orton looked Thursday night in the Bears' 37-30 exhibition loss to San Francisco.

Showing poise in a pocket that never collapsed, Orton hit 10 of 17 passes for 147 yards without an interception for a passer rating of 126.3. Nope, that's no misprint.

"This wasn't surprising," general manager Jerry Angelo said outside the Bears locker room. "Kyle's ready. He has been around in this system and he has played."

Give Orton and a significantly improved, slightly incensed offensive line credit for giving critics somewhere else to look for flaws. A shaky Bears defense did its part to change the subject too.

If one side of the ball earned scrutiny, it was a defense supposedly loaded with veterans that suddenly looked incapable of carrying the Bears. The first string defense gave up 27 points to a 49ers team that easily could finish last in the NFC West.

"I'm completely disappointed with our entire effort," coach Lovie Smith said. "I thought we'd get that swagger back."

Instead, the Bears' secondary made journeyman quarterback J.T. O'Sullivan finding Jason Hill for a 37-yard touchdown pass seem as easy as the days Joe Montana used to find Jerry Rice for the 49ers.

So far this preseason the defense has resembled the group that was the NFL's fifth-worst last year much more than the strength of this team. If the quarterbacks picking the Bears apart weren't named Brodie Croyle, Charlie Frye and J.T. O'Sullivan, it all would be easier to understand.

But when a team with so many Pro Bowl-caliber players commits four penalties to keep drives alive and gives up 248 yards in the first half against a 49ers offense with its own issues along the offensive line, the mystery deepens. As does the frustration.

"We have good practices and then go out and play (lousy)," Brian Urlacher said during a sideline TV interview.

If this was supposed to be a dress rehearsal for the regular season, the Bears defense showed it might need some cast changes before Sept. 7.

The Bears' special teams supplied its share of excitement, most of it good, thanks to the fertile imagination of coordinator Dave Toub. Danieal Manning took a reverse pitch from Devin Hester on the Bears' first kickoff return and rambled 60 yards. Manning later added a 75-yard return.

Toub's crew also blocked two kicks, a 42-yard field goal at the end of the first half by Israel Idonije and a punt by Brandon Lloyd. But it won't be all giggles in the film room Friday. Garrett Wolfe, who might have put himself on the bubble, fumbled a kickoff return and Devin Hester made a bad decision to catch a punt at the goal line.

Nevertheless, Orton left the lasting impression.

As many questions as the defense raised, Orton answered a bigger one in a convincing manner.

Asked if he needed such a performance to win over fans, Orton replied, "It's more important for me to win over my teammates."

He operated comfortably behind an offensive line upset by criticism of last week's performance. He looked off receivers, showed good presence amid what little pressure he saw and even threw downfield when he spotted a wide-open Mark Bradley for a 55-yard gain.

He did it all against the same San Francisco defense that harassed Green Bay and Aaron Rodgers last Saturday. If Orton can play this way during the regular season, the Bears believe they can challenge the Packers and everybody else for the NFC North title.

But surprisingly, even to them, the defense has to improve as much as the offense for that to happen.