Chicago Bears Head Coach Lovie Smith pondering
his Quarterback problem.
Chicago - How much longer can Bears' Head Coach Lovie Smith stick with youngster Rex Grossman at Quarterback? In Sunday's win over the division rival Minnesota Vikings, Sexy Rexy (as he's been dubbed by local media) was a dismal 6 of 19 for a total (yes, a TOTAL) of 34 yards. More telling, at one point early in the second half, Grossman had completed as many passes to the Viking's D-Backs as he had his own receivers...3. He finished with zero TD's and 3 Interceptions. I blind drunk Englishman could have done that, and to them people Football is Soccer.
Grossman looked nervous in the pocket, taking too much time and making poor decisions. The calm and cool Rex that fans saw shred the Lions in week two is a far cry from the Rex in we were forced to witness on this early December chiller at Soldier Field.
The "fuck it and chuck it" approach has been killing the young stud as of late. His numbers have been on a steady decline since the start of the season. Take a peek:
September (3 Games)
61/94 64.9 Completion % 829 Yards 6TD 3INT 100.9 Passer Rating
October (4 Games)
69/124 55.6 Completion % 810 Yards 7TD 4INT 81.0 Passer Rating
November (4 Games)
62/128 48.4 Completion % 751 Yards 5TD 7INT 57.1 Passer Rating
December (1 Game)
6/19 31.6 Completion % 34 Yards 0TD 3INT 1.3 Passer Rating
How much longer can Dusty Bak...errr I mean Lovie Smith stick with Grossman? Will he march this kid onto the field in the playoffs and let him launch the ball downfield at imaginary open men? Can Lovie stand by and listen to all of Chicagoland CLAMORING for Brian Griese? Is he willing to lose his job over a poor Quarterback that he refuses to bench?
Luckily for Rex & Lovie, the Bears have a Defense that will punch another team square in the nuts. The other side of the ball is playing like crazed dogs, swarming, tearing the pigskin out of the hands of any would-be back and running the other way.
Not to mention the special teams and a rookie return specialist by the name of Devin Hester (could this be who Nostradamus was referring to when he wrote, "Beasts wild with hunger will cross the rivers. The greater part of the battlefield will be against Hister." Maybe he wasn't writing about Adolph Hitler as previously thought???) who has recaptured the spirit of Dante' Hall and Deion Sanders with 3 impressive punt returns and a 103 yard missed field goal return. He's single handedly saved the Bears' ass more than once.
Regardless of how they're winning right now, they're winning, which is fine in the regular season. The Bears continue to be offensively challenged, thus making them the Best Shitty team in the NFC. (The Colts hold that title in the AFC, but for the opposite reason, their defense.) The world will have to wait until Monday to see what Grossman comes up with next. He should be able to get some serious air under the ball in a dome, so at least his interceptions will give St. Louis the same field they would have gotten on a punt.
2 comments:
Here's the facts:
We had the same team last year with Orton at the helm. Same problems, too. As we know, Orton is not the solution...his record as the starter squeeked us into the playoffs.
The experience Brian Griese brings to the table is outweighed by his immobility. His arm is suspect, too. There's a reason he was traded to us.
Grossman is 10-2 as the starter. I hate to sound like Lovie, but against Orton (the two-yard slant screen wonder) and Griese (the please don't hit my knees effigy), Grossman is the best choice.
My analysis as a college football guru is this. Grossman comes from a Florida system under Steve Spurrier. Double S was a run and gun coach, who could rely on his speedy Gator wideouts to burn corners and to get linebackers crossed up in the middle. Unfortunately, I think Rex is too used to having slow corners and lousy linebackers in the 60 degree Swamp than he is having speedy defenders and a bunch of Terry Tates after him in a 20 degree Soldier Field.
I bet he rolls on St. Louis this Monday, but the downfall is that if they keep winning, home field advantage will NOT be an advantage for the Bears. I think they'd be better suited for a playoff against New Orleans in the Superdome, then against Dallas in a dome, then a Superbowl win against Indianapolis in Miami (Rex's college stomping grounds -- almost) after Lovie tells Rex he's only allowed to throw pop screens. Of course, after watching them beat up on the Vikes this past week, I suppose it'd be equally advantageous to invite domers to the Lake and let our D light up those warm-weather goofs.
Te NFL is dumb this year. Thank God the Bears division sucks this year, but I don't think their ten wins in the NFC north translates to a Super Bowl appearance. I hope I'm wrong.
Remember, too...Sexy Rexy finished fourth in the Heisman voting his senior year. He's got it, but he can't expect to toss 60-yarders in the NFL and have a Gator be there to catch it for him.
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