[CBFF] Argue about QBs, but Bears' star is 'D' (Mulligan)

[Jim Ferolie]

More even than Mully's conclusion, I very much agree with Phil Simms. The 
Bears have had QB controversies in the past, but that was because there was 
no starter. I see Grossman's ceiling at about the level of the 
aforementioned former Giants QB. He's not likely to ever be thought of as 
one of the best in the league, but if he's that good, I'll be satisfied.

By the way, Simms' stats in his 1986:
G |  Comp   Att   PCT    YD   Y/A  TD INT |  Att  Yards  TD
16 |   259   468  55.3  3487   7.5  21  22 |    43    72   1

And then in the postseason

                              Comp   Att  YD  TD INT | Att Yds  TD
1986  sfo  W,49-3   |    9   19   136   4   0  |    1    15   0
 1986  was  W,17-0   |    7   14    90   1   0  |    7    -2   0
*1986  den  W,39-20  |   22   25   268   3   0  |    3    25   0

And Griese would make an excellent Jeff Hostetler.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Victor Waldron" <victor19 at gmail.com>


> Argue about QBs, but Bears' star is 'D'
>
> August 20, 2006
>
> BY MIKE MULLIGAN Staff Reporter
>
> Given the state of the Bears' offense over the last 60 years or so,
> it's difficult not to get caught up in Quarterback Mania. Just in case
> anyone needs a reminder -- and the suspicion is that many do -- the
> Bears' winning formula was on display Friday night at Soldier Field in
> a 24-3 victory over the San Diego Chargers. It really had nothing to
> do with the play of any of the team's quarterbacks.
>
> The budding quarterback controversy was quieted for the time being,
> with starter Rex Grossman completing 50 percent of his passes, even if
> a bad interception caused his passer rating to dip from last week's
> disastrous performance at San Francisco. Grossman was 7-for-14 for 83
> yards but had just a 38.7 rating thanks to one ill-advised throw into
> double coverage that was picked off in the end zone at the end of the
> first half.
>
> Veteran Brian Griese almost tripled Grossman's rating on just four
> passes (two completed), including one to Justin Gage for a nine-yard
> touchdown.
>
> But the unmistakable message was that the Bears don't need a star at
> quarterback -- they just need a component. Opportunistic defense,
> sound special teams and enough offense not to get in the way can take
> a team pretty far. It helped the Bears win 11 games last year.
>
> Head coach Lovie Smith, who admits he holds his defense to a higher
> standard than his offense, pointed out the obvious missed tackles and
> failure to wrap up. But even the perfectionist Smith marveled at the
> way the defense opened the game with a 62-yard touchdown on an
> interception return by Brian Urlacher. Rashied Davis' 100-yard kickoff
> return for another touchdown gave the Bears a 14-3 lead in the first
> quarter, and they never looked back.
>
> 'Act like it's just you out there'
>
> Defensive end Adewale Ogunleye says the Bears -- like most teams at
> this point in the season -- are a work in progress. And while there
> certainly were concerns about a run defense that has given up 284
> yards over the first two preseason games, Ogunleye admitted it was
> nice to see the defense adhere to the advice from coaches before the
> game.
>
> ''You have to act like it's just you out there,'' Ogunleye said. ''We
> have to play like it's just us out there on defense, like that is the
> only way we're going to win.''
>
> It didn't take Sir Anthony Hopkins to act that way last year when the
> defense keyed a playoff run. Still, the focus has been on the Bears'
> offense most of the preseason because that's the area that needs the
> most work.
>
> Will the quarterbacks improve? Griese looks primed for action after
> directing the second team to three touchdowns in four possessions. It
> might take a while longer for Grossman to reach top form, but make no
> mistake: Grossman will get every opportunity to do so.
>
> Just ask former New York Giants quarterback Phil Simms, who did the
> CBS broadcast of the game Friday and whose son, Chris, became Tampa
> Bay's starter after Griese went down with a knee injury last year.
> Simms said he didn't talk much about the Bears quarterback battle on
> the air Friday because he doesn't believe it's an issue.
>
> ''Rex is going to be the starter, and he'll be the starter until they
> think he's a detriment to the team,'' Simms said. ''Quarterback
> controversy and quarterback competitions -- they are just total
> hogwash. You know who your starter is, and you go with it.
>
> ''If you ask me, the team is being built to do what Rex Grossman does.
> If you have a defense and a running team and you throw it, why throw
> it short? Make big plays. That's a way a lot of championship teams
> have been built.''
>
> Learning opportunities
>
> What's obvious from Friday is that Grossman's lack of experience means
> the Bears will have to live with rookie-caliber errors.
>
> ''He had one bad play in the half, really,'' offensive coordinator Ron
> Turner said. ''He has to learn from it. He can't throw that ball.''
>
> The Chargers were the perfect opponent for the Bears because they can
> serve as a cautionary tale. A surprise playoff team in 2004, they
> stumbled last year, losing five games by four or fewer points and
> falling to 9-7, which wasn't good enough for the playoffs.
>
> San Diego had a top offense featuring a great running back, LaDainian
> Tomlinson; a solid starter in quarterback Drew Brees, who's now in New
> Orleans; and a decent receiving corps led by excellent tight end
> Antonio Gates.
>
> The Bears don't have those kinds of weapons. In fact, with concerns in
> their receiving corps, they might not have enough to win on offense.
>
> That doesn't mean they should stop trying -- but not at the risk of
> messing with their winning formula.