[CBFF] A Gross(man) miscarriage of justice (Ladowski)

[Victor Waldron]

A Gross(man) miscarriage of justice

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Bears fans don't ask for much. When your team has had one measly Pro
Bowl quarterback in the last 43 years — that's Jim McMahon for those
of you who score at home — how can you?

But is it too much to ask for a touchdown from the first offensive
unit, even if it's only the preseason?

OK, how about a chip-shot field goal then?

In 10 possessions thus far, the Rex Grossman-inspired offense has
produced zippo points. Of course, it went up against first units, as
we've been reminded time and again. Excuse me, but who will they face
in the regular-season opener in Green Bay three weeks from now, who's
left of the Duluth Eskimos?

It wasn't fair that the Packers had their best players on the field.
And they tried really hard on top of it!

Until then, riddle me this: What has Grossman done to be handed the
most difficult and important job on the field while the far more
battle-tested, less mistake-prone Brian Griese sits and waits?

Based on what little we've seen of Grossman the last three seasons —
eight games, seven starts — not a whole lot. Unless there's another
Rex Grossman we're not aware of, can there be any doubt that he
doesn't belong with Tom Brady and Jake Delhomme and Matt Hasselbeck
and Ben Roethlisberger on the short list of Super Bowl-caliber
quarterbacks yet?

Heck, Grossman isn't in the same continent, let alone the same ZIP code.

This isn't meant to throw Grossman under the train, mind you. He's a
likeable guy, the kind you don't mind doing well. Maybe he will turn
out to be a legit starter one day. Maybe he even becomes Rex the
Wonder QB at some point down the road.

Yet the fact remains that Grossman isn't there yet. Which is why a lot
of 'skinheads around the country do a double-take when they hear how
adamant head coach Lovie Smith is about the situation. Guys such as
NFL Films executive producer Greg Cosell, who along with ESPN analyst
Ron Jaworski has broken down more film than Siskel and Ebert in their
primes.

"Ultimately, more NFL games are lost than won," Cosell said. "I know
it's a cliché, but there's a lot of truth to it. The Bears have a very
good defense — even dominant if the secondary comes around. They are
committed to the run whether Thomas Jones or Cedric Benson does it.

"Given that, the offense needs a quarterback who's methodical and
effective, someone who can move the chains. Griese is the better fit
of the two because he is a very accurate short-to-intermediate passer
who does not make many mistakes."

Griese isn't exactly Dan Marino in his prime. His arm strength is
limited. In eight seasons, he has yet to win a playoff game. Griese
isn't the fire-and-brimstone type, either, which is the primary reason
why Tampa Bay Buccaneers head man John Gruden cut the cord, according
to insiders.

Heck, the son of Bob Griese isn't even the best quarterback in his own family.

Still, said NFL analyst Ron Meyer, a longtime head coach, "Lovie has
made the right decision in his mind, so he should stand by his guy,
but Brian would be my pick. He is a heckuva operator, no question
about it. Rex can't be faulted for his injury problems, but I'd be
scared that he could go down in the second, third or fourth game of
the season."

Then again, Grossman isn't exactly Joe Willie Namath, either.

At this point, he's a cut above Peter Tom Willis, I'd say.

"Grossman forces too many throws," Cosell said. "Some may not realize
it, but he's very inexperienced at this level. He hasn't played very
much. He doesn't have what I consider to be tremendous natural talent.

"I can live with mistakes if a quarterback has the potential to be
great player. But in terms of what Grossman has in the way of physical
ability, I don't see it that way."

The one thing that Grossman does have over Griese is arm strength. Yet
not even that and his gunslinger mentality are ideal for an offense
that lacks deep threats and lives or dies on the ground.

Does any Bears wide receiver scare you at the moment? In a good way, I
mean. You know, Steve Smith scary.

Veteran Muhsin Muhammad is the best of an ordinary bunch, but true to
his nickname, "Moose" is a possession receiver. Bernard Berrian and
Mark Bradley have the stuff to be home run threats, we're told, but
they're too achy-breaky to be counted on in a 16-game season. Rashied
Davis intrigues a lot of people, but since when do Super Bowl teams
rely on a second-year guy who has yet to catch a ball in a real NFL
game?

No, if the Bears are as Super serious as they claim to be, then
they'll allow Griese to compete for the job on Friday night. The third
exhibition, uh, sorry new commish Roger Goodell, preseason game is the
most accurate gauge of the bunch in that both teams play their
regulars much of the way.

If Griese has been effective because of inferior competition — three
touchdowns against mostly reserves in two games — then we'll find out.
But if he outplays Grossman again, then we'll know who the best man is
for the job at the moment. Otherwise, what message does it send to the
rest of the team?

Yet Smith says it won't matter what happens on the field — Grossman is
his guy. I say the decision reeks of political football, the kind that
Bears fans have come to know all too well over the years.

The head coach may drive the Grossman bandwagon, but it's general
manager Jerry Angelo who fuels it. In 2003, while Smith was the St.
Louis Rams defensive coordinator, Angelo and his staff drafted
Grossman with the 22nd overall pick. In the process, they passed up
studs and potential studs such as running back Larry Johnson,
quarterback Chris Simms and wide receiver Anquan Boldin to name a few.

In other words, Angelo has a lot at stake here. If Grossman turns out
to be Pro Bowl stuff, then the GM comes off as a certified genius. But
if the Grossman of the last two games is close to the one we'll see
the next few weeks, then what will they say then?

And another thing — the Packers even played 11 guys!