[CBFF] Bears v Cardinals

[Kegstand]

Some reading on the game tonight if you find yourselves with some extra
time:

 5 BEARS on the spot

By John Mullin
Published August 25, 2006


The third NFL exhibition game typically reveals the most. Rosters are cut to
65 players Tuesday, but more than just marginal players are on the spot
Friday night when the Bears play the Cardinals.

1. Rex Grossman (right)

After two performances he'd like to forget, at least he'll have Thomas Jones
back. But this is Grossman's dress rehearsal for the opener at Green Bay.
"He had the poor first game and wanted to atone for that in the second game
and was pressing a little bit," quarterbacks coach Wade Wilson said. "I
think his confidence is fine, and when someone makes a big catch for him or
he makes a big throw, he'll be all right."

2. Thomas Jones (below)

Because of injuries, Jones has never started more than eight straight games
in any of his six seasons. His credentials with the Bears aren't in
question, but until he puts some yards on his injured hamstring, his
durability is.

3. The wideouts

The receivers have only 16 catches in two games, led by Rashied Davis' six.
The Bears need to know his production will be there every week. Bernard
Berrian and Muhsin Muhammad have been limited by minor injuries. For one of
the NFL's worst passing offenses, it's time.

4. Bubble boys

Rookie offensive linemen Mark LeVoir of Notre Dame and Tyler Reed of Penn
State have played well enough to make the practice squad. Defensive tackle
Antonio Garay and defensive end Jamaal Green face a difficult numbers game.
Defensive end Mark Anderson, receiver/special-teamer Alex Bannister and
defensive lineman Michael Haynes will get their only shots this week.

5. Defensive line

No defensive lineman has a sack, but Arizona has two vulnerable quarterbacks
in Kurt Warner and Matt Leinart. The Bears are not facing a great offensive
line. As with the receivers, it's time.
__________________________


No offense, but Bears need a boost

August 25, 2006

BY BRAD BIGGS Staff Reporter





Here it is, as true a look as you will get from an NFL team in the
preseason: the third exhibition game.

Sixteen days until the season opener at Green Bay, the Bears (1-1) have an
opportunity to put a growing list of questions about the offense to rest. A
strong showing against the Arizona Cardinals tonight at Soldier Field (7,
Ch. 5, 780-AM), and the struggle to get even a first down two weeks ago at
San Francisco will be forgotten.

And if the Rex Grossman-led first-team offense can put a few scores on the
board, the fact it has yet to score in three quarters no longer will be an
issue. That's what the starters will get in this game -- about three
quarters of work.

But if it's pitter-patter, three-and-out with a couple turnovers, don't look
for optimism to reign leading into a regular season filled with high
expectations. The preseason is not an accurate gauge of the real deal
because wins and losses are immaterial. It's all about execution, and that
can be evaluated. If the offense can't show signs of improvement over last
season, what reason is there to believe change is coming after an offseason
and summer camp dedicated to just that?

Some of the symptoms that plagued the Bears last year are apparent again,
though granted, the sample size is small. They have run 96 offensive plays
in two games; only Kansas City (92) has fewer. On a good Sunday, a team
should have 60 or more. The Bears are also third-to-last in the league with
220.5 yards per game and a 22.7 percent third-down conversion rate. All of
those figures add up to an average possession time of 22 minutes, 46 seconds
-- dead last in the league.

The Cardinals (1-1) were blitzed 30-3 last week by New England. Tom Brady
led the Patriots on scoring drives on their first two possessions and
completed 15 of 20 passes for 149 yards in the first half.

Arizona will be without two defensive starters tonight: right end Bertrand
Berry (knee), who has 32 sacks over the last three seasons, and strong-side
linebacker Karlos Dansby (ankle).

''What we need to do is get on a roll, get in a rhythm and finish some
drives and put some points on the board,'' Grossman said. ''We haven't been
able to get things going, and a large part of it has to do with me. I just
need to go out there and do my job.''

It's unfair to heap everything on Grossman's shoulders. His wide receivers
have been in and out of the lineup; Muhsin Muhammad and Bernard Berrian will
start tonight. The biggest return, though, is that of running back Thomas
Jones, who will start after missing the first two games with a pulled right
hamstring. That should be a boost for a ground game that has generated only
23 rushing yards with the first team.

Grossman improved last week in a victory over San Diego, though a bad
decision that led to an interception at the goal line sullied the outing. To
his credit, he made some nice throws in the face of pressure and also was
hurt by a couple of drops.

''We're getting better,'' said Muhammad, who sat out last week and urged
patience after the San Francisco game. ''The offense improved from the first
to the second week. Rex did a pretty good job of making plays up and down
the field.''

Although Grossman was not grasping for excuses, he said he's always a little
fired up at the beginning of a game. That's natural, and it's something that
might subside with more experience. Remember, he has started only seven
regular-season games.

There won't be the pressure tonight to get something done in the first half
and force a pass near the goal line if he thinks the starters are going to
be pulled soon. The Bears have done some game-planning, and adjustments will
be made at halftime.

''We'd love to score a lot of points,'' Muhammad said. ''This offense, it's
really geared to score a lot of points. But our overall team philosophy is
to win ballgames regardless. If we come out this year and we still look like
the Bears of last year and we go on a nine-game winning streak, I'm pretty
sure we'd have happy fans.

''If we're up by a lot of points, don't look for an aerial display. I'm
going to be honest with you: You're going to get a heavy dose of Thomas
Jones in your face. Our goal is to go out and win games. Although it's very
entertaining to see the greatest show on turf ... we're about getting the
job done.''
__________________________________________



 *No doubt: Crucial game for Grossman
Bears quarterback gets best chance yet to prove himself*

By Bob LeGere
Daily Herald Sports Writer
Posted Friday, August 25, 2006


The Bears' offense isn't at full strength yet, but quarterback Rex Grossman
will have more weapons tonight against the Arizona Cardinals than he's had
so far in a disappointing preseason.

In the third and most important exhibition game (7 p.m., Channel 5), the
Bears' starters will play into the third quarter. On the offensive side,
they obviously need the work.

"We're not ready to play the Packers (in the regular-season opener) yet,"
said Bears coach Lovie Smith, "but hopefully we'll take another big step in
all phases."

There isn't much concern on defense, where the starters have allowed just 6
points in nine quarters. But the starting offense has yet to dent the
scoreboard.

*Tonight, running back Thomas Jones, who rushed for 1,335 yards last season,
makes his 2006 debut.

Wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad returns after missing last week with a sore
hamstring. He'll start alongside Bernard Berrian.

And backup Mark Bradley is healthier than last week, when soreness in his
surgical right knee limited him to a handful of snaps. *

It remains to be seen how much work Jones will get after missing three weeks
and the first two preseason games with a strained hamstring. With Cedric
Benson still recovering from a separated shoulder, the Bears will take
precautions to ensure at least one of the contenders for the starting
running back spot is healthy for the Sept. 10 opener.

The fresh troops are expected to help Grossman demonstrate that he's ready
for the regular season. His passer rating of 40.4 pales in comparison with
backup Brian Griese's 154.4.

"I think whenever you get a player back like Thomas Jones, it should help,"
Smith said. "Just like with Muhsin Muhammad. We're getting closer to having
the guys that we'll be playing this season with. That has to be good."

*Grossman will get more opportunities to get his game together than in the
first two games, and he believes that's all he and the offense need to get
out of their slump, for which he blames himself.

"What we need to do is get on a roll, get in a rhythm and finish some drives
and put some points on the board," he said. "I feel like we haven't been
able to get things going, and a large part of it has to do with me. I just
need to go out there and do my job."

If Grossman gets the offense in gear, the quarterback controversy will die
down — at least for a while. But if he again fails to perform up to
expectations, the demand for Griese will continue to grow.*

But that doesn't mean Griese's playing time will increase. He might only get
two possessions tonight, just as he did in the first two games, during which
he made the most of limited snaps.

"It's never easy to be a No. 2 guy. I'm not going to sit here and say it
is," said the former Pro Bowler, who has started 72 games in a nine-year NFL
career. "You have to understand that there's a process to everything.

"All I can really control now is what I do when I have the chance and I'm
out on the field, the way I prepare myself and the way I learn the offense
and prepare to go out there and lead. Those are the things that I can
control, and I'll do that."

The Bears hope Grossman will do the same.
___________________________________________



 Backup knows drill
Griese says he'll be ready when Bears need him

BY K.C. JOHNSON
Published August 25, 2006


Brian Griese laughed off a question about whether he needs to take a hit on
his surgically repaired left knee to feel comfortable before the regular
season begins.

"That could wait until about the 15th game," he said Thursday.

Similarly, he insists he doesn't need more repetitions to feel comfortable
in the Bears' offense. He might not get any Friday night, as coach Lovie
Smith said the starters would play into the third quarter against Arizona in
the third exhibition game, regarded as the most important.

After that, Smith wouldn't commit to a quarterback, meaning Kyle Orton could
replace Rex Grossman. Griese shrugged.

"You can either play or you can't in this league," Griese said.

Griese has directed only four series and 23 plays in the first two games,
with three of the drives ending in touchdowns. He has handled questions
about outperforming Grossman with savvy.

That doesn't mean his competitive fires don't burn.

"It's never easy to be a No. 2 guy," Griese said. "I'm not going to sit here
and say that it is. But you have to understand there's a process to
everything. All I can really control now is what I do when I have the chance
and I'm on the field. And I will do that."

Griese has yet to be touched in the first two games but did say he took a
good hit on his knee in practice.

"Which I wasn't really expecting, so I was actually really upset when it
happened," he said. "But I felt pretty good afterward. Mentally that has
helped me."



Marked man

By all accounts, cornerback Ricky Manning Jr. had a solid training camp. But
the free-agent signee from Carolina isn't convinced he has done enough to
wrest a starting job from cornerbacks Charles Tillman or Nathan Vasher. Yet.

"Coaches have seen me on film, but I always feel I have to prove myself,"
Manning said. "I've had to do that my whole career. So it's nothing new to
me. But I think I still need to go out and make some plays and get them to
trust in my abilities so they can say, `He's my guy.'

"And if that doesn't happen, I'll be the best nickel [back] they have."
__________________________________



 *Cards need new mind-set, rookie says *

the associated press
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 08.23.2006
advertisementTEMPE — Matt Leinart is pleased with his smooth, quick
transition to the NFL, but losing is unfamiliar and uncomfortable, even if
it's preseason.
"I know it's preseason," the rookie quarterback said after the Cardinals
practiced Tuesday, "but the feeling of losing, I haven't had that too many
times in my career, even in high school."
Leinart went 37-2 as USC's quarterback but knows that even the best teams
lose in the NFL. Still, he wants to help instill a winning attitude in a
Cardinals franchise that has had one winning season in 21 years.
"In college, it was expected to win; it was just how many points we were
going to win by, it seemed," he said. "There were a few close ones here and
there, but that was the mind-set that we had, and that's the mind-set we
need to have here."
Leinart's NFL baptism was a challenging one, to say the least. He was
inserted into Saturday's game at New England with just under two minutes to
go in the first half. He responded with a pair of scrambles for 29 yards to
set up Neil Rackers' field goal, Arizona's lone score in a 30-3 loss.
"I felt like I had some good composure in the pocket and made some plays on
the move," he said. "There's a few throws that I should have made, but those
will be there, just feeling more comfortable with the system and stuff. Next
time I just want to be able to move the sticks and put some points up on the
board."
Leinart completed 4 of 11 passes for 45 yards but two passes were dropped.
None of his passes were intercepted.
"He needed a little more help out there, but I thought he had solid play,"
coach Dennis Green said. "He's a talented player. He's got great poise, and
that's the thing that really showed up."
Friday night against the Bears in Chicago, Leinart expects to enter the game
early in the second half.
Green was not ready to name Leinart the backup quarterback behind starter
Kurt Warner. John Navarre has completed 12 of 23 passes for 70 yards with
three interceptions.