[CBFF] [CBBF] - For Grossman, glass is three-quarters full

[Kegstand]

*For Grossman, glass is three-quarters full*
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 Friday, August 25, 2006


By Gene Chamberlain
Staff writer


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Rex Grossman will go into tonight's preseason game against the Arizona
Cardinals at Soldier Field with greater peace of mind.
Barring a last-second injury scratch, the Bears' No. 1 quarterback will have
the rest of the regulars in place for the first time this preseason. In this
dress rehearsal for the regular-season opener (Sept. 10 at Green Bay), he'll
also have plenty of time — possibly three full quarters — to produce points.
That's something the first-team offense has yet to do during the preseason.

"It definitely helps you knowing you've got a half to three quarters to get
something done, so I don't have to press to make something happen before you
get pulled in the first quarter," Grossman said. "It's more like a regular
game. Your attempts will go up and your opportunities to make plays will go
up.

"Hopefully, we start off on a great note and start putting points on the
board left and right. Knowing that we have three quarters to do it
definitely helps your mind-set."

It also increases expectations.

During the preseason, the Bears offense has had 10 possessions with Grossman
at quarterback. It has turned the ball over three times.

"It just feels like nothing is coming easy to us right now," Grossman said.
"As soon as we just get some success, everything will be running downhill.
That's kind of what I'm thinking is going to happen, because I know we can
do it.

"When we start making some plays in the passing game, it will open up some
of the running game. We're going to have a few more running plays and a few
more additions to the offense that will hopefully open up some of the
running game."

For the first time in the preseason, the entire Bears starting offense from
last season's final game, the 29-21 playoff loss to Carolina, is together.

Having running back Thomas Jones back from a pulled hamstring should be a
boon to Grossman and Co. Wide receivers Muhsin Muhammad and Bernard Berrian
are over injuries. The line is intact.

"We're going to be able to play the first half, go back in at halftime, make
adjustments and come out and practice that and see what the defense does,"
Grossman said. "When we play the Cardinals, they're going to make
adjustments to what we're doing. To practice that is going to be helpful."

Grossman can send a message that there's nothing wrong with the aerial
attack despite his low passer rating of 40.4, compared to backup Brian
Griese's 154.4.

Would another poor effort by the offense under Grossman get Bears head coach
Lovie Smith thinking about looking at Griese with the starters in the
preseason finale Aug. 31 at Cleveland?

After all, it was the third-game failure of Chad Hutchinson during the 2005
preseason that eventually led to Hutchinson's release and Kyle Orton
assuming the starting quarterback job. Orton, then a rookie, started 15
regular-season games for the Bears last year.

However, there has been no indication Smith would consider such a move, and
players don't expect it.

"The offense improved from the first to the second week. I thought that Rex
did a pretty good job of making plays up and down the field and stuff like
that," Muhammad said of last week's 24-3 win over San Diego. "I think he'll
be better this week."

The Cardinals defense ranked eighth overall in the NFL last season. It was
the same rank achieved by the team's high-flying offense, led by quarterback
Kurt Warner (2,713 passing yards in 2005, 64.5 completion percentage) and
receivers Anquan Boldin (1,402 receiving yards) and Larry Fitzgerald (1,409
receiving yards).

The Cardinals' big offseason free-agent acquisition, running back Edgerrin
James, has rushed just four times for three yards during the preseason.
During the 2005 season with Indianapolis, James rushed for 1,506 yards on
360 carries.

The Bears will face what's arguably the best passing attack they'll see in
preseason.

"Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald are two of the top receivers in this
league, so I guess you could say it's a test," cornerback Charles Tillman
said.

What did in the Cardinals in 2005 were turnovers. Arizona turned the ball
over 37 times last season, tied for the third-highest total in the league.

The Bears defense anticipates a guarded approach to the game.

"I think both teams will be that way," Tillman said. "I think we will — as
well as Arizona will — kind of try not to show too much of what we're going
to do because we're going to play again."

The two teams will meet Oct. 16 in a Monday Night Football game in Glendale,
Ariz.

The Bears defense suffered tackling problems despite holding San Diego to a
just a field goal last week. It's possible the defense will be out to leave
a lasting impression.

"The last game we approached like a real game (mentally) because Lovie
really had an emphasis on trying to get out there and have a good game and
show people where we're at now instead of looking at it as a practice game,"
Bears cornerback Ricky Manning Jr. said. "We have the same approach in this
game. Because we play these guys later on, we want to really send a message
out to them early."