[CBFF] Chicago Offense Needs Griese

[Phil DeNomme]

A lot has happened in the last 36 hours.  Lol.  

I like to see Rex start this week but if he has any sorts of trouble, pull
him.

-----Original Message-----
From: cbff-bounces at chicagobearsfanforum.com
[mailto:cbff-bounces at chicagobearsfanforum.com] On Behalf Of Jason Cetina
Sent: Monday, December 04, 2006 10:35 PM
To: post at chicagobearsfanforum.com
Subject: [CBFF] Chicago Offense Needs Griese

 From the same publication that two days ago said Rex should stay:

Mind you, there is a lot of incoherent garbage in here (for example, that
Lovie is loyal to a fault (Terry Shea says wha?)), but the PFW guys need to
eat, too.

Anyway, food for thought (and fuel for the fire).

http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW/Features/Scouts+Eye/2006/nawrocki120406
.htm

By Nolan Nawrocki
Dec. 4, 2006


Rex Grossman

Rex Grossman or Brian Griese - it seems the debate only grows stronger each
time Grossman takes the field, reaching a fever pitch as the fans assembled
at Soldier Field constantly booed Grossman's 6-of-19, 34-yard,
three-interception performance vs. the Vikings on Sunday - an effort that
resulted in a pathethic 1.3 passer rating. But the cries have fallen on the
deaf ears of the Bears' coaching staff, as Lovie Smith staunchly defended
his quarterback after the game.

Why? The Bears' staff cannot see the forest through the trees. Smith, loyal
to a fault, has entrusted the Bears' offense into the hands of offensive
coordinator Ron Turner. Turner has said publicly that Grossman is the best
he has ever coached. Careers of offensive coaches are often made or broken
based on the play of a quarterback, arguably the second-most important
figure on a team after the head coach, and neither Smith nor Turner wants to
undermine one of the team's leaders or shake his confidence, especially a
quarterback that their boss, Jerry Angelo, handpicked to lead the team. It
would rock the boat too much and create the ever-feared QB controversy,
perhaps pushing the shell-shocked golden boy even further into a shell.

Where the coaching staff is missing the boat is in understanding Grossman's
makeup. He responds best when his back is against the wall. 
He played his best at Florida for Steve Spurrier, who had no problem
benching him, berating him and showing him the tough love he needed to
thrive. So why cradle him now? Against the Vikings, Grossman clearly looked
confused on the field, and it is more than the lack of height that had no
bearing on his solid play early in the year. He is not seeing the field
well, overlooking open receivers, forcing the ball into coverage, not
handling pressure well and pressing way too much, the same way he did in the
preseason when the crowd was calling for Griese.

It can be argued that there is no reason to make a change right now. 
Grossman has led the Bears to 10 wins, they just clinched a division title
before any other team in the league, and the chemistry in the locker room is
good. But they are tied for the best record in the league in spite of the
quarterback, not because of him as the 10-2 Colts are. 
The best thing the coaches could do for Grossman at this point is let him
rest. Let him step back from the situation, take the huge expectations of
Chicago off his shoulders for a week and see what they have in their backup.

Grossman created his own mess, and he needs to deal with the consequences -
an opportunity for Griese to show what he can do. Come playoff time, teams
ideally want a polished veteran at the helm - someone who knows when to get
rid of the ball quickly, check it down, control the ball, move the chains
and let the defense dominate.

Not to make a change after Grossman's downward spiral the past seven weeks
(14 interceptions thrown during that span) would be ignorant. 
Coaches can turn their eyes away from it now and keep hoping Grossman will
snap out of his funk, but when it comes time to beat good football teams in
the playoffs, too much is being left to chance if the Bears are going to
rely strictly on defense and special teams. It's ironic after the injury
problems the Bears have endured at the QB position in recent years, the
biggest problem heading into Week 14 may be that their starting quarterback
is still standing and not hobbled like the front office had prepared for.

To win a championship, it requires making tough decisions and being able to
remove emotion from the equation and do what is best for the team. 
For experienced football minds looking at the Bears' QB situation from afar,
the decision is readily apparent - it's time to dial up the closer out of
the bullpen. But then, the Bears' fears might come true - they might find
out that their backup is a lot better than their future franchise
quarterback.

_______________________________________________
Check out the CBFF Blog:
blog.chicagobearsfanforum.com
CBFF Homepage:
www.chicagobearsfanforum.com