[CBFF] Chicago bearing down on perfect season

[Steve Behrens]

Chicago bearing down on perfect season Behind improved Grossman, stellar
defense, Bears could make 16-0 run  [image: Image:
Grossman]<http://msnbc.msn.com/id/14928857/displaymode/1176/rstry/15207950/>
Rex
Grossman's improvement at quarterback is just one of the reasons the Bears
could go undefeated this season, writes MSNBC.com's Steve Silverman.
 <http://msnbc.msn.com/id/14928857/displaymode/1176/rstry/15207950/> View
related photos<http://msnbc.msn.com/id/14928857/displaymode/1176/rstry/15207950/>
 Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images file
   *OPINION*
 By Steve Silverman
MSNBC contributor
 Updated: 2:25 p.m. CT Oct 17, 2006

Stampeding. Rolling. Dominating. Obliterating.

Choose your own action verb here.

The Chicago Bears are one of two undefeated teams in the NFL — and they may
just stay that way for a long time.

That's right, the same Chicago Bears team that had one of the worst passing
games in the league last year has found its stride and is playing with
passion, efficiency and skill on both sides of the ball. They are may
actually threaten the collective egos 1972 Dolphins by going undefeated this
season. More on that later.

The Bears *are dangerous because they are
balanced*<http://www.scoreboard.msnbc.com/msnbc/main.asp?frames=0&sport=nfl&Cat=TSt&team=3>.
They can beat their opponents in so many ways and they do it by following a
formula that has been used by many of the great championship teams of the
past.

They play choking defense. They attack with the pass early and build a lead.
They continue to step up on the defensive end. They add to their lead with
solid special-teams play. The game is safely over by the start of the fourth
quarter.

*  Rex Grossman<http://www.scoreboard.msnbc.com/msnbc/main.asp?sport=nfl&cat=IS&player=6358>
* deserves much of the credit. Through his first three years, Grossman was
basically a rumor. Injuries impacted his development in each season and he
was labeled as "injury prone." While Grossman was obviously frustrated, the
interesting thing is that his coaches and teammates never stopped believing
in him. In the show-me world of the NFL, that's almost shocking. Even Pro
Bowl players are made to feel like invisible men when going through the
rehab process, let alone unproven quarterbacks.

Grossman has remained upright this season and has been brilliant — up until
his horrific Monday night performance against the Cardinals where he
accounted for six turnovers. His numbers through the first five games of the
season are MVP worthy. He has completed 107-of-189 passes for 1,391 yards
with 10 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. Only three other quarterbacks have
double-digit TD passes

 The only reason that both of those number are not higher is that the Bears
have relented in four of their five wins after building substantial leads by
the midpoint of the third quarter — if not sooner.

A group of Chicago receivers led by *Muhsin
Muhammad<http://www.scoreboard.msnbc.com/msnbc/main.asp?sport=nfl&cat=IS&player=3511>
* that appeared non-descript in the summer has specialized in making big
plays early and often. Muhammad leads the Bears with 27 catches for 336
yards and a touchdown. Speedy *Bernard
Berrian<http://www.scoreboard.msnbc.com/msnbc/main.asp?sport=nfl&cat=IS&player=6837>
* has four TD receptions and has become a big-play threat. Even the
long-dormant tight end position has produced three TDs (two by *John
Gilmore<http://www.scoreboard.msnbc.com/msnbc/main.asp?sport=nfl&cat=IS&player=6131>
*, one by *Desmond
Clark<http://www.scoreboard.msnbc.com/msnbc/main.asp?sport=nfl&cat=IS&player=4829>
*).

Although the offense has been shockingly good, producing a league-high 172
points, the defense has played up to expectations. Middle linebacker *Brian
Urlacher<http://www.scoreboard.msnbc.com/msnbc/main.asp?sport=nfl&cat=IS&player=5038>
* and defensive tackle *Tommie
Harris<http://www.scoreboard.msnbc.com/msnbc/main.asp?sport=nfl&cat=IS&player=6773>
* have been ferocious and the Bears have given up just 59 points.

This year's team is playing for a place in history in addition to a
championship.

Their schedule is butter-soft. After beating the Cardinals, the Bears play
host San Francisco and Miami in back-to-back home games.
A three-game road trip follows with games against the Giants, Jets and Pats.
If they can survive their weekend in Foxboro, the only potential pitfall is
a Week 14 Monday night game against overachieving St. Louis.

But it's the game at New England that represents the biggest test in what
may be the only game that the Bears come in as point-spread underdogs. Bill
Belichick is bound to come up with a confounding defensive strategy to annoy
Grossman, but the quarterback has shown the ability to adapt this season and
make big plays when the Bears need them. Neither the Bears' coaches nor
Grossman's teammates believe the quarterback will be intimidated.

That should give the Bears a very good chance at going — gasp! — undefeated.
Somewhere Nick Buoniconti, Larry Csonka and Bob Griese — the father of
Chicago backup quarterback *Brian
Griese<http://www.scoreboard.msnbc.com/msnbc/main.asp?sport=nfl&cat=IS&player=4322>
* — are starting to fret. Those ancient Dolphins have made a habit of
popping the champagne every year when the last undefeated team loses for the
first time.

They may be left holding their bottles all season long. Those immature
codgers should feel free to drown their crocodile tears with that warm
swill. They deserve nothing more.
*Steve Silverman writes regularly for MSNBC.com and is a freelance writer
from Chicago.*