[CBFF] S.I. ; Bears Offense Grows Up

[Steve Behrens]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/jeffri_chadiha/09/26/bears/index.html

 Bears offense grows up Ability to overcome struggles a good sign for
Chicago Posted: Tuesday September 26, 2006 12:06PM; Updated: Tuesday
September 26, 2006 12:06PM
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   [image: Despite struggling on Sunday, Bears quarterback Rex Grossman
still ranks fifth in the NFL with a 100.9 passer rating.]
 Despite struggling on Sunday, Bears quarterback Rex Grossman still ranks
fifth in the NFL with a 100.9 passer rating.
US Presswire


Some major questions about the legitimacy of the Chicago Bears' offensive
improvement were answered inside a boisterous, sold-out Metrodome late
Sunday afternoon. Down 16-12, the Bears had a short field in their favor
and momentum on their side (courtesy of a fumble by Vikings running
back *Chester
Taylor* at the 37 with 3:38 remaining). Even though Chicago hadn't scored an
offensive touchdown up until that point, the Bears had the look of a team
ready to snatch a win away from its opponent.

We all know what happened next: The Bears won 19-16 on a 24-yard touchdown
pass from *Rex Grossman* to wide receiver *Rashied Davis*. What might have
been missed, however, was the significance of that five-play drive. In
short, the Bears' offense grew up on that possession. They became the type
of unit that can actually deliver in the clutch. As coach *Lovie Smith* said
afterwards, "For our offense to take the next step in our development, we
needed to have a drive like that to win a game."

As impressive as the Bears offense has looked this season -- particularly in
blowout wins over Green Bay and Detroit to start the year -- Sunday's
victory revealed the type of resilience every team needs to succeed,
especially with the undefeated Seattle Seahawks coming to town on Sunday.
Let's face it: There is no great glory gained from beating the Lions or the
Packers. Nobody is going to give you credit for the effort you put in.

The Bears' win over Minnesota was a different story. The Vikings frustrated
Chicago's offense for more than 56 minutes. They disrupted Chicago's
blocking schemes with well-timed blitzes from linebackers. They shut down
the Bears running game by stacking the line of scrimmage with eight and nine
defenders. They made life so difficult for Grossman that he lofted a pass
into the right flat early in the fourth quarter as he backpedaled into his
own end zone to evade the pass rush. Vikings cornerback *Antoine
Winfield*intercepted the errant throw and returned it for Minnesota's
only touchdown.
So there had been enough bad things happen to the Bears' offense that they
could've caved late in that game. Instead, this is where they revealed their
maturity. This is where Grossman calmly dismissed his earlier blunder and
rallied his teammates around him. Simply put, this is where the Bears proved
that their offensive struggles from last season aren't going to plague them
anymore. And it's not just because Grossman is healthy.

It's because the offensive line, probably the most underrated in football,
has continued to hone its continuity. It's because a 33-year-old wide
receiver like *Muhsin Muhammad* can still deliver tough catches while
younger targets like Davis, *Bernard Berrian* and the team's tight ends have
become more reliable. It's because running back *Thomas Jones* can handle
tough carries and the Bears also have quality depth behind him,
including *Cedric
Benson*, the fourth overall pick in the 2005 draft.

The running game hasn't even clicked yet, but the Bears claim that isn't an
issue. "Teams have been so concerned about stopping the run that it's opened
up a lot of play-action opportunities," Muhammad said. "But teams are
starting to learn about our passing game, too. The first team we played
[Green Bay] got caught by surprise with it. The second team we played
[Detroit] found out that we're the real deal. Now that we've beaten our
third team, I'm sure you'll see some more teams adjust to us. They'll start
playing Rex more honest, but they can't take everything away."

That's a scary thought, isn't it? The Bears having multiple weapons on
offense? If that side of the football can continue delivering plays when it
matters most, it could be even harder for opponents. A year ago, the Bears
played such good defense that they only needed 10 to 14 points to win games.
You give that unit 20 to 30 (the Bears are currently averaging 26.3 points
per game) and you're easily looking at the most formidable contender in the
NFC.

Of course, the Bears aren't going there just yet. They all downplay this
start and what Sunday's victory meant to their ambitions. "It's early in the
season," Grossman said. "We still have a long way to go." That may be true
of the schedule. It may be true that the Bears believe it. But when it comes
to evaluating the state of the Bears offense, a long way to go doesn't
really do them justice. From this vantage point, they appear to be growing
up at a fairly impressive pace.